Quick Past Perfect Tense Review

We use the past perfect to show that an action happened before another action in the past. It can also show that an action happened before a specific time in the past.

When we arrived at the station, the train had already left.
Had Carol studied Russian before she moved to Russia?

We form the past perfect with: had/hadn’t + past participle
+ She had seen the film before.
-   She had not seen the film before.

?  Had she seen the film before?
+ Yes, she had.
-  No, she had not.

Contractions: I'd seen the film before.
I hadn't seen the film before.
No, I hadn't.

Lesson by Nasreen, teacher at EC Cape Town

Complete the sentences with the correct past perfect form:

• 1. We arrived at the cinema after the film ___.
  
  has started
  have started
  had started
  
  
• 2. Our teacher was angry because we ___ our homework.
  
  has not done
  had not done
  had not did
  
  
• 3. I couldn't get into the house because I ___ my keys.
  
  losing
  had lost
  had lose
  
  
• 4. She lent me the book after she ___ it.
  
  had readed
  had reading
  had read
  
  
• 5. The grass was wet. It ___ the night before.
  
  had rain
  has raining
  had rained