PAST PERFECT

FORM Examples: You had studied English before you moved to New York. Had you studied English before you moved to New York? You had not studied English before you moved to New York.

USE 1. Completed Action Before Something in the Past The Past Perfect expresses the idea that something occurred before another action in the past. It can also show that something happened before a specific time in the past. - Examples: I had never seen such a beautiful beach before I went to Kauai. Tony knew Istanbul so well because he had visited the city several times. Had Susan ever studied Thai before she moved to Thailand? She only understood the movie because she had read the book. Kristine had never been to an opera before last night. We were not able to get a hotel room because we had not booked in advance. A: Had you ever visited the U.S. before your trip in 2006? B: Yes, I had been to the U.S. once before.

2. Duration Before Something in the Past We use the Past Perfect to show that something started in the past and continued up until another action in the past. - Examples: We had had that car for ten years before it broke down. By the time Alex finished his studies, he had been in London for over eight years. He felt bad about selling the house because he had owned it for more than 40 years.

IMPORTANT Specific Times with the Past Perfect. Unlike with the Present Perfect, it is possible to use specific time words or phrases with the Past Perfect. Although this is possible, it is usually not necessary. - Example: She had visited her French relatives once in 1993 before she moved in with them in 1996 If the Past Perfect action occured at a specific time, the Simple Past can be used instead of the Past Perfect when "before" or "after" is used in the sentence. The words "before" and "after" actually tell you what happens first, so the Past Perfect is optional. For this reason, both sentences below are correct. - Examples: She had visited her French relatives once in 1993 before she moved in with them in 1996. She visited her French relatives once in 1993 before she moved in with them in 1996.

HOWEVER If the Past Perfect is not referring to an action at a specific time, Past Perfect is not optional. Compare the examples below. Here Past Perfect is referring to a lack of experience rather than an action at a specific time. For this reason, Simple Past cannot be used. - Examples: She never saw a bear before she moved to Alaska. Not Correct She had never seen a bear before she moved to Alaska. Correct

PRACTICE: Put the verbs in brackets in the correct tense. 1. When the accident __________ (happen) that lorry was driving like a lunatic. I __________ (never see) a lorry travelling so fast! 2. We __________ (miss) the beginning of the play because it __________ (already start) when we arrived. 3. I __________ (not recognise) my old teacher because we __________ (not see) each other for 15 years. 4. When I __________ (arrive) at her house I found she __________ (go out) so nobody was there. 5. My brother __________ (eat) all the cake before we __________ (get) home. 6. I __________ (understand) the film because I __________ (read) the book before. 7. Before she _________ (buy) the flat she __________ (look around) it several times. 8. I __________ (not have) my book because I__________ (lose) it the day before. 9. I __________ (study) English for two years before I __________ (move) to N.Y. 10. She __________ (never see) a bear before she __________ (move) to Alaska.

PRACTICE: Put the verbs in brackets in the correct tense. 1. When the accident happened that lorry was driving like a lunatic. I had never seen a lorry travelling so fast! 2. We missed the beginning of the play because it had already started when we arrived. 3. I didn’t recognise my old teacher because we had not seen each other for 15 years. 4. When I arrived at her house I found she had gone out so nobody was there. 5. My brother had eaten all the cake before we got home. 6. I understood the film because I had read the book before. 7. Before she bought the flat she had looked around it several times. 8. I did not have my book because I had lost it the day before. 9. I had studied English for two years before I moved to N.Y. 10. She had never seen a bear before she moved to Alaska.

WHAT HAPPENED FIRST? When she arrived, he was watering the flowers. When she had arrived, he watered the flowers. When she arrived, he watered the flowers. When he had watered the flowers, she arrived. He had watered the flowers when she arrived. While she was arriving, he watered the flowers. He watered the flowers when she arrived. He watered the flowers after she arrived. Before she arrived, he (had) watered the flowers.