Past Perfect
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Base Verb Past Simple Participle
do (does) did done
go went gone
know knew known Past Perfect:
drink drank drunk had + pp
eat ate eaten
choose chose chosen
break broke broken
fly flew flown
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past perfect past tense
hadn’t studied failed
hadn’t
failed
studied
He _________ the test because he ______________.
(fail) (study)
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So, what is past perfect & when to use it?
•An action (A) happened before another action
(B) in the past.
•Use it to talk about things that happened
before an event in the past.
B A
•e.g. When I woke up, my mother had already
prepared breakfast for me.
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What are the two verbs in this sentence?
When I woke up, my mother had already prepared
breakfast for me.
Lookaction
Which at thehappened
time word!
first?
Example time
(“wake up”word: when, before,
or “prepare” after,How
breakfast?) because,
do webyknow?
the time
A B
prepare breakfast wake up
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Do you still remember the structure?
• subject + had + verb (past participle) + object
gone They mall. had the to
not/never
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Look at the timeline to find out which action happened
first, then complete the sentence.
didn’t have
I _____________(not have) any money because I
had left
_____________(leave) my bag at home.
Which action happened first?
“not have” or “leave” my bag?
leave my bag no money
A B
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Look at the timeline to find out which action happened
first, then complete the sentence.
played
had cleaned (clean) my room before I _________
I ___________
(play) basketball at the park.
Which action happened first?
“clean room” or “play”?
clean room play
A B
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Look at the timeline to find out which action happened
first, then complete the sentence.
arrived (arrive) after they
The birthday boy __________
had eaten (eat) his birthday cake.
___________
Which action happened first?
“arrive” or eat”?
eat cake boy arrives
A B
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Exercise
Put the verbs in brackets using the simple past or past perfect form.
Write them in your notebook.
had cleaned
washed (wash) my hands after I ___________
1. I _________
(clean) the dishes.
were (are) angry because John
2. My parents ________
had not finished (don’t finish) his schoolwork.
_____________
called (call) the police because someone
3. Jane _________
had broken (break) into her house.
_________
became
had been (be) an artist before he _________
4. John _________
(become) a musician.
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Exercise
Put the verbs in brackets using the simple past or past perfect form.
Write them in your notebook.
5. Where were had seen (see) you
you (you/be) after I _________
_________
at the park?
had known (know) each other for a
6. My grandparents _________
got
year before they _________ (get) married.
played
7. My sister _________ had finished
(play) a lot after she _________
(finish) the midterm exam.
had she drunk (she/drink) before the
8. How many coffees ____________
interview?
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