Past Perfect Tense | Formula, Examples & Exercises.

Past Perfect tense.

Tense which means time in this article we study past perfect tense. It refers to a specific time. Which is quite clear from the meaning.  Past perfect tense talks about an action that is completed before another action in the past. Let’s put a glance over the table where I have explained more about the past perfect tense.

S: PastPerfectTense
#1 Before now Past means a time which is not in the present or future or more clearly it means a time which is started before and finished before now.Completed It refers to completion. Perfect means completed (action).  Time, age, or period This is one quite clear means: time, age, or period. So let’s move to the definition of the past perfect tense.

Past perfect tense definition:

It talks about an action that was completed before another action in the past.

Let’s grab it by the illustrated picture.

past perfect tense

Now, in these two sentences, you can get better. We have two past activities.  Both actions have happened in the past but one is earlier than the other. Like:

For example:

We reached home last night at 9 p.m. This is a time which is fixed in the past; last night. so at 9 pm last night we reached home there was no light. It means the light had gone before 9 p.m. So for such activities, we use the past perfect tense.  

Past perfect tense Formula

Check out the Present perfect tense:

1. Positive formula/ structure.

Subject + had (helping verb) + 3rd form of the verb + object/ complement.

E.g.

  • The plane had left before she arrived.
  • We had eaten everything when he came home.
  • She had broken the glasses before we became aware.
  • Everything had been ruined when the police arrived.
  • I had done my work.
  • She had finished eating.

2. Negative formula/ structure.

 Subject + had + not + 3rd form of the verb + object/ complement.

e.g.

  • The plane had not left before she arrived.
  • We had not eaten everything when he came home.
  • She had not broken the glasses before we became aware.
  • Everything had not been ruined when the police arrived.
  • I had not done my work.
  • She had not finished eating.

3. Interrogative formula/structure.

 Had + subject + 3rd form of the verb + object/complement.

e.g.

  • Had the plane left before she arrived?
  • Had we eaten everything when he came home?

We use ‘Had’ with both singular and plural.

  • Had she broken the glass before we became aware?
  • Had everything been ruined when the police arrived?

Note:

Simple present tense:

We use time causes like when before. to show an action occurs before another action.

Sometimes, we use the contracted form of the subject and auxiliary verb:

I hadI’d
you hadyou’d
he had
she had
it had		he’d
she’d
it’d
we hadwe’d
they hadthey’d

   There should not be a misunderstanding between ‘I had’ and ‘I would’, both of them have the same contracted form.

E.g.

  • I’d gone to the party.
  • I’d go to the party.

Now the difference is time we use the 3rd form after ‘I had’ but in contrast, we use the 1st form after ‘I would.

Past perfect tense exercises

True and false! Have a glance over this exercise which is relevant to past perfect tense.

  1. We arrived at home when the film had started.
  2. He had leave the game by time the rain started.  
  3. By the time we came in the ground, the players had went.   
  4. Kamran have broken the door when we saw. 
  5. They had visited the man quickly.  
  6. Had they been to Karachi? 
  7. She could not find the paper while we had gone.  
  8. Had she live in America?  
  9. Had he spoken well in the discussion? 
  10. Had they finished all the work now?
  11. Had we drive the car until the home?  
  12. He had boiled the eggs when she went to kitchen.  
  13. The woman had cried a lot until she reached home. 
  14. Had they been married when we came to this country?  
  15. They had understand the full game.   

The answers of the true and false.

  1. We arrived at home when the film had started. True
  2. He had leave the game by time the rain started.  false
  3. By the time we came in the ground, the players had went.  false
  4. Kamran have broken the door when we saw.  false
  5. They had visited the man quickly.   True
  6. Had they been to Karachi? True
  7. She could not find the paper while we had gone.  True
  8. Had she live in America?  false
  9. Had he spoken well in the discussion?  True
  10. Had they finished all the work now? false
  11. Had we drive the car until the home? True
  12. He had boiled the eggs when she went to kitchen.  True
  13. The woman had cried a lot until she reached home. True
  14. Had they been married when we came to this country?  True
  15. They had understand the full game.   false

Multiple questions are listed. Take this test to make your grammar perfect.

  1. They had __________ the work when we arrived
  • a) have
  • b) been
  • b) hab been

2) He had _________ the meal until we washed our hands.

  • a) eaten
  • b) eat
  • c) had eaten.

3) They _________ very well.

  • a)had
  • b) played
  • C) had played

4) When we reach there he had _______ everything.

  • a) spoiled
  • b) hab spoiled
  • c) had been spoiled

5) She had _________ the music before meal.

  • A) played
  • b) had played
  • c)been played

6) We had ________ the policies very hardly.

  • a) managed
  • b) manage
  • c) have managed

7) We all had __________about her decision.

  • a) agreed
  • b) agree
  • c) had agreed

8) The problem drove us crazy when he ________found the way.

  • a) had
  • b) have
  • C) had been.

9) By the time I reached he _________________ to park.

  • a) Go
  • B) had gone
  • c) Went.

10) I had ______________ the decision when he called me.

  • a) Had made
  • b) Made
  • c) Have made.

11) He grew that flower when we had _____________ him.

  • a) Inform
  • b) Had Informed
  • c) Informed

12) She had never________________ me before marriage.

  • a) Saw
  • b) Seen
  • c) See

13) Why ___________She ____________ to London?

  • a) Have, been
  • b) Had, been
  • c) Has, gone

14) They had not _______________ the office very well.

  • a) Had clean
  • b) Cleaned
  • c) Has cleaned

15) __________ I seen her once long time ago?

  • a) Has
  • b) Have
  • c) Had

16) Kamran ______________ late to the party.

  • a) Come late
  • b) Came
  • c ) Had Come

17) I had ____________ the shoes when he came.

  • a) Polished
  • b) Polish
  • c) Had polished

18) The doctor __________ well the patient.

  • a) Had treated
  • b) Has treated
  • c) Have treated.

19) I went to school after I had ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­________ my homework

  • a) Completed
  • b) Completed
  • c) Has completed,

20) They ___________ never prepared the dish tasty.

  • a) Had
  • b) Has
  • c) Have

Multiple question answers are listed here. check them & make your answers correct.

  1. had
  2. been
  3. had played
  4. spoiled
  5. played
  6. managed
  7. agreed
  8. had
  9. had gone
  10. made
  11. informed
  12. seen
  13. had gone
  14. cleaned
  15. had
  16. had come
  17. polished
  18. had treated
  19. completed
  20. had

Fill in the blacks correctly. Use past perfect tense.

  1. We arrived at home when the film ____________started.   (have)
  2. He _______ the game by the time the rain started.     (leave)
  3. By the time we came to the ground, the players _________.   (go)
  4. Kamran __________ the door when we saw.   (Break)
  5. They had ____________ the man quickly.   (visit)
  6. Had they _________ to Karachi?  (be)
  7. She could not find the paper while we had ____________.    (go)
  8. Had she _____________ in America?      (went)  
  9. Had he _______ the well in the discussion?   (speak)
  10. Had they __________ all the work before night?  (finish)
  11. ___________ we _______ the car until the home?           (drive)
  12. The egg had _________ when she went to the kitchen.    (boil)
  13. The woman _____________ a lot until she reached home.   ( cry)
  14. Had they been _______ when we came to this country?    (marry)
  15. They had ______________ the full game.      (understand)
  16. she had _________ the car while we approached.   (clean)
  17. He started to shout after he had _________ the cat.   ( see)
  18. When I went to the club, she had ____________ the tea. (finish)
  19. He had _____________ a beautiful car,   ( buy)
  20. He had _______________ from the job.   ( resign)
  21. I had ____________ him a lot that’s why I gave me the money.  (Trust)

Present continuous tense >>>>>> click <<<<<<<<

Find out the correct answers to the fill-in-the-blacks.

  1. We arrived home when the film had started.   (have)
  2. He had played the game by the time the rain started.     (leave)
  3. By the time we came to the ground, the players had gone.   (go)
  4. Kamran had broken the door when we saw.   (Break)
  5. They had visited the man quickly.   (visit)
  6. Had they been to Karachi?  (be)
  7. She could not find the paper while we had gone    (go)
  8. Had she gone to America?      (went)  
  9. Had he spoken well in the discussion?   (speak)
  10. Had they finished all the work before night?  (finish)
  11. Had we driven the car until home?           (drive)
  12. The egg had boiled when she went to the kitchen.    (boil)
  13. The woman had cried a lot until she reached home.   ( cry)
  14. Had they been married when we came to this country?    (marry)
  15. They had understood the full game.      (understand)
  16. She had cleaned the car while we approached.   (clean)
  17. He started to shout after he had seen the cat.   ( see)
  18. When I went to the club, she had finished the tea. (finish)
  19. He had bought a beautiful car,   ( buy)
  20. He had resigned from the job.   ( resign)
  21. I had trusted him a lot that’s why he gave me the money.  (Trust)

Past perfect tense Worksheet

past perfect tense worksheet

This the answers

worksheet answers