5 Teamwork - Past and Past Perfect Tenses

My brother _____ the cookies before our parents reached home.

• has finished

• have finished

• had finished

• finished

Answer explanation

There were two actions in this question:

Earlier - brother eating the cookies

later - parents returning home.

The past participle is for the action that had happened earlier, which is the brother eating the cookies.

I ____ the movie before you mentioned it to me.

• had seen

• has seen

• had saw

• have seen

The children ____ at the park earlier before the rain came.

• has played

• had played

• have played

• played

The workers ____ the house. It looks bright and clean now.

• has painted

• had painted

• have painted

• paint

I ______ a few questions. It is your turn to do so.

• has answered

• had answered

• have answered

• answer

Answer explanation

In this case, only the simple past tense is needed, because the second action is in the present tense.

Earlier - I have answered a few questions

Now - It IS your turn to do so.

Jenny lost the key after she ______ to the washroom.

• has gone

• had gone

• has went

• had went

Answer explanation

Two actions:

Earlier - going to the washroom

Later (nearer to now) - lost the keys.

I _____ my work before Mum came home.

• had completed

• completed

• completing

• was completing

Answer explanation

Remember there were 2 actions in the sentence and both happened in the past.

This is the definition for past perfect tense!

Louis had done his project even before the teacher _______ for it.

• had asked

• asks

• asked

• was asking

Answer explanation

The first action would be in past perfect (had done), the second action would be in simple past tense.

If Mary ______ in the contest, she would have won first place!

• participated

• had participated

• was participating

• participates

Answer explanation

The answer would be in the past perfect as the 2nd statement indicates the past perfect tense (would have won).

Jane ______ for hours before a taxi finally appeared on the deserted road.

• had been waiting

• will be waiting

• waited

• was waiting

Answer explanation

Past Perfect continuous tense is used for an action that was completed over a period of time before some point in the past. In this case, it was a period of time as Jane was waiting.