Past Perfect Tense
Subject Exercises:Present Perfect vs Past Perfect
We use
The Past Perfect Tense to express a past action that occurred either before another activity or before a point of time in the past.
Forming Past Perfect Tense
| Affirmative Form | Subject + had + verb3 + complement |
| He had left the office |
| Negative Form | Subject + hadn't + verb3 + complement |
| He hadn't left the office. |
| Question Form | Had + subject + verb + complement ? |
| Had he left the office? |
| Negative Question | Hadn't + subject + verb3 + complement ? |
| Hadn't he left the office? |
Examples
His customers had waited outside until Mark came to the shop.Customers were already outside when Mark arrived to the shop. Act of waiting occurred before Mark's arrival.
The train had just left when I got to the station.The train left and a few minutes later I got to the station.
Hint:
Use the Past Perfect Tense after 'AFTER'
Use the Past Perfect Tense before 'BEFORE'
She had cooked dinner before I got home.
I got home after she had cooked dinner.
Exercise
Complete the following sentences using the past perfect tense form of the verbs in brackets.
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