Past perfect

Past perfect tense

The past perfect is a verb tense used to talk about actions that were completed before some point in the past.

The Past Perfect Formula

The formula for the past perfect tense is had + [past participle]. It doesn’t matter if the subject is singular or plural; the formula doesn’t change.

How to Make the Past Perfect Negative or Question

Making the past perfect negative is simple! Just insert not between had and [past participle].

You had not studied English before you moved to New York.

The formula for asking a question in the past perfect tense is had + [subject] + [past participle].

Had you studied English before you moved to New York?

Multiple Choice

What's the past participle of make

• made

• maken

• maden

Multiple Choice

What's the past participle of wake

• waken

• woke

• woken

Multiple Choice

What's the past participle of feel

• feelen

• felt

• felten

When to Use the Past Perfect

So what’s the difference between past perfect and simple past? When you’re talking about some point in the past and want to reference an event that happened even earlier.

You had studied English before you moved to New York.

Multiple Choice

.... (the driver/talk) to you or had he stayed in his car before the police arrived?

• Had the driver talked
• Did the driver talk
• Was the driver talking
• Had the diver beetn talked

Multiple Choice

When we arrived at the airport, our flight _______ (left)

• had left
• leave
• was leaving
• has been leaving

Multiple Choice

By the time I __________ (be) 19 years old, I _____________ (win) a CD signed by my favorite artist.

• am / won

• was / had win

• was / win

• was / had won

Multiple Choice

When they ___________ (open) their suitcases, they realized that they ____________ (forget) their warm clothes.

• open / forget

• opened / had forgot

• opened / forget

• opened / had forgotten

Multiple Choice

We ________ (phone) mom, but she wasn't home. She ________ (go) out.

• phoned / had gone

• phone / goes

• phoned / had went

• phone / had go

Multiple Choice

I __________ (see) a car by the side of the road. It ________ (run) out of gas.

• see / runs

• saw / run

• saw / had run

• see / had ran

Multiple Choice

When we ________ (get) to the theater, the movie __________ (begin).

• get / begins

• got / begin

• got / had begun

• got / begin

Multiple Choice

I __________ (be) really happy to see you yesterday because I _________ (not see) you for a long time.

• be / don't see

• are / didn't see

• was / hadn't see

• was / hadn't seen

Multiple Choice

When I went to bed last night, my dog __________ (eat) all its food.

• had eat

• had ate

• had eaten

• eats

Multiple Choice

A: Why did you leave so early?

B: Because I _______________ (promise) to visit a friend

• promises

• had promise

• hadn't promised

• had promised

Multiple Choice

A: Why did you leave so early?

B: Because I _______________ (promise) to visit a friend

• promises

• had promise

• hadn't promised

• had promised

Multiple Choice

I went to Brazil last year. I ___________ (not go) there before.

• had gone

• went

• hadn't gone