The Past Perfect Tense Word 2016 PDF

ESL Helpful Handouts
Page 1 of 15
The Past Perfect Tense
Janice had gone home by the time Jerry arrived at the party.
By the time Jerry arrived at the party, Janice had gone home.
Oscar had read all of his e-mail before he went to work.

Before Oscar went to work, he had read all of his e-mail.
We went to the movies after we had eaten our dinner.

After we had eaten our dinner, we went to the movies.
The bus had already left when Sara reached the bus stop.
When Sara reached the bus stop, the bus had already left.
Joe knew Munich well because he had visited that beautiful

city many times.
Because he had visited that beautiful city many times, Joe
knew Munich well.
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Page 2 of 15
Form of the Past Perfect Tense

Affirmative Statements
Subject
had
past participle
Janice
had
gone
home by the time Jerry arrived at the party.
Oscar
had
read
all of his e-mail before he went to work.
We
had
eaten
lunch early. We were not hungry at 1:00.
had
bought
my ticket 2 hours before the fashion show began.
We had eaten our lunch early. We were not hungry at 1:00.
I had bought my ticket 2 hours before the fashion show began.
Subject
She
had
had
adverb
already
past participle
read
the book that she donated to charity.
Page 3 of 15
Negative Statements
Subject
had
not
past participle
Janice
had
not
gone
home by the time Jerry arrived at the party.
Oscar
had
not
read
all of his e-mail before he went to work.
We
had
not
eaten
lunch early. We were hungry at 1:00.
had
not
bought
my tickets 2 hours before the fashion show began.
Subject
had
She
not
had
not
adverb
past participle
yet
read
the book that she donated to charity.
Yes/No Questions
Had
Had
subject
past participle
Janice
gone
home by the time Jerry arrived at the party?
Short Answers
Yes,
Yes,
subject
she
had
No,
had.
No,
subject
she
hadnt
hadnt.
WH- Questions
WH-Word
Why
had
had
subject
Janice
past participle
gone
home by the time Jerry arrived?
Page 4 of 15
Practice
Fill in the blank with the Past Perfect Tense.
Example:
We went to the movies after we had eaten our dinner. (eat)
Before we ate our dinner, we had not yet gone to the movies. (go) (negative)
Had you eaten your dinner before you went to the movies? (eat)(yes/no question)
Yes, we had. (short answer) (affirmative)
No, we hadnt. (short answer) (negative)
Why had you eaten your dinner before you went to the movies? (why) (eat)
1. I ____ _______ my work before the clock struck six. (finish)
2. I ____ ____ yet ________ my work before the clock struck six. (finish) (negative)
3. ____ you ________ your work before the clock struck six? (finish) (yes/no question)
4. Yes, I ____. (short answer) (affirmative)
5. No, I ________. (short answer) (negative)
6. ____ ____ you ______ ______ your work early? (why) (finish)(negative)
1. You _____ ________ asleep before the television show ended. (fall)
2. You ____ ____ yet ________ asleep when the television show started. (fall) (negative)
3. ____ you ________ asleep before the television show ended? (fall) (yes/no question)
4. Yes, I ____. (short answer) (affirmative)
5. No, I ____. (short answer) (negative)
6. ____ ____ you ________ asleep so early? (why) (fall)
Page 5 of 15
1. They _____ __________ __________ on Maple Street by the time they moved to First Avenue.
(already)(live)
2. In October, they ____ ____ ____ ___________ to First Avenue. (yet) (move) (negative)
3. ____ they ________ __________ on Maple Street before they
moved to First Avenue? (already) (live) (yes/no question)
4. Yes, they ____. (short answer) (affirmative)
5. No, they ____. (short answer) (negative)
6. ______ ____ they ________ before they moved to First Avenue?
(where) (live)
Use of the Past Perfect Tense

The Past Perfect Tense is used to talk about two different actions in the past. One action was
completed before the other action. Use the Past Perfect Tense to express the first (earlier) action.
Use the Simple Past Tense to express the second (later) action.
Example 1
Janice had gone home by the time that Jerry arrived at the party.
Two actions were completed in the past.
1. Janice went home at 9:00.
2. Jerry arrived at the party at 9:30.
One action was completed before the other action.
First Action = Janice went home
Second Action = Jerry arrived at the party
Use the Past Perfect Tense to express the first action.
Janice had gone home
Use the Simple Past Tense to express the second action.
by the time that Jerry arrived at the party
Page 6 of 15
Example 2
By the time Jerry arrived at the party, Janice had gone home.
1. Jerry arrived at the party at 9:30.
2. Janice went home at 9:00.
First Action = Janice went home
Second Action = Jerry arrived at the party
By the time that Jerry arrived at the party,
Janice had gone home
Example 3
1. Oscar read his e-mail at 7:30.
2. Oscar went to work at 8:00.
First Action = Oscar read his e-mail
Second Action = Oscar went to work
Oscar had read all of his e-mail
before he went to work
Page 7 of 15
Example 4
Before Oscar went to work, he had read all of his e-mail.
Two actions in the past were completed.
1. Oscar went to work at 8:00.
2. Oscar read his e-mail at 7:30.
First Action = Oscar read all of his e-mail
Second Action = Oscar went to work
Use the Simple Past tense to express the second action.
Before Oscar went to work,
he had read all of his e-mail
Example 5
After we had eaten our dinner, we went to the movies.
1. We ate our dinner at 6:00.
2. We went to the movies at 7:30.
First Action = We ate our dinner
Second Action = We went to the movies
After we had eaten our dinner,
we went to the movies
Page 8 of 15
Example 6
1. We went to the movies at 7:30.
2. We ate our dinner at 6:00.
First Action = We ate our dinner
Second Action = We went to the movies
We went to the movies
after we had eaten our dinner
Adverbs
Already, yet, ever, just, and never are often used with the Past Perfect Tense in order to emphasize
the action that took place first (the earlier action).
The bus had

already left when
Sara reached the
bus stop.
The Past Perfect

tense emphasizes
Sara's
disappointment.
Sara ran to the
bus stop. She was
too late. The bus
had already left.
Page 9 of 15
Practice
Which action took place first?
Example: He had already talked to her on the phone when I
arrived.
2nd I arrived.
1st He had already talked to her on the phone.
I looked all over the house for Melanie, but she had taken the dog for
a walk.
_____ I looked all over the house for Melanie.
_____ She had taken the dog for a walk.
We went to the station to catch the train, but the train had already left.
_____ The train had already left.
_____ We went to the station to catch the train.
Professor Jones retired after he had taught at the university for 35 years,
_____ Professor Jones retired.
_____ He had taught at the university for 35 years.
Page 10 of 15
An Exception To The Rule

When the time relationship between 2 past events is very clear, you have the option to use the
Simple Past Tense for both actions. This often occurs in sentences with before, after, and as soon
as. All of the sentences below are perfectly correct.
Oscar read all of his e-mail before he went to work.
We went to the movies after we ate our dinner.
Joe called his girlfriend as soon as his plane landed in Munich.
Joe called his girlfriend as soon as his plane had landed in Munich.
Multiple Actions in the Past Perfect Tense

Notice how you can use the Past Perfect Tense to talk about more than one action.
Joe knew Munich well because he had visited that beautiful city many times.
Joe visited Munich in 2002, 2004, 2006, and 2008.
In 2010, Joe knew Munich well.
Page 11 of 15
Pictures Of The Past Activity
Divide the students into groups. Give each student a photo. Each student looks at the photo and
writes a sentence about it in the simple past tense.
Each student then passes his/her photo to a neighbor in the group. That student looks at the
picture and adds a sentence in the past perfect tense.
Afterward, compare the pictures and sentences.
Examples:
Student # 1 - Simple Past:

Jane listened to a voice mail
message.
Student #1 - Simple Past:

Mary went to the grocery store.
Student # 2 - Past Perfect:
Student # 2 - Past Perfect:
Her boyfriend had left a voice mail

message a few minutes ago.
She had run out of mustard.
Use the photos on pages 1214 for this activity.

Or
Use your own photos.
Or
Draw pictures to use for this activity.
Page 12 of 15
Pictures Of Past Activity
Student # 1 Simple Past:
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________
Student # 2 Past Perfect:
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________

___________________________
___________________________
(Hint: This is a picture of an

inflatable tube man.)
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________
Page 13 of 15

___________________________
___________________________

__________________________
__________________________
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________

___________________________
___________________________

___________________________
___________________________
Page 14 of 15
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________

___________________________
___________________________
Page 15 of 15
Answer Key
p. 4
1. I had finished my work before the clock struck six.
2. I had not yet finished my work before the clock struck six.
3. Had you finished your work before the clock struck six?
4. Yes, I had.
5. No, I hadnt.
6. Why had you not finished your work early?
1. You had fallen asleep before the television show ended.
2. You had not yet fallen asleep when the television show started.
3. Had you fallen asleep before the television show ended?
4. Yes, I had.
5. No, I hadnt.
6. Why had you fallen asleep so early?
p.5
1. They had already lived on Maple Street by the time they moved to First Avenue.
2. In October, they had not yet moved to First Avenue.
3. Had they already lived on Maple Street before they moved to First Avenue?
4. Yes, they had.
5. No, they hadnt.
6. Where had they lived before they moved to First Avenue?
p.9
I looked all over the house for Melanie, but she had taken the dog for a walk.
2 I looked all over the house for Melanie.
1_ She had taken the dog for a walk.
We went to the station to catch the train, but the train had already left.
1 The train had already left.
2 We went to the station to catch the train.
Professor Jones retired after he had taught at the university for 35 years,
2 Professor Jones retired.
1 He had taught at the university for 35 years.

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ESL Helpful Handouts

Oscar had read all of his e-mail before he went to work.

We went to the movies after we had eaten our dinner.

Joe knew Munich well because he had visited that beautiful

ESL Helpful Handouts

Form of the Past Perfect Tense

home by the time Jerry arrived at the party.

all of his e-mail before he went to work.

lunch early. We were not hungry at 1:00.

my ticket 2 hours before the fashion show began.

We had eaten our lunch early. We were not hungry at 1:00.

I had bought my ticket 2 hours before the fashion show began.

the book that she donated to charity.

ESL Helpful Handouts

home by the time Jerry arrived at the party.

all of his e-mail before he went to work.

lunch early. We were hungry at 1:00.

my tickets 2 hours before the fashion show began.

the book that she donated to charity.

home by the time Jerry arrived at the party?

home by the time Jerry arrived?

ESL Helpful Handouts

ESL Helpful Handouts

Use of the Past Perfect Tense

ESL Helpful Handouts

ESL Helpful Handouts

ESL Helpful Handouts

The bus had

The Past Perfect

ESL Helpful Handouts

ESL Helpful Handouts

An Exception To The Rule

Multiple Actions in the Past Perfect Tense

ESL Helpful Handouts

Student # 1 - Simple Past:

Student #1 - Simple Past:

Student # 2 - Past Perfect:

Student # 2 - Past Perfect:

Her boyfriend had left a voice mail

She had run out of mustard.

Use the photos on pages 1214 for this activity.

ESL Helpful Handouts

Student # 1 Simple Past:

Student # 1 Simple Past:

Student # 1 Simple Past:

Student # 2 Past Perfect:

Student # 2 Past Perfect:

Student # 2 Past Perfect:

Student # 1 Simple Past:

(Hint: This is a picture of an

Student # 1 Simple Past:

Student # 1 Simple Past:

Student # 2 Past Perfect:

Student # 2 Past Perfect:

ESL Helpful Handouts

Student # 1 Simple Past:

Student # 1 Simple Past:

Student # 1 Simple Past:

Student # 1 Simple Past:

Student # 2 Past Perfect:

Student # 2 Past Perfect:

Student # 1 Simple Past:

Student # 1 Simple Past:

ESL Helpful Handouts