Past Perfect

the use of

grammar

PAST PERFECT

Carolina Tavares 9AEnglish, Teacher Marta Bentes

WHEN IS IT USED?

We use the past perfect to sequence events in the past to show which event happened first.

how to use

Compare the past simple and past perfect:

"time up to now"

Past perfect + Past simple:

Past simple + Past simple:

The music had (already) started when the curtains opened.

The music started when the curtains opened.

Gives us the idea that the music started and then the curtains opened.

Gives us the idea that the music started at the same time the curtains were opened.

FORM

To form the Past perfect, we use had + the -ed form of the verb.

form

Short form

Full form

Positive form (+)

worked.

had

I, she, he, it, you, we, they

'd

Short form

Full form

Negative form (-)

worked.

hadn't

had not

I, she, he, it, you, we, they

FORM

Interrogative positive form (?+)

I, she, he, it, you, we, they

Had

worked?

form

Interrogative negative form (?-)

not worked?

Full form

I, she, he, it, you, we, they

Had

I, she, he, it, you, we, they

Hadn't

worked?

Short form

COMPARING THE PRESENT PERFECT AND PAST PERFECT

comparison

Present perfect

Past perfect

"time up to now"

"time up to then (2001)"

I'd been to five countires in Europe by 2001.

I've been to five countries in Europe.

EXERCISE WORKSHEETS:

Worksheet 1

exercises

Worksheet 2