Past Perfect Tense

Past Perfect Tense

Formation and Uses

Last week you organised a birthday party for your friend Harry but it was a disaster because.....

• (Sally-forget to send invitations)

• (you- not buy drinks)

• (d.j not bring his speakers)

• (Sally- not order birthday cake)

We use the Past Perfect for:

• an action in the past which was completed before another past action

• unreal, imaginary past events (usually the 3rd Conditional sentence forms using 'if')

• wishes or regrets in the past

• the reported speech: reporting what something had happened

It is formed by using:

HAD + PAST PARTICIPLE FORM OF THE VERB

* for Regular verbs we add: d/ed/ - ied at the end:

arrive= arrived

wash=washed

study=studied

* for Irregular verbs the form changes completely:

go, went = gone

write, wrote= written

Example 1: an action that had happened before another past action

The bus had left by the time I arrived.

this means that the 1st action in the past was 'the bus had left' and then I arrived (the 2nd action in the past)

Example 2: unreal, imaginary past events

If you had studied harder, you would have passed your Math exam. OR:

this is an imaginary sentence about something in the past - it is a hypothesis and nothing can be done about it now.

Example 3: wishes or regrets in the past

I wish I had studied harder for my Match exam (but it's too late now)

If only he had arrived 10 minutes earlier, he wouldn't have missed the plane.

Example 4: for reporting (gossiping) to others about actions into the past.

Direct Speech:' I forgot to send the email'

He told me that he had forgotten to send the email.

Direct Speech: 'I failed the Maths exam'

She said she had failed the Maths exam.

Time to practise!

Use the Past Perfect!

Why did he miss the bus? Can you think of more reasons?

• He...

• He...

• He...

This is Daniel's family. By the time Daniel arrived home, Cindy had written a postcard.

• Grandma Sue.....

• Baby Ben.....

• Dad.....

• Evan.....

• Usel....