EVOLVE Educational Vocational Objective Learning of Vernacular English

Past Perfect

I/you/he/she/it/we/they/you         +          had      +          done

This tense is often the cause of unnecessary confusion. If you consider it as being the present perfect tense set in the past you will find it easier to understand.
It is used to describe an action that had an outcome in the past and is connected with another action further back in the past.

Paul had left when I arrived

I had visited London before we went on holiday there last year

They had met before Kerry introduced them

 

       past perfect                             past
               *--------------------------*
ßPast---------------------------------------Now-------------------------------------Futureà

 

Task 1
Write sentences using the past perfect, it will be necessary to change the sentences quite a lot.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Questions
Questions in the present perfect are easy to form; we simple put the auxiliary verb ‘have’ before the subject (the person or thing at the beginning of the sentence).

I had read a good book.
becomes
Had I read a good book?

She had watched TV.
becomes
Had she watched TV?

We had eaten.
becomes
Had we eaten?

I had visited friends once before last month.
becomes
Had I visited friends once before last month?

We had started a course before that year.
becomes
Had we started a course before that year?

 

Task 2
Change these sentences into questions

1. They have tried very hard.
2. We have seen many countries.
3. I have opened a new stall in the market.
4. You have said enough.
5. We have always been friends.
6. He has told me about his problem.
7. My girlfriend has seen the documentary before.
8. You have taken my seat.
9. That dog has bitten me.
10. He has worked in the factory for years.

 Negatives 
Forming negative sentences is as simple as placing ‘not’ or the contraction ‘-n’t’ after the verb ‘have’
                                 

I had read a good book.
becomes
I had not read a good book.

She had watched TV.
becomes
She hadn’t watched TV.

We had eaten.
becomes
We had not eaten.

I had visited friends last year.
becomes
I had not visited friends last year.

 Task 3
Write sentences from Task 2 using negative forms.

 

 

 

Answers

Task1

Answers may vary.

Task2

1. Had they tried very hard?
2. Had we seen many countries?
3. Had I opened a new stall in the market?
4. Had you said enough?
5. Had we always been friends?
6. Had he told me about his problem?
7. Had my girlfriend seen the documentary before?
8. Had you taken my seat?
9. Had that dog bitten me?
10. Had he worked in the factory for years?

Task3

1. They have not tried very hard.
2. We have not seen many countries.
3. I have not opened a new stall in the market.
4. You have not said enough.
5. We have not always been friends.
6. He has not told me about his problem.
7. My girlfriend has not seen the documentary before.
8. You have not taken my seat.
9. That dog has not bitten me.
10. He has not worked in the factory for years.