1.PAST PERFECT
A.FORM
The past perfect is had + a past article :
He had travelled about a mile.
She had not slept very well the night before.
Where had Alex left his wallet?
B.USE
We use the past perfect to talk about a past situation or activity
that took place before another past situation or activity, or
before a particular time in the past:
Jo discovered that Leslie had lied to her.
____/_______________/______________/______
Leslie lied Jo discovered now
As Mary shook Mr Morgan's hand, she realised she had seen him
before.
____/______________/______________/_______
Mary saw Mary realised now
Mr Morgan
C.PAST PERFECT (I HAD DONE) AND PAST SIMPLE (I DID)
1.We use the past simple rather than the past perfect when we
simply talk about a single activity or event in the past:
I handed the letter to him.
Sorry we're late, we took the wrong turning.
Notice the difference in meaning of these sentences with the
past perfect and past simple:
When he stopped laughing, everyone left.(= they left after he
stopped laughing)
When he stopped laughing, everyone had left. (= they left before
he stopped laughing)
I got up when the phone rang. (= the phone rang and then I got
up)
I had gone to bed when the phone rang.(= I went to bed and then
the phone rang)
2.When we give an account of a sequence of past events, we usually
put these events in chronological order with the past simple.
If we want to refer to an event out of order-that is, it happened
before the last event we talked about-we use the present perfect:
Don José was a wealthy Cuban landowner who emigrated to
Mexico in1959. The agricultural reforms had begun a few months
earlier. He moved again in 1965and made his home in the United
States. He had made his fortune in growing sugar cane, and he
brought his expertise to his new home.
3.We use the past perfect when we say what we wanted or hoped
(etc.) to do, but didn't:
I had wanted to visit the gallery before I left Florence, but
it's closed on Sundays.
Bill had hoped to retire at 60, but they persuaded him to stay
on for a few more years.
Others verbs like this include expect (to), mean (to), think (about
+ ing).
4.When we use a time expression (for instance :after, as soon
as, before, by the time (that), when) to say that one event happened
after another, we use either the past simple or past perfect for
the event that happened second:
After Ivan (had) finished reading, he put out the light.
When Carol (had) brushed her teeth, she went to bed.
But to emphasise that the second event is the result of the first,
we prefer the past simple for both:
She became almost famous after she appeared on the TV programme.
When the teacher came in, all the children stood up.
With already and just (= a very short time before) we use the
past perfect, not the past simple:
The film had already begun by the time we got to the cinema.
She had just stepped into her office when the telephone rang.
D.EXERCISES
1.Use the pairs of verbs to complete the sentences. Choose the
past perfect where possible; otherwise use the past simple.
Turn/caught come/start eat/pick check/go type/give collapse/phone
1. After Michael had ……the letter, he……it
to Kay to sign.
2.When she……into the hall, everyone…….cheering.
3.When Jenny …….that the children were asleep, she ……out
to the concert.
4.As soon as I …….the ignition key, the engine ……..fire.
5.When Norma …….., I ……..for an ambulance.
6.After they ………all the food, they…….up
their bags and left.
2.These things happened in the order given in brackets. Write
sentences using the information beginning with the words given.
Use either the past simple or the past perfect.
1.(most people went home / I got to the party) By the time……..
2.(Glen opened the book / some pages fell out) When……….
3.(the fox disappeared / we went back to look for it) When ……….
4.(she picked up her bag / the handle broke) When ……….
2.PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS
A.FORM
The past perfect continuous is had been + the ing-form:
He had been working very hard.
We had not been waiting long.
Was the grass wet ? Had it been raining?
B.USE
We use the past perfect continuous when we talk about a situation
or activity that happened over a period up to a particular past
time, or until shortly before it.
They had been expecting the news for some time.
She had been wearing high-heeled shoes, and her feet hurt.
Mason was arrested, even though he hadn't been doing anything
illegal.
C.PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS (I HAD BEEN DOING) AND PAST PERFECT
1.We use the past perfect continuous when we talk about the continuity
or duration of a situation or activity, and the past perfect to
talk about the completion of a situation or activity or its effects.
Sometimes the difference between them is simply one of emphasis:
I'd been working hard, so I felt that I deserved a holiday.(emphasis
the activity)
I'd worked hard, and the report was now finished. (emphasis the
result)
2.If we talk about how long something went on up to a particular
past time, we prefer the past perfect continuous. If we talk about
how many times something happened in a period up to a past time,
we use the past perfect:
They had been travelling for about 36 hours. (rather than They
had travelled…..)
We had been looking at the painting for about ten minutes before
we realised who the artist was. (rather than We had looked…..)
I'd heard the symphony many times before. (not I'd been hearing…..)
The teacher had let them get away with their bad behaviour once
too often. (not …..had been letting them….)
3.However, some verbs that describe states are not often used
with continuous tenses, and we use the past perfect with these
even when we are talking about how long something went on up to
a particular past time:
I had always believed that it would be easy to get a job. (not
I had always been believing….)
We had owned the car for 6 months before we discovered it was
stolen. (not We had been owning….)
