Past perfect simple

1 Use

A When we are talking about the past, we sometimes want to refer back to an earlier past.

When I telephoned Sue, she had gone out.

We use the past perfect (eg she had gone out) to talk about smth which had happened before the past time we are thinking about (eg when I telephoned).

We arrived at the cinema at 8.00, but the film had started at 7.30.

When I spoke to the woman I realized I had met her somewhere before.

B The past perfect is the past form of the present perfect. Compare:

Present perfect Past perfect

I haven't eaten all day today, so I was very hungry now.

I hadn't eaten all day yesterday, so I was very hungry when I got home.

C Compare the uses of the past perfect and past simple:

We got to the station at 8.00, but the train had left at 7.30. When Sue arrived, we had had dinner.

We got to the station at 7.20 and the train left at 7.30. When Sue arrived, we had dinner.

EXERCISE 14A

Peter arrived late at different places yesterday. What had happened when he arrived at each place?

Example: 1 When he arrived at the station, his train had already left.

1the station 2 the theatre 3 the post office 4 the furniture shop 5 his friend's house 6 the football stadium

his train | already | leave the play| already | start it | already | close they | sell | the table he wanted his friend | go out the game | nearly | finish

EXERCISE 14B

Choose the correct form.

Example: The office was empty when the police arrived. The robbers had left/left.

1 We had just started lunch when the telephone had rung/rang.

2When I opened the safe, the money had disappeared/disappeared.

3 Andrew was late for school yesterday. When he got to the classroom, the lesson had started/started.

4 They waited until everyone was ready and then they had started/started the meeting.

EXERCISE 14C

Put one verb in each sentence into the past perfect simple and the other verb into the past simple.

Example:

Mario felt (feel) very nervous when he first drove in Britain because he hadn't driven (not | drive) on the left before.

1 Andrew (do) the test before, so he (find) it very easy.

2 I (not | laugh) at the joke because I (hear) it before.

3 We (leave) the restaurant when we (have) dinner.

4 When I found my wallet I (discover) that somebody (took) the credit cards out of it.

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