PAST PERFECT TENSE

Identify sentence that shows one event happened earlier than the other.

• When she arrived at the airport, she realized she dropped her passport.

• When she arrived at the airport, she realized she had dropped her passport.

Because we use the past perfect to highlight two separate points in the past, we often use the conjunctions before, when, because, until, or by the time to specify the order in which they occurred in time.

• TRUE

• FALSE

If we are highlighting that the action or event in the past perfect tense came before another action or event, this second verb is often (but not always) in the past simple tense.

• TRUE

• FALSE

If we want to emphasize that something never happened before a given time, event, or action in the past, we can also place the word never before the verb had. For instance: “Never had I felt so alive.

• TRUE

• FALSE

Which of the following sentences is in the past perfect tense?

• I had been hitchhiking for miles before someone picked me up.

• I have seen some weird things out here on the road.

• Unfortunately, I hadn’t eaten before I left home that day.

• I felt awful by the time I finally got home.

Which of the following is not in the past perfect tense?

• Had she ever been in this bar before today?

• He hadn’t seen her when he first came in.

• Never before had he met someone so interesting.

• He had a strong hope that they would meet again.

What is the past perfect used for?

• For actions completed before another begins (both in past)

• For reported speech

• For actions expressing conditional statements

• For showing dissatisfaction with the past

Which past perfect shows dissatisfaction with the past?

• We wished we had brought our dog on vacation.

• The child had wondered how many stars were in the sky.

• If we had called ahead, we would not have waited.

• They had forgotten the answer until the teacher reminded them.

Which past perfect expresses conditional statement?

• We wished we had brought our dog on vacation.

• The child had wondered how many stars were in the sky.

• If we had called ahead, we would not have waited.

• They had forgotten the answer until the teacher reminded them.

Which past perfect shows reported speech?

• We wished we had brought our dog on vacation.

• The child had wondered how many stars were in the sky.

• If we had called ahead, we would not have waited.

• They had forgotten the answer until the teacher reminded them.