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www.pastperfecthelp.blogspot.com

Author: Safia Haroon Rasheed

Part Perfect Explanation

The past perfect tense is often used in English when we are relating two

events which happened in the past. It helps to show which event

happened first.

We saw a movie. We discussed it in class.

See how the meaning changes when you use past perfect in your

sentence with past simple:

Example 1: We saw the movie that we had discussed in class.

(Meaning: First we discussed the movie in class and then we saw the

movie.)

Example 2: We discussed the movie in class that we had seen.

(Meaning: First we saw the movie and then we discussed it in class.)

We need to use ‘Past Perfect’ (had + past participle) when we want to

make it clear which action took place first.

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Example 2: First the man robbed a bank. Then the police arrested him.

The police arrested the man who had robbed a bank.

Here the past perfect form (had robbed) is making it clear that the man

robbed a bank first and then he was arrested.

Exercise: Try solving these now. The answers are given at page 4.

1. John ___________________ to prison because he

_____________________ a lot of money. (go, steal)

2. I ___________________ not have any money because I

___________________ my wallet. (do, lose)

3. Mohammed ________________________ the shirt that his mum

____________________________ for him. (wear , buy)

4. I __________________________ the homework that my teacher

_____________________________ me. (finish, give)

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5. After he ____________________________ at the

hospital for two years, he _____________________________ to quit the job.

(work, decide)

6. I _______________________ find the keys! Where

_______________________ you ________________________ them? (cannot,

hide)

7. He _________________________ to go to work by bus

because his car _____________________________ down. (has, break)

8. He _____________________________ a lot of cake this morning so he

_______________________________ sick later. (eat, feel)

9. The glass __________________________ empty. Who

____________________________ my milk? (be, drink)

10. Dad _______________________ his ankle so the Mountain Rescue Team

________________________ to rescue him. (hurt, have)

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Answers:

1. John went to prison because he had stolen a lot of money. (go,

steal)

2. I did not have any money because I had lost my wallet. (do, lose)

3. Mohammed wore the shirt that his mum had bought for him. (wear ,

buy)

4. I finished the homework that my teacher had given me. (finish,

give)

5. After he had worked at the hospital for two years, he decided to

quit the job. (work, decide)

6. I couldn’t / could not find the keys! Where had you hidden them?

(cannot, hide)

7. He had to go to work by bus because his car had broken down.

(has, break)

8. He had eaten a lot of cake this morning so he felt sick later. (eat,

feel)

9. The glass was empty. Who had drunk my milk? (be, drink)

10. Dad had hurt his ankle so the Mountain Rescue Team had to

rescue him. (hurt, have)