Past perfect tense

Awareness

Before we look at this area in detail, think about these questions.

1. How do you construct the past perfect simple tense?
2. How do you construct the past perfect continuous tense?
3. Look at these three sentences and then answer the question that follows.

a). When I arrived, they were leaving.		Did I see them?
b). When I arrived, they left.
c) When I arrived, they had left.

4. Now represent the sentences below on the time lines that follow.

a). When he announced his retirement, he had been working there for 30 years.

b). By the time Marlowe got to the scene, the police had already arrested Drummond.

5. When I arrived she had waited for 10 minutes / she had been waiting for 10 minutes.

Which is correct and why?

Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Rating Form

Form, Use and Meaning
Past Perfect Simple

Use

action taking place before a certain time in the past
(stressing only the fact, not the duration)
Example: Before I left, I had spoken to John.

Third Conditional Sentences (impossible past)
Example: If I had seen him, I would have told him.

Signal Words

already, just, never, not yet, once, until that day (with reference to the past, not the present)
If - If I had talked

Past Perfect Continuous

The past perfect progressive puts emphasis on the course or duration of an action taking place before a certain time in the past.

Use

action taking place before a certain time in the past
sometimes interchangeable with past perfect simple
emphasizing the course or duration of an action

Signal words

for, since, the whole day, all day

Click the tabs to show contents.