Notes on Past perfect

Student´s name:__________________________Teacher: Jimena Castellión Date:________

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Grammar Notes: Past Perfect and other tenses

Past Perfect

FORM: [HAD] + [PAST PARTICIPLE]

Examples: I had studied a little English when I came to the U.S.

They had never met an American until they met John.

NOTE: When you are using a verb tense with more than one part such as Past Perfect (had met), adverbs often come between the first part and the second part (had never met).

USE 1 Completed Action Before Something in Past

The Past Perfect expresses the idea that something occurred before another action in the past. It can also show that something happened before a specific time in the past.

EXAMPLES: I had never seen such a beautiful beach before I went to Kauai.

Had you ever visited the U.S. before your trip in 1992? Yes, I had been to the U.S. once before in 1988.

USE 2 Duration Before Something in the Past (Non-continuous Verbs)

With Non-progressive Verbs and some non-progressive uses of Mixed Verbs, we use the Past Perfect to show that something started in the past and continued up until another action in the past.

EXAMPLES: We had had that car for ten years before it broke down.

By the time Alex finished his studies, he had been in London for over eight years.

IMPORTANT Specific Times with the Past Perfect

Unlike the Present Perfect, it is possible to use specific time words or phrases with the Past Perfect. Although this is possible, it is usually not necessary.

EXAMPLE: She had visited her Japanese relatives once in 1993 before she moved in with them in

Grammar Notes Past Perfect and other tenses pag. 1/8


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1996.

If the Past Perfect action did occur at a specific time, the Simple Past can be used instead of the Past Perfect when before or after is used in the sentence. The words before and after actually tell you what happens first so the Past Perfect is optional. Both sentences below are correct.

EXAMPLE: She had visited her Japanese relatives once in 1993 before she moved in with them in 1996.

She visited her Japanese relatives once in 1993 before she moved in with them in 1996.

HOWEVER, if the Past Perfect action did not happen at a specific time, Past Perfect MUST be used at all times. Compare the two sentences below.

EXAMPLE: She had never seen a bear before she moved to Alaska. Correct

She never saw a bear before she moved to Alaska. Not Correct

ACTIVE / PASSIVE FORMS

EXAMPLES: George had repaired many cars before he received his mechanics license. ACTIVE

Many cars had been repaired by George before he received his mechanics license. PASSIVE

Activity 1: Simple Past / Past Perfect. Put the verbs in brackets into the correct tense:

I can't believe I (get) that apartment. I (submit) my application last week,

but I didn't think I had a chance of actually getting it. When I (show) up to take a look

around, there were at least twenty other people who (arrive) before me. Most of them

(fill, already) out their applications and were already leaving. The landlord said I could still apply, so I did.

I (try) to fill out the form, but I couldn't answer half of the questions. They (want)

me to include references, but I didn't want to list my previous landlord because I (have)

some problems with him and I knew he wouldn't recommend me. I (end) up listing my father as a reference.

It was total luck that he (decide) to give me the apartment. It turns out that the landlord



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and my father (go) to high school together. He decided that I could have the apartment

before he (look) at my credit report. I really lucked out!

Activity 2: Simple Past / Present Perfect / Past Perfect. Put the verbs in brackets into the correct tense:

1. When I (arrive) home last night, I discovered that Jane (prepare) a beautiful candle-lit dinner.

2. Since I began acting, I (perform) in two plays, a television commercial and a TV

drama. However, I (speak, never even) publicly before I came to Hollywood in 1985.

3. By the time I got to the office, the meeting (begin, already) without me. My boss

(be) furious with me and I (be) fired.

4. When I (turn) the radio on yesterday, I (hear) a song that was popular

when I was in high school. I (hear, not) the song in years, and it (bring) back some great memories.

5. Last week, I (run) into an ex-girlfriend of mine. We (see, not) each other

in years, and both of us (change) a great deal. I (enjoy) talking to her so

much that I (ask) her out on a date. We are getting together tonight for dinner.

6. When Jack (enter) the room, I (recognize, not) him because he (lose)

so much weight and (grow) a beard. He looked totally different! 7. The Maya established a very advanced civilization in the jungles of the Yucatan; however, their

culture (disappear, virtually) by the time Europeans first (arrive) in the New World.

8. I (visit) so many beautiful places since I (come) to Utah. Before moving

here, I (hear, never) of Bryce Canyon, Zion, Arches or Canyonlands.

Activity 3:. Present and Past Tenses and Non-Continuous Verbs. Put the verbs in brackets into the correct tense:

1.a. Look, I (have) two tickets for the circus.

1.b. Look, I (hold) two tickets for the circus.

2.a. We (be) there for more than half an hour by the time the show began.

2.b. We (wait) there for more than half an hour by the time the show began.



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3.a. Sam (sit) in the seat next to me when the clown threw a bucket of water at me.

3.b. Sam (be) in the seat next to me when the clown threw a bucket of water at me.

4.a. One clown was juggling while he (balance) a glass of wine on his head.

4.b. One clown was juggling while he (have) a glass of wine on his head.

5.a. I (love) the circus ever since I was a child.

5.b. I (go) to the circus ever since I was a child.

6.a. Right now, I (see) two elephants doing tricks in the ring.

6.b. Right now, I (look) at two elephants doing tricks in the ring.

REVISION ON TENSES

Sentences can be active or passive. Therefore, tenses also have "Active Forms" and "Passive Forms". You must learn to recognize the difference to successfully speak English.

ACTIVE FORM: In active sentences, the thing doing the action is the subject of the sentence and the thing receiving the action is the object. Most sentences are active.

[Thing doing action] + [VERB] + [thing receiving action]

EXAMPLES:

The professor teaches the students.(subject) (active verb) (object)(doing action) (receiving action)

John washes the dishes.(subject) (active verb) (object)(doing action) (receiving action)

PASSIVE FORM: in some sentences, speakers use the passive form. In the passive form, the thing receiving the action is the subject of the sentence and the thing doing the action is optionally included at the end of the sentence. You can use the passive form if you think the thing receiving the action is more important or should be emphasized.

[Thing receiving action] + [BE] + [past participle of verb] + [by] + [thing doing action]

EXAMPLES:



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The students are taught by the professor.(subject) (passive verb)(receiving action) (doing action)

The dishes are washed by John.(subject) (passive verb)(receiving action) (doing action)

Activity 4: Simple Past / Present Perfect. Put the verbs in brackets into the correct tense:

1. A: Did you like the movie "Star Wars"?

B: I don't know. I (see, never) that movie.

2. Sam (arrive) in San Diego a week ago.

3. My best friend and I (know) each other for over fifteen years. We still get together once a week.

4. Stinson is a fantastic writer. He (write) ten very creative short stories in the last year. One day, he'll be as famous as Hemingway.

5. I (have, not) this much fun since I (be) a kid.

6. Things (change) a great deal at Coltech, Inc. When we first (start) working

here three years ago, the company (have, only) six employees. Since then, we (expand)

to include more than 2000 full-time workers.

7. I (tell) him to stay on the path while he was hiking, but he (wander) off into the

forest and (be) bitten by a snake.

8. Listen Donna, I don't care if you (miss) the bus this morning. You (be) late to work too many times. You are fired! 9. Sam is from Colorado, which is hundreds of miles from the coast, so he (see, never)

the ocean. He should come with us to Miami.

10. How sad! George (dream) of going to California before he died, but he didn't make it.

He (see, never) the ocean.

11. In the last hundred years, traveling (become) much easier and very comfortable. In



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the 19th century, it (take) two or three months to cross North America by covered wagon.

The trip (be) very rough and often dangerous. Things (change) a great deal in the last hundred and fifty years. Now you can fly from New York to Los Angeles in a matter of hours.

12. Jonny, I can't believe how much you (change) since the last time I (see)

you. You (grow) at least a foot!

13. This tree (be) planted by the settlers who (found) our city over four hundred years ago.

14. This mountain (be, never) climbed by anyone. Several mountaineers (try)

to reach the top, but nobody (succeed, ever) . The climb is extremely

difficult and many people (die) trying to reach the summit.

15. I (visit, never) Africa, but I (travel) to South America several

times. The last time I (go) to South America, I (visit) Brazil and Peru. I (spend)

two weeks in the Amazon, (hike) for a week near Machu Picchu, and (fly)

over the Nazca Lines.

Activity 5: Present Perfect / Present Perfect Continuous Put the verbs in brackets into the correct tense:

Robin: I think the waiter (forget) us. We (wait) here for over half an hour

and nobody (take) our order yet.

Michele: I think you're right. He (walk) by us at least twenty times. He probably thinks we

(order, already) .

Robin: Look at that couple over there, they (be, only) here for five or ten minutes and they already have their food.

Michele: He must realize we (order, not) yet! We (sit) here for over half an hour staring at him.

Robin: I don't know if he (notice, even) us. He (run) from table to table taking orders and serving food.

Michele: That's true, and he (look, not) in our direction once.

Activity 6: . Verb Tense Practice Test. Cumulative Verb Tense Review Put the verbs in brackets into the correct tense:



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1. You look really great! (You, exercise) at the fitness center?

2. A: What (you, do) when the accident occurred?

B: I (try) to change a light bulb that had burnt out.

3. I (have) the same car for more than ten years. I'm thinking about buying a new one.

4. If it (snow) this weekend, we (go) skiing near Lake Tahoe.

5. A: What do you call people who work in libraries?

B: They (call) librarians.

6. Sam (arrive) in San Diego a week ago.

7. Samantha (live) in Berlin for more than two years. In fact, she (live) there when the Berlin wall came down.

8. If Vera (keep) drinking, she (lose, eventually) her job.

9. The Maya established a very advanced civilization in the jungles of the Yucatan; however, their

culture (disappear, virtually) by the time Europeans first (arrive) in the New World.

10. Shhhhh! Be quiet! John (sleep) .

11. It (rain) all week. I hope it stops by Saturday because I want to go to the beach.

12. I (see) many pictures of the pyramids before I went to Egypt. Pictures of the monuments are very misleading. The pyramids are actually quite small.

13. Joseph's English (improve, really) , isn't it? He (watch)

American television programs and (study) his grammar every day since he first arrived in San Diego. Soon he will be totally fluent.

Activity 7: Verb Tense Practice Test. Cumulative Verb Tense Review Put the verbs in brackets into the correct tense:

1. When Carol (call) last night, I (watch) my favorite show on television.

2. I (work) for this company for more than thirty years, and I intend to stay here until I retire!

3. Sharon (love) to travel. She (go) abroad almost every summer. Next year, she plans to go to Peru.

4. Thomas is an author. He (write) mystery novels and travel memoirs. He (write)

since he was twenty-eight. Altogether, he (write) seven novels, three collections of short stories and a book of poetry.

5. We were late because we had some car problems. By the time we (get) to the train



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station, Susan (wait) for us for more than two hours.

6. Sam (try) to change a light bulb when he (slip) and (fell) .

7. Everyday I (wake) up at 6 o'clock, (eat) breakfast at 7 o'clock and (leave)

for work at 8 o'clock. However, this morning I (get) up at 6:30, (skip)

breakfast and (leave) for work late because I (forget) to set my alarm.

8. Right now, Jim (read) the newspaper and Kathy (make) dinner. Last

night at this time, they (do) the same thing. She (cook) and he (read)

the newspaper.

9. The students (be, usually) taught by Mrs. Monty. However, this week they (be)

taught by Mr. Tanzer.

10. Answer these questions:

Jane talks on the phone. Who is not necessarily on the

phone now?

Bob has been talking on the phone for an hour. Mary is talking on the phone.

I'm going to make dinner for Frank. Who are you offering to make

dinner for? I'm making dinner for Judy.I'll make dinner for Mary.I make dinner for Ted. Jane left when Tim arrived. Who did not run

into Tim? Bob left when Tim had arrived. Tim arrived when Mary was leaving. John had left when Tim arrived. After Tim arrived, Frank left.

Jane is talking in class. Whose action

bothers you? Bob always talks in class. Mary is always talking in class. Jane never left Jamestown. Who is

still alive? Bob has never left Jamestown.


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