Past Perfect Tense Exercises

EXERCISES

Ex. 26. (A, B) Use the Past Perfect Tense.

Examples: Why didn’t you listen to that play on the radio?

a)Because Ihad heard it before.

b)/didn’t listen to that play on the radio, because Ihad heard it before.

1.Why didn’t you see Fred when you came to Moscow? (leave)

2.Why didn’t Kate want to go to the cinema? (see the film)

3.Why didn’t you tell him my new address? (forget)

4.Why didn’t Jeff hear about Kate’s examination? (pass)

5.Why did Fred come home so soon from his holiday? (spend all the money)

6.Why couldn’t you get into your flat at once? (lose the key)

7.What did you learn about Bob? (get married)

8.What did she read in the newspaper about the expedition? (return)

9.What did he learn about Helen from the letter he received? (be ill for a month)

Ex. 27. (A, B) Complete the sentences using the verbs in brackets. You visited a friend and learned a lot of news about his family and other friends.

Example: His father didn’t work in the bank anymore. Hehad retired (retire).

1.His parents didn’t live there any longer. They___________ (go) to live inthe country.

2.His sister wasn’t there either. She____________________________(get) married.

3.His house was larger. He___________________________ (build) the third storey.

4.Yourfriends, Mike and Brenda, were away. They_______________________ (leave) for Sweden.

Ex. 28. (A, B) Complete the sentenses, using the verb in brackets.

Example: I was very excited aboutvisiting London because I (be) had neverbeen there before.

1.The little boy couldn’t wait to get to the sea. (see) He__________________ before.

2.The teacher was late that morning. The class didn’t know what to think, (be/late) She___________________________________________________________

3.Yesterday Larry taught Nell to play the guitar. She felt very unsure because she (play)

4.Itwas Miss Kelly’s first day at school. She was very nervous because she (teach)

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Ex. 29. (A, В) Make sentences using the words in brackets.

Example: His hairwas wet. (He/just/have/a shower) He had iust had a shower.

1.There was nobody at the platform, (the train/just/leave)

2.We didn’t find anybody at home, (everybody/alreadv/αο out)

3.The children were playina in the aarden. ithev/iust/come/from school)

4.Bob wasn’t at home when I arrived, (he/arrange/to meet/some friends/at the club)

5.I couldn’t recognize the child after all that time. (I/not/see/her/for seven years)

Ex. 30. (A, B) Put the verb into the correct form, the Past Perfect orthe Past Simple.

Examples: Was Father at home when I phoned? - No. he had already left.

Was Father at home when.l phonod? - Yes, but he left soon afterwards.

1.The flat was emptywhen he arrived. Everybody_________________ (go) to the party.

2.There were voices heard from the kitchen, so I.________________ (go) straightthere.

3.He cannot take part in the competition. He _____________ (break) his leg yesterday.

4.There was an accident atthe mountain top. Some skier________________ (break) hisleg and the ambulance menwere carrying himtothe road. Sowe_______________

(stop) to letthem pass.

Ex. 31. (A, B) Use the Past Perfect Tense of the verbs given in brackets to complete the sentences.

Example: When John and I got to the river, the boat race (start already)hadalreadystarted.

1.When she went to bed, she remembered that she (not/switch off the light)_______

2.She felt tired because she (walk a lot/that day)________________

3.She went for a holiday after she (pass the exams) ______________

4.I didn’t knowwhat to do when they (show/me/the picture)________

5.I didn’t look at the present until after she (go)__________________

6.I was very sorry to |iear that he (die) _ _ ___________________

7.He didn’t start speaking until the children (leave/the room)________

8.When I met Helen, I understood why Bill (marry her)_____________

9.He understood the book only after he (read it/again)_____________

Ex. 32. (A, B) Unite the following pairs of sentences. Use the conjunctions after, as soon as, before, until, till, when.

Example: a) They went to England. They left school, (after)

They went to England after they had left school,

b)The sun set. They finished their work, (before) The sun had set before they finished their work.

1.The sun rose. He woke up. (before)

2.He died. He was very ill. (before)

3.I understood the problem. He explained, (as soon as)

4.She wrote the letter. She went to the post office, (after)

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5.I drove to the airport. The plane took off. (when)

6.She read the message carefully. She wrote the reply, (before)

7.He left the room. I turned on the radio, (as soon as)

8.He had dinner. He went to the cinema, (after)

9.The man didn’t leave. He didn’t receive a definite answer, (till)

10.We didn’t say a word. He finished his story, (until)

11.We reached the football ground. The game started, (when)

12.John worked as a skilled builder. He began to study architecture, (before)

13.Harold couldn’t leave for home. He completed everything, (till)

14.The snow was very deep. It snowed heavily, (after)

Ex. 33. (В, C) Put the verb in brackets into the required tense form.

1. They hardly (go) when aunt Julia (wander) slowly into the room. 2. Hehardly (reach) the door of his office when he (encounter) two young men. 3. Hescarcely (take) a few steps along the street, when three men (appear) from around the comer. 4. No sooner he (start) to play than one string on the violin (break). 5. They barely (leave) the room when the chaos (break) out. 6. No sooner they (arrive) at Rougemont than her sister (ring) up from home about an accident with her little daughter. 7. No sooner the curtains (fall) than he (rise) to go. 8. Hardly he (ask) his questions when she (answer) them. 9. He scarcely (take) off his coat when he (begin) to read the letter. 10. Nell scarcely (settle) herself on a little heap of straw in the corner, when she (fall) asleep. 11. The rain nearly (stop) when he (reach) his hotel. 12. He scarcely (say) the first words when she (interrupt) him.

Ex. 34. (В, C) Put the verb in brackets into the Past Indefinite andthe Past Perfect.

I

1. She realized that she was going to faint. She (eat) nothing since the picnic. 2. His wife (not/be) in. She (go) out a quarter of an hour before. 3. After dinner Mr Grag proposed a game of cards. He (not/play) cards since his illness. 4. Dr. Lecter (be) English, though he (live) in America for thirty years. 5. His smile (be) something she never (see) before. 6. He decided to wait till he (talk) to the man himself. 7. He (come) into the room a moment after I (get) there. 8. When he (return) at eleven o’clock the telegram (arrive). 9. When they (go) I (get) busy at the desk. 10. When evening (fall) their son (leave) the house. 11.1 hardly (be) there five minutes when Mrs Brown (come) in with the coffee. 12. He (prom­ ise) to ring me up when he (get) a definite answer. 13. Scarcely they (move) into the new house when their friends (come). 14. The evening (go) off easier than she (expect). 15. But the village he (show) her (be) the best she ever (see). 16. Just at that moment a boy and a girl (come) and (sit) down where the old couple (be) before. 17.1(keep) silence for a little while, thinking of what he (tell) me. 18. Soames (spend) the night at Winchester, a place he often (hear) of but never (see). 19. She (know) why he (come). 20. Within a week she (know) the fearful mistake she (make).

II

1. We (sit) down to the table only when all the guests (arrive). 2. There (be) a curious expression on his face I never (see) before. 3. Almost opposite (be) that gallery where she first (meet) him and John. 4. He (be) a teacher at the University, as his father (be) before him. 5. There (be) silence after she (go). 6. From downstairs (come) the sound of a radio playing a song he never (hear) before. 7. And, paying for what he (not/eat),

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he (go) out, passing two acquaintances without sign of recognition. 8. Very deliber­ ately and carefully Poirot (retell) the conversation he (hold) with Saitrana at Wessex House. 9. Julia, who (go) half way down one flight, (come) back. 10. There (be) some­ thing vaguely familiar about her face but I couldn’t remember where I (see) her before. 11. He (re-read)what he (write). 12. When Val (leave) them, Soames and Winifred (make) their way to the Cheshire Cheese. 13. She (be) ill for two days when we (learn) about it. 14. About twenty people already (arrive) when they (enter) the hall. 15. We (not/go) far when we suddenly (notice) the dark clouds on the horizon.

Ex. 35. (В, C) Insert the Past Indefiniteor the Past Perfect.

1. We hardly__________ (leave) town, when it______________ (begin) to rain. 2. The moon___________ (not / rise). There was nothing to dispel the dark of the night. 3. On glancing at the address, he observed that it contained no name. The stranger

________________ (not / go) far, so he followed him to ask it. 4. When at his house , they_________ (tell) me that he___________(leave) an hour ago. 5. No sooner he

__________ (take) a drink himself, than Mrs Fettle (look) in. 6. When I___________

(come) to see my friend, I__________ (find) him lying in bed. He____________ (look) very pale as h e ___________ (be) seriously ill for a whole month. 7. He hardly

____________(light) another cigarette, when the general____________(come) into the courtyard. 8. Gemma went slowly down the stairs, Martini following in silence. She

_________ (grow) to look ten years older in these few days, and her hair__________

(become) gray. 9. Presently the sounds of voices and footsteps approaching along the terrace roused her from the dreamy state into which she_________ (fall). 10. She was a woman of nearly fifty who___________ (be) obviously pretty once. 11. Moreover, to him (the doctor) the affairwas the commonplace; itwasjust a hysterical woman who_________

(quarrel) with her friend and_________ (take) poison. 12.1___________(leave) home at 8 o’clock, but I _________ (not/go) far when I ____________ (remember) that I

__________ (forget) to lock my door. 13. When Alison____________(disappear) the first strains of the orchestra came stealing out to me from inside the hall. 14. Scarcely I

__________ (close) the door when a gust of wind___________(open) it again.