Past Perfect

Past Perfect

O que é e quando usar o Past Perfect?

O past perfect é um tempo verbal utilizado para falar sobre coisas no passado que aconteceram antes de outras. Veja só:

• The movie had already started when we arrived. – O filme já tinha começado quando chegamos.
• They had already moved to Atlanta when I traveled to New York. – Eles já haviam se mudado para Atlanta quando eu viajei para Nova York.
• She had already had dinner when I invited her out. – Ela já havia jantado quando eu a convidei para sair.

A estrutura do Past Perfect

O past perfect é formado por uma estrutura simples, utilizando had e o particípio do verbo principal. Podemos identificar isso nos exemplos anteriores:

• The movie had already started when we arrived.
• They had already moved to Atlanta when I traveled to New York.
• She had already had dinner when I invited her out.



Note que na última frase existem dois had, mas eles cumprem funções diferentes. O primeiro faz parte da estrutura do past perfect e o segundo da expressão have dinner, que significa “jantar”.

Forma negativa

Para usar a forma negativa no past perfect, você só precisa adicionar not logo após had. Também podemos usar expressões como never. Veja só:

• The plane had not taken off when I arrived at the airport. – O avião não tinha decolado quando cheguei ao aeroporto.
• I had never been on an airplane before that trip to Portugal. – Eu nunca tinha estado em um avião antes daquela viagem para Portugal.
• He had not played soccer since 1997 when he bought his new ball. – Ele não jogava futebol desde 1997 quando comprou sua nova bola.

Forma interrogativa

Para utilizar a forma interrogativa do past perfect, basta colocar o had no início da frase. Olhe:

• Had he eaten before the game began? – Ele tinha comido antes do jogo começar?
• Had you already had dinner when I called you? – Você já tinha jantado quando eu te liguei?
• Had the plane already taken off when you arrived at the airport? – O avião já tinha decolado quando você chegou ao aeroporto?

Nesse tempo verbal é comum as frases serem formadas por alguns advérbios. Os mais utilizados são:

WHEN (quando)

JUST (acabado de, há pouco)

ALREADY (já)

BY THE TIME (no momento)

EVER (já, alguma vez)

NEVER (nunca)

BEFORE (antes)

AFTER (depois)

Leia as frases seguintes e marque a opção correta de acordo com as regras do Past Perfect:

Multiple Choice

When I arrived at the cinema, the film _________ (start).

• had start

• had started

• started

• started had

Multiple Choice

She ______ (live) in China before she went to Thailand.

• lived

• lived had

• had live

• had lived

Multiple Choice

She said that she ______ (not/visit) the UK before.

• had not visited

• not had visited

• had not visit

• not visited

Multiple Choice

(he / phone) _________ Angie before he went to see her in London?

• He had phoned

• Had phoned he

• Had he phoned

• He had phone

Multiple Choice

I ______________ (already/ clean) the house when my mother arrived.

• had already cleaned

• have cleaned

• cleaned already had

• already have cleaned

Multiple Choice

He asked me if I _______________________ (ever / be) to Germany.

• ever have been

• have had be

• had ever been

• have been

Multiple Choice

He ______________ (finish) the job when my boss arrived.

• has finished

• had finish

• have finish

• had finished

Multiple Choice

I was sure that I _________ (see) the place before.

• seen

• had seen

• had saw

Multiple Choice

Elizabeth left the restaurant after she _____________ (finish) eating.

• had finished

• finished

• has finished

Multiple Choice

She failed the test because she _____________ (study).

• hasn't study

• hadn't studied

• haven't studied

Multiple Choice

We _____________ (finish) dinner when our friends arrived.

• have finished

• finish

• had finished

Multiple Choice

He was in China last month. He _______________ (never/ be) China before.

• has never was

• never been

• had never been

Multiple Choice

Until last night, he _______________ (never/ ask) her about it.

• never asked

• has asked never

• had never asked

Multiple Choice

Yesterday I went to an interesting museum that I ______________ (visit) before.

• wasn't visited

• didn't visit

• hadn't visited

Multiple Choice

Kelly was late for her class. When she arrived it ____________ (begin).

• has begun

• had begun

• in begining