he had finished his homework before he went to bed

EnglishGrammarSoft

Past Perfect Tense Sentences | 50 Examples

The Past Perfect Tense expresses an event that occurred before another action in the past. It can also show that something happened before a specific time in the past. This tense is generally used in reported speech, third conditional sentences, or to show dissatisfaction with the past.

Read also: Verb Tenses with Examples

Past Perfect Tense Sentences

Affirmative sentences.

• Steve knew Singapore so well because he  had visited  the city several times.
• Alice understood the movie because she  had read  the book.
• He  had finished his  homework before he went to play football.
• If we  had gone  by taxi instead of a bus, we wouldn’t have been late.
• If John  had studied  harder, he would have passed the exam.
• Mary said she  had  already  seen  this film.
• Alice asked if I had read   Harry Potter .
• I wish I  had saved  more money when I was young.
• He wished he had traveled when he was young.
• He had gone home before I came.
• She had cooked food before the kids came.
• If only I  had taken  more food. I’m hungry now.
• My wife had already cooked dinner when I reached home yesterday.
• He had broken his leg last week.
• When they got home yesterday, she had already cleaned the house.
• They had agreed on the agenda before the meeting ended.
• She had accepted my invitation.
• Alan had learned French until the last month.
• He had toured Rome before the end of the holiday.
• The patient had taken medicine before the doctor came.
• I asked her what places she had visited in Europe.
• We had left the town before the sun rose.
• The bus had stopped before we stepped out.
• The washerman had pressed the clothes before the customer came.
• She had already sung a song.
• My son had already gone to school before I came home.
• The police had disbursed the mob.
• My friend had posted a letter of congratulation before I met him.
• All the candidates had entered the examination hall before the exam began.
• The boss had already turned down my request.
• I had left the park before noon.
• The plane had taken off before the passengers arrived at the airport.
• He had already finished the work by last night.

Negative Sentences

• We had not heard this news till yesterday.
• I had not sold my property before 2015.
• People had not seen such a strange animal before.
• I  had  never  been  to an opera before last night.
• I  had  never  seen  such a beautiful town before I came here.
• Bob had not painted the window before the rain started.
• Amjad had not learned the lesson until yesterday.
• Tom had not been to Paris before the last summer.
• You had not informed me of the decision until today.
• The match had not finished when I switched on the TV.
• They had not come to any conclusion before the meeting ended.
• I had not reached my destination before the storm came.
• Had he completed the assignment by last week?
• Had he read the novel by last night?
• She was sad. What had she lost?
• Had they been married for 10 years when they divorced?
• What had you done to protect your house before the burglar broke into the house?

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It is very long sentences i want short sentences i want to write in my english notebook but it is very long sentences

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• English Grammar

Past perfect

Level: intermediate

The past perfect is made from the verb  had  and the past participle of a verb:

I had finished the work. She had gone .

The past perfect continuous is made from  had been and the - ing form of a verb:

I  had been  work ing  there for a year. They had been  paint ing the bedroom.

The past perfect is used in the same way as the present perfect , but it refers to a time in the past, not the present. We use the past perfect:

• for something that started in the past and continued up to a given time in the past :

When George died, he and Anne had been married for nearly fifty years. She didn't want to move. She had lived in Liverpool all her life.

For this use, we often use the past perfect continuous:

She didn't want to move. She had been living in Liverpool all her life. Everything was wet. It had been raining for hours.

• for something that happened several times before a point in the past and  continued after that point :

He was a wonderful guitarist. He had been playing ever since he was a teenager. He had written three books and he was working on another one.

• when we are reporting our experience up to a point in the past :

My eighteenth birthday was the worst day I had ever had. I was pleased to meet George. I hadn’t met him before, even though I had met his wife several times.

• for something that happened in the past and is important at a later time in the past : 

I couldn't get into the house. I had lost  my keys. Teresa wasn't at home. She had gone  shopping.

We often use expressions with for and since  with the past perfect:

I was sorry when the factory closed. I had worked there  for ten years .  I had been watching that programme every week  since it started , but I missed the last episode.  

We do not normally use the past perfect continuous with stative verbs . We use the past perfect simple instead:

Up until that moment, I' d never believed   (NOT been believing ) in astrology.

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Past perfect and hypotheses

We can also use the past perfect to make hypotheses about the past (when we imagine something). See these pages:

• Verbs in time clauses and conditionals
• Wishes and hypotheses

Hi Jonathan 1 - Is this correct? - When we arrived at the station the train left before ( Mean The train left the station first) - we arrived at the station the train left before ( Mean The train left the station first ) - Emma didn't come to the cinema because she saw the film before ( Mean Emma saw the film first )

2 - Does the past simple same meaning the past perfect with (because , After , until) The party couldn't start until Kate had arrived OR The party couldn't start until Kate arrived

After the exams had finished they had a party. OR After the exams finished they had a party.

Emma didn't come to the cinema because she'd seen the film OR Emma didn't come to the cinema because she saw the film

3 - Can I use any time reference and I mean I did before this time like (yesterday / last week / this week / this summer / by 2023 / by 2024 )

example - She'd published her first poem yesterday OR this week OR last week ( I mean before yesterday OR this week OR last week ) - She'd published her first poem by 2024 OR by 2023 ( I mean before by 2024 OR by 2023) - They hadn't had a foreign holiday until this summer.

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Hi HLH,

• When we arrived at the station the train left before - no, the meaning is unclear. It needs the past perfect "had (already) left" to show that it happened first. Otherwise, it's unclear because "when" may be understood as meaning they happened at the same time (instead of one first, then the other one). Also, you can't use "before" together with "when". Use "already" instead.
• we arrived at the station the train left before - no, it needs a conjunction to join the two clauses. See also the comments above.
• Emma didn't come to the cinema because she saw the film before - yes! You can also use the past perfect "had seen" here.

3. Only if you use it with "by".

Hope that helps!

LearnEnglish team

Hi, are these sentences correct? 1. Today after breakfast, we went for a walk on the Island and explored areas we had not seen yesterday. - Can we use 'yesterday' in Past Perfect?

2. She has not been seen since yesterday. - I know we cannot use 'yesterday' in Present Perfect, but what sentence should we replace it with then?

Hello aisyki,

1) Yes, that's fine.

2) The present perfect is fine here. You cannot use present perfect with a fixed time (e.g. yesterday, last Thursday, 3.00) but you can use it with since + a fixed past time (e.g. since yesterday, since last Thursday, since 3.00). This is because since means 'from this time to the present' and so creates an open time frame.

The LearnEnglish Team

Hello, John is happy as he had done well in English this year. Last year he had failed in English.

Is this correct?

Hello Manu P Nair,

There is no reason to use past perfect in the first sentence, so I would change it to ' ...as he did well in English this year ' if the year is at an end, or ' ...as he has done well in English this year ' if the year is still continuing. In the second sentence I also don't see why you would use the past perfect. You are describing a finished past situation and the past simple is perfectly sufficient: ' ...he failed English '.

Hi British Council.

I've seen 'yet' used with past perfect on a couple of occasions, but it doesn't sound right to me. Is this more of an American English usage, is it wrong or is it just me?

As a British English speaker I would say that it is unusual and often can sound quite awkward, but is not wrong and in some contexts can be OK, especially when the past time reference is introduced with 'when'. For example:

Einstein had not yet finished school when he discovered an original proof of the Pythagorean theorem.

You can find a good discussion of the topic in one of the answers on this page:

https://ell.stackexchange.com/questions/264989/is-it-possible-to-use-yet-with-past-simple

Sorry for my slow understanding. From one of your examples you stated "When George died, he and Anne had been married for nearly fifty years" but according to the form of past perfect is had and past participle of the verb.

Hello dulakisaika,

'Married' looks like a past participle here, doesn't it, but it is actually an adjective in this sentence. Thus the past participle form is as described: had + past participle, where the past participle is 'been'.

You could replace 'married' with other adjectives: had been married, had been happy, had been worried, had been lonely, had been tired etc.

Hello everyone! I have a question about “until and since” I see here that you used this sentence”I had been watching that programme every week since it started” and here we have two actions, the one that happened before is started then had been watching! Right? So, how this happens? As I know, past perfect happens first, but here I see that simple past happens first! The programme started, then I started watching it!

Another question about “until” here’s an example “I didn’t say anything until she had finished talking”. As I see, the first thing happened that I didn’t say, then he finished. And here “until” sounds like “before” so, can I use before in this kind of sentences? For example: I didn’t say anything before she had finished talking.

Another example:

I had not studied English before I moved to New York. I had not studied English until I moved to New York. OR I didn’t study English before I had moved to New York. I didn’t study English until I had moved to New York.

Which of them are right?

So, why I use past perfect as this when using until and since?

Thank you in advance.

Hi khaledAl5,

The full example is: I had been watching that programme every week since it started, but I missed the last episode . The past perfect "had been watching" shows that the "watching" action was completed before "I missed the last episode" (not before "since it started", which is illogical, as you mentioned). The past perfect is not used for "since it started" because that is not the key connection between the actions. The key connection is between the actions in bold: these together make the larger meaning of the whole sentence. I should point out that the past perfect is not used simply to show that one action happened before another one. There also needs to be a meaningful connection between the past perfect and past simple actions, i.e. they make larger meaning together. Here, the larger meaning is that my watching habit was broken.

The usage of the past perfect with before/until is a different usage. We can use before/ until  + past perfect to show that an action was not done or was incomplete at the time of the past simple action . This is the meaning in your other examples, e.g.  I didn’t say anything until she had finished talking (= at the time when I did not say anything, she had not yet finished talking; i.e. "talking" was incomplete, so I only spoke after she had finished talking). Yes, you can use "before" instead of "until" here.

About the New York sentences, they are all grammatical. The first two use the past perfect simply to show the time order of events. The second two use the past perfect with the "not done or incomplete at the time of the past simple action" meaning. But it is important to note that the sentences focus on different things. The first two sentences are focused on "I moved to New York", and that seems to be the main topic of the conversation. In comparison, the second two sentences are focused on "I didn't study English". The focus is usually shown by the past simple, and the past perfect provides some kind of background information for the past simple action. So, as you do your English practice, it is worth looking out for how the past perfect is used in longer texts (not just example sentences), because the meaning and reason for using it depends a lot on the context and the focus of not just sentences but whole paragraphs and conversations.

I hope that helps.

Thank you so much for your explanation, and I appreciate your effort.

So, as you said, I just can use “until + past perfect” when the action in past simple is negative:

The party couldn't start until Kate had arrived. Right?

Thank you again for your patience and your time.

Hi khaledAl5,

Yes! That's right. I am glad the explanation was helpful :)

Hello everyone, I'm new here so I hope this question hasn't already been asked. In the sentence "Lina was crying because she had been reading a sad book" why do I use both verbs (crying and reading) with ing form. The sentence is an example of the past perfect continuous tense, but I thought that one verb should use the past perfect continuous and the second in the past simple tense. What am I missing? Thanks in advance

Hi Alita051,

Welcome! We hope you enjoy learning English here.

It's also correct to say  Lina cried because she had been reading a sad book . Both the past continuous and past simple are fine. The choice between the past continuous ( was crying ) and past simple ( cried ) depends on whether the speaker wants to present this action as one with duration or not.

I don't know if this is just a single sentence by itself or it is part of a larger text, but the larger text may also give a reason for choosing the past continuous. For example:

• The past continuous is often used to show actions in progress at a particular past moment, as a kind of background to it. For example:  I entered the room and looked at Lina.  Lina was crying because she had been reading a sad book. I passed her a tissue to dry her eyes ... 
• The past simple may be used if the speaker wants to tell actions in sequence, e.g.:  Lina cried because she had been reading a sad book. Then, she got up and put the book back on the shelf  ...

This is a separate issue from the past perfect continuous.

Does that make sense?

Can we start a sentence with the Past Perfect? Like in this example: "My family and I hadn’t traveled in a long time, so we planned to travel to Australia last summer. "

Helly liliyaryaboshapko,

Yes, you can. Normally the topic of traveling or last summer would already have been introduced in the conversation before saying a sentence with the past perfect like this, though it's also possible without that context. It depends very much on the situation, but it looks as if you've got the right intuition here.

All the best, Kirk LearnEnglish team

Good morning,

I have a question about the linking word (when)

Let me show you the context:

“ I was watching TV in my room, and my brother was studying in his room. Afterwards, I finished watching and at the same time my brother finished his studying. Then our father entered the house and asked us “What did you do before I came?” ” Can I use here this expression: >> When I had watched TV, my brother had studied. Actually, I want to ask If I can use the same tense in the two clauses with (when). As I know (when) is a time expression, so, can I use it with (present perfect) to refer to a finished or unfinished action?!. In fact I asked many teachers all over the world about using (when) with other tenses, but everyone gave me something different. Some of them say you can, the others say you can’t!! So because you are a verified site that everyone can rely on, please I want to know exactly how to use (when) with the other tenses.

Thanks in advance best instructors.

Yes, you can use the same tense in the two clauses with "when". For example:

• When I watched TV, my brother studied . (watched = past simple; studied = past simple)

Note that your examples "had watched" and "had studied" use the past perfect: (not present perfect). The past perfect isn't right here because the past perfect shows an action that happened before another past action or time. But in this answer, the two actions ( watched TV / studied ) happened at the same time, not one before the other.

To use the past perfect, you could say something like "I'd watched TV by the time you came home, and my brother had studied." However, in the context of answering your father's question, it sounds a bit unnatural as an answer.

It also doesn't answer your father's question very directly. His question is: What did you do? . It's not wrong to say When I watched TV, my brother studied , but it is emphasising WHEN you did something, not WHAT you did. A more direct answer would be something like I watched TV and my brother studied (past simple).

Thank you so much for your help and response. But the other thing I want to know is: Can I use present perfect with when in the two clauses? To mean that the two actions happend and finished or unfinished?

For example: I have learnt English when I have lived in England. ( Now I don’t live there or still live there) so it’s ok to use this kind of sentences? And can I use “when” with all tenses?

Please excuse me for this question, and I am sorry for any inconvenience.

Hello khaledAI5,

I'm afraid the use of the present perfect in the sentence you ask about is not correct.

The answer to your question is in the Present perfect with time adverbials section of our  Present perfect  page. 'when' is used to refer to a finished past time and the present perfect is used to speak to an unfinished time, so the two are incompatible.

Hope this helps.

Hi, I was wondering if you could give me some feedback information on the following sentence and whether it's correct way of saying or is there any better way of forming it.

-"As we were driving to New York, we saw a car crash that had occurred a moment before."

I used Past Continuous tense for the background (longer) action, then Past Simple for the main action in this particular event (seeing a car crash), and then Past Perfect to emphasize that the car crash had occured before us seeing it.

Does that make any sense or did I get something wrong?

Thanks in advance!

Hello again  _Chris_,

That sentence is absolutely fine. Well done!

Hello! Could you tell me please whether it is possible to use Past Perfect Continuous in the following interrogative sentence? What had you been doing since you left school? We talk about events that happened in the past and aren't relevant now.

Hello bloody_kary,

Yes, that is possible in certain contexts. For example, imagine we are in our 30s and we're talking about our lives in our 20s. You tell me how you left school at 22 and then start talking about taking a job at 24. I could ask about what happened in between with this question.

All the best, Kirk The LearnEnglish Team

Hello, could you please help me with the following⬇️

I can’t understand why the fist part of the sentences is in Past Simple, but the second is Past Perfect Simple

“However, Newton was sure that he WAS first and that Leibnitz HAD COPIED him.”

“In 50 BC the Senate ordered Caesar to return to Rome. By that time, Crassus WAS DEAD and Pompey HAD BECOME Caesar’s enemy.”

Does it have anything to do with the stative verb “be”? I could not find any information about NOT using stative verbs in Past Perfect Simple.

Could you please clarify it

Thanks, Wish you all good

Hi margo_english,

These sentences use past simple, but past perfect would also work here too ( Newton was sure that he had been first ... / By that time, Crassus had died ...).

People often simplify by using the past simple instead of the past perfect. This often happens when the time relationship of the events is already clarified by other parts of the sentence. For example, in sentence 2, the phrase "By that time" clearly places the action as happening earlier than the previous action/time. 

The other actions are probably put in the past perfect to avoid ambiguity of meaning. In sentence 1 "Leibnitz had copied him" clearly refers to the single occasion that is being described. On the other hand, if the person had written "Newton was sure that he was first and that Leibnitz copied him", it could be understood as a repeated or regular copying (since the past simple may also show a regular or repeated action, as well as a single action). In sentence 2, "Pompey had become ..." shows that the time of this action is before the first event (Caesar returning to Rome). If the person had written "By that time, Crassus was dead and Pompey became Caesar’s enemy", it could be understood as happening after the first event (Caesar returning to Rome), i.e. a sequential action. The phrase "By that time" is a bit distant, so it does not clearly place the action as an earlier one.

With regards to the use of past perfect tense, can you advise which of the following sentences is correct?

1) After Jane had made sure she had signed the document, she left the office.

2) After Jane had made sure she signed the document, she left the office.

3) After Jane made sure she had signed the document, she left the office.

There are 3 actions in the sentence ie ‘made sure’, ‘sign’, ‘left’, hence I am confused which tense I should use for each of the 3 verbs. Thank you very much!

Hello. Could you please help me choose the correct choice in the following sentence? Why? I think with "already" we can't use "perfect continuous", right? - By the time I got to the stadium, they (had already played - had already been playing) for ten minutes. Thank you.

Hi Ahmed Imam,

I would choose the second option -  had already been playing - because the emphasis is on how long they had been playing, so the continuous form fits well.

It is fine to use "already" with the past perfect continuous. "Already" means "before the specified time", which in this case is the time I got to the stadium.

Hello, again Jonathan. If we said the sentence with past perfect "had already played", would it be wrong? Thank you.

No. That would be fine too (although the continuous version would be preferred, I think).

1.I found out someone broke into my house and stole my stuff. 2. i found out someone had broken into my house and stolen my stuff.

(What's the difference here do they mean the same thing and what's natural?)

3.My phone was lagging then I Found out someone went through my phone. 4.My phone was lagging then I found out someone had gone through it.

(What's the difference here do they mean the same thing and what's more natural.) Can i use Past simple in both example do they have the same meaning or there is difference

Hello Romy,

All four of these sentences are fine, though 4 is better than 3 because it suggests a relationship between sequence of events more than 3 does.

Yes But is there any difference between 3 and 4? What's more natural thing to say

In First two I was told past simple means both thing happened at same time but I Asked you and you said they are same I am really confused because I also think they both mean same but I am not sure If i used past simple would it be wrong? What's more good English

As I think we've explained, we're not able to continue giving advice about questions like this. This is not what we're here for. I'd suggest you find a teacher.

Best wishes, Kirk LearnEnglish Team

Hello LearnEnglish Team. the garden was wet.it had been raining. that has no connection to the present and that means the garden is dry now . right or not?

Hi AboWasel,

Yes, it has no connection to the present. So, it gives us no information about how the garden is now - it could be dry, or wet (if it has rained again since then, for example). We don't know!

Hello LearnEnglish Team,

Could you please explain to me why we use the past perfect here?

"I had been watching that programme every week since it started, but I missed the last episode."

According to the grammar, Past perfect is used to talk about an action that hapens BEFORE another action in Past Simple. Therefore, the first action is the action in Past Perfect and the second action is in past simple. But in this sentence the first action is "start" and the second one is "watch", so why is "watch" in past perfect? Many thanks in advance.

Hello GrammarLover,

The second action is not 'it started' but rather 'I missed'. The phrase 'since it started' establishes a point in time in the past, and then there's the repeated activity of watching the programme every week since then, and then there's the action of missing the last episode.

Hope that clears it up for you.

Yeah: as you said "it started" happens first and, after that, the action of "watching" happens. Therefore, if the action of watching happens after the action of start, how is it possible that "watching" is in Past Perfect and "start" in past simple and not the other way round? For example, if I say "I realised I had left my keys at home" --> I put "had left" in past perfect because it is the first action and I put "realised" in past simple because the action of realise happens after the action of leave. In our sentence, "start" happens first and, later, the action of "watch" happens.

"I had been watching that programme every week since it started, but I missed the last episode."

The past perfect is emphasises that one action occurs before one other action. In this sentence, there are two other actions -- 'it started' and 'I missed' -- and so you have to choose which one the past perfect refers to.

The idea that I was watching a programme before it started is pretty unusual, but the idea that I was watching it before missing the last episode is not. This is why I assume the reference point is 'I missed the last episode' instead of 'it started'.

As you can see, the past perfect situates an action in relation to another reference point. That reference point can occur very close to the past perfect, but it doesn't have to. In fact, the reference point is often not even in the same sentence, but in another previous sentence. It's important to think about what makes sense; the grammar expresses meaning rather than determining it.

Ok, I get your point. The sentence I am worried about and would like to check (a student of mine wrote it) is the following:

"He was my best friend since we were 5 years old."

If it was in the present, the sentence would be "He has been my best friend since we were 5 years old", so I thought that if we move that sentence into the past (like in the story of my student), the sentence should be "He had been my best friend since we were 5 years old", but I don't know how to justify my choice because the starting point is 5 years old but in my sentence it sound as if the first action was to be friends... I am confused. What do you think the correct sentence for my student would be?

Assuming that your student's story is about your student's past (but when he is older than five), 'He had been my best friend since we were five years old' is probably the most appropriate form, especially if the description continues. For example, if your student is now 25 and is writing about a time when he was 15, then 'He had been my best friend since we were five years old, but he was beginning to change and so we were growing apart' works well -- the past reference point is that moment in the past when they were growing apart and the previous state was 'we had been best friends since the age of five'.

Does that make sense? If the situation your student was writing about is very different, I can try to help you make sense of it if you let me know what it is.

Best wishes, Kirk The LearnEnglish Team

It is hard to explain it here in writing instead of having a whiteboard where I can draw a timeline... but I will try to explain what I have on my mind.

If the sentence was about the present: "He has been my friend since we were five", the FINISHING POINT is NOW and the STARTING POINT is "we were five" (that is to say: the action of being friends started at a specific point in the past (we were five) and continues until now.

If the sentence is talking about the past (yes, this is the case of my student's story. The story talks about the moment when the police came because he was missing. My student says that in the previous sentence, but I think that would be the finishing point. Then the story would be "It was the police. John was missing. John had been my best friend since we were five years old.". Therefore, in that story, the action of being friends started at the age of five and it continues until the moment when the police came. So the starting point is "we were five" and the finishing point is "the police came", right? And the action of be friends for many years happens before the police came, so the second action is in past simple (the police came) and the first action is in past perfect (had been friends) because it happens before the police came. Right? So far so good. I get that. Now this part is clear in my mind. The only thing that I still don't understand why "we were friends" is in past simple and not in past perfect because it happens BEFORE THE PAST PERFECT! The past simple never happens before the past perfect, that is the part that doesn't add up. The starting point is we were five, so if it is the starting point, of course it happens before. For example, if I say "I have been friends since we were five", the action of be five happens BEFORE the action of be friends, and the past simple happens before the present perfect, so it makes sense to put the verb "be five" in past simple and the verb "be friends" in present perfect because the action of be five happens BEFORE THE ACTION OF BE FRIENDS! Then, the past perfect happens before the past simple, for example "When I got home, I realised that I had left my keys at home." ---> the action of leave happens before the action of realise. So if the verb realise is in past simple and the action of leave happens before realise, the action of leave has to be in past perfect (had left). So here I am applying the same logic. The verb that we use with since is always the starting point, so it happens before the action in the perfect tense (I have been working here since I was 20 -- the action of be 20 is the starting point of work, so it happens before work, so the first action has to be in past simple and the second one in present perfect). In my student's case, the action of be 5 is the starting point of being friends, so it happens before being friends. So how is it possible that we use past simple for an action (be 5) that happens before an action in past perfect (be friends)? It is supposed to be the other way around: past perfect happens before past simple. That is the thing that doesn't add up to me... Do you know what I mean? Not sure if I managed to explain it well in writing...

I'm pretty sure I understand what you mean. I think your mistake is in thinking that the 'since' clause is the reference point that the past perfect is referring to.

"It was the police. John was missing. John had been my best friend since we were five years old." For the sake of explanation, here is the timeline that I understand for this story, which is told in 2022 (after all of the events below). I've invented the exact years, obviously, and include them only in the hope that it helps clarify the timing.

1. we were five years old (1985) 2. we became best friends (later in 1985) 3. we were best friends for many years (1985-2020) 4. John went missing (2020) 5. the police came to ask about John (later in 2020)

All of the clause 'John had been my best friend since we were five years old', which has a past perfect verb as its main verb, takes 5 (the moment the police came later in 2020) as its reference point; 'had been' thus refers to 3 (1985-2020). In other words, 'John had been my friend' does NOT take 'since we were five years old' as its past reference point.

I admire your dedication to understanding this.

1a) He was craving pizza because he didn't have it for months.

1b) He was craving pizza because he hadn't had it for months.

2a) he smelled so bad because he didn't have shower for 10 days.

2b) he smelled so bad because he hadn't had shower for 10 days.

What's the difference here and what's correct?

Hello ROMY learner,

It's possible to use 1a) and 2a), but I would recommend avoiding them and using 1b) and 2b) instead.

In time clauses after conjunctions such as 'after', 'as soon as', 'when', we often use the past simple instead of the past perfect because these time conjunctions make the sequence of events clear. 

Even though the sequence of events in the 'because' clauses in your sentences is also quite clear, the substitution of the past perfect with the past simple is less common in clauses beginning with 'because'. This is why I recommend the second versions.

Hello, I just gave a lesson on Past Perfect Continuous, and my student asked me why we don't use "didn't do" as a response, instead of "hadn't done"? For example, "Sophie was tired because she hadn't been sleeping properly" as opposed to "Sophie was tired because she didn't sleep properly". My thoughts are, that the former example is talking over a longer period of time in the past, whereas the latter is just about last night. I would be very happy if you could clear this up for me. Many thanks, Mat.

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Past Perfect Tense

• Forming Past Perfect Simple
• Use of Past Perfect Simple
• Vocabulary related to Past Perfect Simple
• Forming Past Perfect Continuous
• Use of Past Perfect Continuous
• Past Perfect compared to other tenses
• Instructions
• Follow-up questions

Introduction

The Past Perfect tense is often feared by students. It is one of the complicated tenses. However, it is not that tricky. This chapter examines the Past Perfect Simple and the Past Perfect Continuous. Let’s first look at the way they are formed and then the situations in which we use them.

1 Past perfect simple

The Past Perfect Simple expresses what happened before the past event – hence the name Past Perfect. Therefore, this tense rarely occurs without the context:

• How do we know which part of a sentence the Past Perfect Simple will be in? It is in the one where the first event happened. Something happened in the past (I went to the party – Past tense), but BEFORE that I was doing something (I had bought a gift – Past Perfect).

Before we talk in more detail about the situations in which we use this tense, let’s explore its formation.

1.1 Forming Past Perfect Simple

What do we need to form Past Perfect Simple? subject + auxiliary verb HAD + regular verb with -ed / 3. form of irregular verb

• The negative of the Past Perfect Simple is formed by adding NOT to the auxiliary verb HAD (I had not exercised.) HAD (I had not exercised.)
• The short form is HADN‘T (I hadn‘t exercised.)
• When forming a question, we just switch the subject of the sentence with the auxiliary verb HAD

1.2 Use of Past Perfect Simple

When do we use the Past Perfect Simple? When something had happened before a certain moment in the past

• As can be seen from the sentence, the doctor first examined the patient and then recommended more movement.

• As we can see from the sentence, firstly, she left her purse at home and then had to return for it.

• Here, for example, is a mother who makes sure that her son did his homework and then went to the cinema.

1.3 Vocabulary related to Past Perfect Simple

The Past Perfect Simple is characterized by the frequent use of the following adverbs:

AFTER, WHEN Both of these adverbs can be placed at the beginning of a sentence or in the middle:

• When I had finished cooking , I called my friend.
• I called my friend after I had finished cooking .

BEFORE The adverb BEFORE can be placed at the beginning of a sentence or in the middle.

• Before I went to lunch, I had had an interview .
• I had had an interview before I went to lunch.

In the case that an event took place at a particular time, the Past Perfect Simple is not a rerequisite and we can use the Past Simple tense. The same is true for the adverb AFTER. Therefore, both of these options are possible:

• I had seen them only once in 2015 before I went on a road trip with them in 2017.
• I saw them only once in 2015 before I went on a road trip with them in 2017.

However, if it is not an event occurring at a particular time, we need to use the Ppat Perfect Simple. In the following sentence we see that this is not an event, but an experience:

• Not: I worked for several companies before I started working for you.

We use the conjunction BECAUSE for so-called reason sentences. The subordinate clause is in the Past Perfect Simple if we want to express that it had happened before a certain moment in the past. Again, we can place it at the beginning of the sentence or in the middle:

• Because I hadn’t studied , I failed the test.
• I failed the test because I hadn’t studied .

We often come across related subordinate clauses:

• The girl, who I had met last summer , called me.
• The movie which you had recommended to me was really good!

The Past Perfect also appears with object subordinate sentences:

• I realized that somebody had broken into our house .

2 Past Perfect Continuous

If you have studied the rules about the Past Perfect Simple, the Past Perfect Continuous won’t be so complicated for you. While we can tell by the Past Perfect Simple what had happened at a particular moment in the past, the Past Perfect Continuous serves to tell us what had been happening before a certain moment in the past.

• We emphasize the course of this event- so we also add that it took the whole afternoon.

Before we take a closer look at the situations in which we use this tense, let’s explain how it is formed.

2.1 Forming Past Perfect Continuous

What do we need to form Past Perfect Continuous? subject + HAD + BEEN + action verb with ending -ING + rest of sentence

• We create the negative form by putting NOT after HAD (the auxiliary verb)
• The short form is HADN‘T (You hadn’t been waiting (nečekal jsi)).
• We form a question by switching the subject with the auxiliary verb HAD
• The verb BEEN follows the subject:

2.2 Use of Past Perfect Continuous

Now we know how to form Past Perfect Continuous, we can now look at the situations where we use it:

We are talking about something that has been going on for some time before a specific point in the past

• The exercise has lasted for two hours and it made the person exhausted.

We want to emphasize the duration of a certain event We don’t just use only Past Perfect Continuous with a specific expression of time. We also use it when we want to say that the event took a longer time:

• They had been playing really well (all the time) before the football match was cancelled.

We are talking about a state that was caused by a certain event

• He was wet (state) because it had been raining the whole afternoon (event).

3 Past tense compared to other tenses

Now let’s look at the same sentence in different tenses. Notice how its meaning changes.

• The actions happened one after the other, we use simple past tense.
• His activity was in progress at the moment I entered the room, so we use past continuous tense.
• Father had completed the activity before I entered the room. To express this sequence, we use past perfect tense.

4 Practicing past perfect tense

Try the following exercises and test your newly acquired knowledge.

4.1 Instructions

Exercise 1: Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb Fill in the blank with the correct form of the verb in past and past perfect tense:

1) By the time I __________ (arrive) at the party, everyone __________ (leave). 2) She __________ (study) for two hours before she __________ (take) a break. 3) They __________ (already eat) by the time we __________ (get) to the restaurant. 4) The movie __________ (start) before we __________ (arrive) at the cinema. 5) He __________ (never see) a bear before he __________ (go) to Alaska.

Exercise 2: Sentence transformation

Change the following sentences to the past perfect tense:

1) I woke up early this morning. 2) They started the project last week. 3) She bought a new car yesterday. 4) He had a sandwich for lunch. 5) We went to bed late last night.

Exercise 3: Answers the questions Answer the following questions in the past perfect tense:

1) Had you ever been to New York before your trip last year? – Yes,… 2) Had she finished the book before she saw the movie? – Yes,… 3) Had they seen the movie before they read the book? – No,… 4) Had he eaten breakfast before he left for work? – Yes,… 5) Had we met before the party last week? – No,…

4.2 Solution

Exercise 1: Filling in the blanks with the correct verb form

1) By the time arrived at the party, everyone had left . 2) She had studied / had been studying for two hours before she took a break. 3) They had already eaten by the time we got to the restaurant. 4) The movie had started before we arrived at the cinema. 5) He had never seen a bear before he went to Alaska.

1) I had woken up early this morning. 2) They had started the project last week. 3) She had bought a new car yesterday. 4) He had had a sandwich for lunch. 5) We had gone to bed late last night.

Exercise 3: Answering questions

1) Had you ever been to New York before your trip last year? Yes, I had been to New York before my trip last year. 2) Had she finished the book before she saw the movie? Yes, she had finished the book before she saw the movie. 3) Had they seen the movie before they read the book? No, they had not seen the movie before they read the book. 4) Had he eaten breakfast before he left for work? Yes, he had eaten breakfast before he left for work. 5) Had we met before the party last week? No, we had not met before the party last week.

5 A story using Past Perfect Tense

And what does the past perfect tense look like in the context of a story? Read and listen to the story. Do you dare to try the comprehension questions too?

Alice had always dreamed of becoming a successful author, but it wasn’t until she had graduated from college that she started to pursue her passion for writing. After completing a few short stories, she had decided to write her first novel. For months, Alice had been working tirelessly, pouring her heart and soul into her writing. She had spent countless hours researching and developing her characters, creating the perfect plot, and editing and revising her work.By the time Alice had submitted her manuscript to various publishing houses, she had been writing for over a year. During this time, she had faced many rejections and setbacks, but she had never given up. She had continued to work hard, honing her craft, and perfecting her novel.

Finally, after what had felt like an eternity, Alice had received an email from a publishing house expressing their interest in publishing her book. She had been overjoyed, and the hours, days, and months she had spent writing had all been worth it. Alice had been ecstatic to see her dream come to fruition.

From that day on, Alice had been known as a successful author, and her book had become a bestseller. Looking back, she had realized that all the hard work, dedication, and perseverance had been worth it.

5.1 Follow-up questions

5.2 answers.

Alice had been dreaming of becoming a successful author.

Alice had started pursuing her passion for writing after graduating from college.

Yes, Alice had completed a few short stories before deciding to write her first novel.

Alice had been working tirelessly on her writing for months.

Alice had spent countless hours researching and developing her characters, creating the perfect plot, and editing and revising her work.

By the time Alice submitted her manuscript to publishing houses, she had been writing for over a year.

Yes, Alice had faced many rejections and setbacks during her writing process.

Alice had continued to work hard, honing her craft and perfecting her novel.

Alice had been writing for over a year before receiving an email from a publishing house expressing their interest in publishing her book.

Alice had realized that all the hard work, dedication, and perseverance had been worth it when looking back on her journey to becoming a successful author.

Are you wondering when to use the past perfect tense?  We will go over several different ways this tense is used with plenty of examples to help make everything clear.

[Note: Click here to learn how to form   the past perfect .]

Past perfect tense use #1:  Completed action before another past action

We use the past perfect to talk about past actions that happened before another past action or situation in the past.

For example:  I had eaten dinner before my husband came home.

I had not seen my cousin in 15 years.

More examples :

• She hadn’t remembered her key was in the house before she closed the door.
• My boss had already left the office before I finished the report.
• Unfortunately, we hadn’t made a hotel reservation before the trip.
• What had you eaten before you got sick?
• I had eaten some oysters the night before.

Use #2:  To explain the reason for something in the past

The past participle can be used to explain why something happened in the past.

For example :  He was happy because I had arrived early.

I fell asleep in class because I hadn’t slept the night before.

• The pan burned because the water had boiled away.
• We hadn't left early enough so we were late for the party.
• My brother hadn't had a date before so he was super nervous at the dance last night.
• She had wanted  a new phone for her birthday because her iPhone was cracked.
• I didn't bring my passport because I  hadn't thought  it was necessary.

Use #3:  The third conditional 

The third conditional describes past events/actions that never actually happened. The past perfect is used in this construction.

• If I hadn’t had my umbrella with me, I’d have gotten soaking wet.
• I wish my mother had told me more about her childhood.
• If I’d studied more, my score would have been higher.
• If only you had arrived five minutes earlier.
• He wished he'd decided to bring a coat to the game.

Expressions with “as if” / “as though”

The past participle is frequently used with the expressions “as if”  and “as though” to indicate something that might have happened in the past but there is uncertainty about whether it happened or not.

• My son acted as if he had finished his homework but he hadn’t.
• My professor looked as though he hadn’t showered in a week.
• It seemed as if the dog had been abused in the past.
• It appeared as if the thief had entered the back door.
• It looked as though the winter had finally ended .

Past perfect and past simple tenses with "before"/"after"

We often use the past simple   instead of the past perfect   when “before” or “after” are used to describe past events. That is because using either of these words clearly shows that one past event happened before another.

Note : Native speakers typically prefer to use the past simple   with before/after.

• I ate dinner before my husband came home. (simple past)
• I 'd eaten dinner before my husband came home. (past perfect)
• We saw a movie after we finished dinner. (simple past)
• We saw a movie after we had finished dinner. (past perfect)

If you need to review how to form  the past perfect tense please check this page . I go over the positive and negative forms, questions, review the irregular past participles and spelling changes and give lots of examples.

• Main Grammar Page
• Form: Past Perfect
• Use: Past Perfect

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Subordinating Conjunction Quiz

Check your understanding of proper linking words in English

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 Use 'as' (or 'while') as a time expression expressing the idea that something happens at the same time.

Use 'inasmuch' as a subordinating conjunction to express that a condition has been fulfilled. 

• due to the fact

Use the time expression 'as soon as' with the same meaning as 'when' but to express more urgency. 

 The subordinating conjunction 'while' can be used to mean at the same time, or to contrast information in the same sense as 'although' . 

 Use 'as long as' in the same sense as 'if' indicating that a condition must be met. 

 The subordinating conjunction 'as' can be used as a synonym for 'because' or 'since' to provide a reason .

   The subordinating conjunction 'since' can be used as a synonym for 'because' or 'as' to provide a reason.

 Use 'even if' to express that something will or will not be true despite someone meeting a condition . 

 Use the time expression 'until' in a time clause to indicate that something needs / needed to be completed before something else happened / happens. 

• by the time

 Use 'by' with a specific time and 'by the time' with a full clause to indicate a time in the future by which something will have been completed. 

The subordinating conjunction 'because' can be used as a synonym for 'since' or 'as' to provide a reason .

 Use the past simple together with the past perfect and 'after' to express something that had been completed before another event. 

 Use the subordinating conjunction 'although' to show contrast, or something that is completed despite difficulties. 

 Use 'if' as a subordinating conjunction to express a conditio n for another event to take place. 

• due to the fact that

 'Before' can be used as a time expression in future time clauses . 

 'Since' can be used as a time expression together with the present perfect to mark a beginning point in time. 

• Even though

'Even though', 'although' and 'though' are similar in meaning and can show unexpected results . 

• By the time

'In case' can be used in the same sense as 'if' for real conditional sentences . 

• even though
• the last time

 'The last time' can be used as a time expression to refer to the last of a series of events in the past.

   Use 'even if' to express that something will or will not be true despite someone meeting a condition. 

 Congratulations! You have an excellent understanding of how subordinating conjunctions are used to link sentences in English. Keep studying these forms and you'll improve your writing skills. 

 You understand and can use a number of subordinating conjunctions. However, there are a few that you haven't yet mastered. Don't worry, keep at it and you'll understand the few you haven't yet learned how to use. 

 Subordinating conjunctions are used to create complex sentences in English. You'll need to review these forms to help your writing skills in English. Don't worry, you'll understand soon. 

• Subordinating Conjunctions
• Using Adverb Clauses with Time Expressions
• Definition and Examples of Subordinate Clauses
• Examples and Usage of Conjunctions in English Grammar
• Subordinate Clauses: Concessive, Time, Place and Reason Clauses
• French Subordinate Clause: French Grammar and Pronunciation Glossary
• Paired Conjunction Quiz
• Introduction to French Conjunctions
• Does The French Conjunction 'Tant Que' Need the Subjunctive?
• Complex Sentence Worksheet
• Building Proper German Sentences
• How to Use Conjunctions in Italian
• While, As, As/So Long As: Describing Action
• Showing Addition in Written English
• Advanced English Grammar Review Quiz
• What Are Reduced Adverb Clauses and How Do They Work?

50 Bài tập Thì quá khứ hoàn thành cực hay có lời giải

Bài viết 50 Bài tập Thì quá khứ hoàn thành cực hay có lời giải gồm đầy đủ lý thuyết trọng tâm về Thì quá khứ hoàn thành và trên 50 bài tập về Thì quá khứ hoàn thành chọn lọc, có đáp án chi tiết giúp bạn nắm vững cách sử dụng của Thì quá khứ hoàn thành.

PHẦN I. LÝ THUYẾT

1. Cách dùng

Thì quá khứ hoàn thành dùng để diễn tả một hành động xảy ra trước một hành động khác và cả hai hành động này đều đã xảy ra trong quá khứ. Hành động nào xảy ra trước thì dùng thì quá khứ hoàn thành. Hành động xảy ra sau thì dùng thì quá khứ đơn.

2. Cấu trúc

3. Dấu hiệu nhận biết

– when: khi

Ví dụ: When they arrived at the airport, her flight had taken off. (Khi họ tới sân bay, chuyến bay của cô ấy đã cất cánh.)

– before: trước khi (Trước “before” sử dụng thì quá khứ hoàn thành và sau “before” sử dụng thì quá khứ đơn.)

Ví dụ: She had done her homework before her mother asked her to do so. (Cô ấy đã làm bài tập về nhà trước khi mẹ cô ấy yêu cầu cô ấy làm như vậy.)

– After: sau khi (Trước “after” sử dụng thì quá khứ đơn và sau “after” sử dụng thì quá khứ hoàn thành.)

Ví dụ: They went home after they had eaten a big roasted chicken. (Họ về nhà sau khi đã ăn một con gà quay lớn.)

– by the time (vào thời điểm)

Ví dụ: He had cleaned the house by the time her mother came back. (Cậu ấy đã lau xong nhà vào thời điểm mẹ cậu ấy trở về.)

PHẦN II. BÀI TẬP ÁP DỤNG

Task 1. Cho dạng đúng của động từ trong ngoặc.

1. They (come) ……….. back home after they (finish) ………………… their work.

2. She said that she ( meet) ………. Mr. Bean before.

3. Before he (go) ……….. to bed, he (read) ……………… a novel.

4. He told me he (not/wear) …………… such kind of clothes before.

5. When I came to the stadium, the match (start)…………………….

6. Before she (listen) ……….. to music, she (do)………. homework.

7. Last night, Peter (go) …….. to the supermarket before he (go) ……… home.

1. came – had finished

2. had meet

3. went – had read

4. hadn’t worn

5. had started

6. listened – had done

7. had gone – went

Task 2. Viết lại câu sao cho nghĩa không đổi sử dụng từ gợi ý cho sẵn.

1. David had gone home before we arrived. – After

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

2. We had lunch then we took a look around the shops. – Before

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

3. The light had gone out before we got out of the office. – When

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

4. After she had explained everything clearly, we started our work. – By the time

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

5. My father had watered all the plants in the garden by the time my mother came home. – Before

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

1. After David had gone home, we arrived.

2. Before we took a look around the shops, we had had lunch.

3. When we got out of the office, the light had gone out.

4. By the time we started our work, she had explained everything clearly.

5. Before my mother came home, my father had watered all the plants in the garden.

Task 3. Hoàn thành câu

1. When Hoa arrived at the theater, the film ____________(start).

2. He ____________ (live) in Laos before He went to Vietnam.

3. After Lan ____________ (eat) the cake, Lan began to feel sick.

4. If he ____________ (listen) to me, he would have got the job.

5. Linh didn’t arrive until I ____________ (leave).

6. After they ____________ (finish) lunch, they went out.

7. The tree was dead because it ____________ (be) arid all summer.

8. I ____________ (meet) him somewhere before.

9. They were late for the flight because they ____________ (forget) their passports.

10. Linh told me she ____________ (study) a lot before the exam.

1. had started

2. had lived

3. had eaten

4. had listened

5. had left

6. had finished

7. had been

9. had forgotten

10. had studied

Task 4. Sắp xếp các câu sau và chia động từ (nếu có)

1. The/they/get/had/off/before/of/the/turn/light/office/out.

2. By/begin/time/I/my/she/,/had/leave/the/quickly/work.

3. After/finish/my/,/we/back/father/his/home/work/come.

4. Before/go/had/an/novel/my/to/brother/read/interesting/he/bed.

5. When/her/in/,/he/had/join/Linh/best friend/Bangkok/the/Ever/meet.

6. Cuong/this/before/last night/had/text/he/went/translate/out.

7. Hung/your/before/meet/had/email/he/use/you?

8. When/I/arrive/had/hadn’t/my/lunch/parents.

9. They/before/had/to/the meeting/speak/her.

10. I/that/hadn’t/see/before/was/the man/sure/I.

1. The light had turned off before they got out of the office.

2. By the time I began my work, she had left quickly.

3. After my father finished his work, we came back home.

4. Before my brother went to bed, he had read an interesting novel.

5. When Linh met her best friend in Bangkok, he had joined the Ever.

6. Cuong had translated this text before he went out last night.

7. Had Hung used your email before he met you?

8. When my parents arrived, I hadn’t had lunch.

9. They had spoken to her before the meeting.

10. I was sure that I hadn’t seen the man before.

Task 5. Tìm và sửa lỗi sai (nếu có)

1. I had finished lunch before my parents come.

2. By the time I had found the key, I hadn’t got into the house.

3. Up until that moment, my younger sister never believed in love.

4. Sunny ate dinner so she wasn’t hungry.

5. When Bob graduated in university, he was in New York for 5 years.

6. She wishes her friends didn’t go to bed so early.

7. My boyfriend didn’t meet me when I arrived.

1. come ⇒ came

2. had found ⇒ found

3. never believed ⇒ had never believed

4. ate ⇒ had eaten

5. was ⇒ had been

6. didn’t go ⇒ hadn’t gone

7. didn’t meet ⇒ hadn’t met

Task 6. Hoàn thành câu.

1. I was exhausted at the end of the test. I (write) ____________ for over three hours.

2. When thieves stole my favourite leather wallet, I was really upset. I (have) ____________ it for over five years.

3. Please step out of the truck, Mr.Đạt. Do you realise you (drive) ____________ at over 100mph?

4. We didn’t really want to go and see the film again. We (already see) ____________ it twice – so we said “no” and we went to a shopping mall instead!

5. I arrived over two hours late to the office and everyone in my company was working. Actually, they (work) ____________ for over three hours on the new project and I felt really guilty.

6. The kitchen was full of pans when we arrived. Loan was in the kitchen and she (cook) ____________ a big meal for everyone at the party.

7. It was a bit discomfiture to arrive at their house and find Linh looking so depressed. I think she (cry) ____________ before I got there.

8. No-one even noticed when he got home. They (all watch) ____________ the favorite show on television.

1. had been writing.

2. had had.

3. were driving.

4. had already seen.

5. had been working.

6. was cooking.

7. had been crying.

8. were all watching.

Task 7. Cho dạng đúng của động từ trong ngoặc

1. By the time you came, I _______ (have) lunch.

2. Dean _______ (not/sleep) yet when his mother entered his room.

3. His little brother _______ (already/brush) his teeth, so he didn’t eat cookies.

4. If Della _______ (inform) me about the event, I would have taken part in.

5. _______ (you/drink) a glass of milk before meal?

6. Why _______ (you/not/leave) a message when you went out?

7. They weren’t there because they _______ (be) at the stadium.

8. _______ (you/visit) this place before you went here?

9. If they _______ (not/act) like that, we would not have argued with them.

10. When we arrived, he _______ (just/write) a letter to her girlfriend.

2. hadn’t slept

3. had already brushed

4. had informed

5. Had you drunk

6. hadn’t you left

8. Had you visited

9. hadn’t acted

10. had just written

Task 8. Hoàn thành câu dựa vào các từ gợi ý cho sẵn

1. He/not/go/us/till/finish/his homework

2. They/meet/each other/before/come/there

3. My/mother/work/farmer/before/become/teacher

4. We/watch/TV/after/I/finish/all/chores

5. Which channel/you/watch/before/tune in/this one

6. By/time/we/graduate/he/work/4 companies

7. Because/he/read/book/not/buy

8. I/just/call/her/they/cancel/interview

9. They/leave/when/I/call

10. Lesson/start/by/time/I/come

1. He didn’t go with us till he’d finished his homework.

2. They’d met each other before they came there.

3. My mother had worked as a farmer before she became a teacher.

4. We watched TV together after I’d finished all my chores.

5. Which channel had you watched before you tuned in this one?

6. By the time we graduated, he had worked for 4 companies.

7. Because he had read the book before, he didn’t buy it.

8. I had just called her before they cancelled the interview.

9. They had left when I called.

10. The lesson had started by the time I came.

Task 9. Hoàn thành các câu sau sử dụng từ cho trước

1. You went to Suc's house, but she wasn't there. (she/ go/ out)

………………………………………………………………………………

2. You went back to your home town after many years. It wasn't the same asbefore. (it/ change/ a lot)

3. I invited Rachel to the party, but she couldn't come. (she/ arrange/ to do something else)

……………………………………………………………………………

4. You went to the cinema last night. You got to the cinema late. (the film/ already/ begin)

5. It was nice to see Dan again after such a long time. (I/ not/ see/ him for five years)

…………………………………………………………………………………

6. I offered Sue something to eat, but she wasn't hungry. (she/ just/ have breakfast)

1. She had gone out

2. It had changed a lot

3. She’d arranged to do something else

4. The film had already begun

5. I hadn’t seen him for five years

6. She’just had breakfast

Task 10. Choose the correct answers

1. The teacher ________ out when I arrived in the classroom.

A. goes     B. have gone

C. has gone     D. had gone

2. I ______ my document before the power went out in the computer lab.

A. had save    B. have saved

C. had saved     D. saved

3. When they arrived we _________ the test.

A. had already started     B. have already started

C. starts     D. already starting

4. George _________ his furniture before he moved to Japan.

A. have sold    B. had sold

C. had sell     D. sells

5. Larry _________ his homework already by the time Roy came over.

A. finishes    B. had finish

C. had finished    D. have finish

1. D. had gone

2. C. had saved

3. A. had already started

4. B. had sold

5. C. had finished

Xem thêm các bài tập Ngữ pháp Tiếng Anh cực hay có lời giải chi tiết khác:

• Bài tập Thì quá khứ hoàn thành tiếp diễn cực hay có lời giải
• Bài tập Thì tương lai gần cực hay có lời giải
• Bài tập Thì tương lai đơn cực hay có lời giải
• Bài tập Thì tương lai đơn và tương lai gần cực hay có lời giải

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He had done the homework before he went out to play.

• Thread starter sinukg
• Start date Dec 22, 2021

Senior Member

• Dec 22, 2021

Hi everyone I heard the sentence "He had done the homework before he went out to play." in a video for English learners. Could you please tell me if we say "He had done his homework before he went to play.", do we get a similar meaning?  

lingobingo said: His instead of the is an improvement (when we have no context, anyway). Went to instead of went out to is the opposite. Click to expand...

You could, if for some reason you wanted to say it in an unidiomatic way. But to go out to play is an idiom. It’s what children do.  

BKBagelBoss

sinukg said: Can't we say "He went to play"? Click to expand...

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