Values of Past Perfect

Value Example
1. The Resultative Past Perfect Jimmy could not play on Saturday, as he had
 Past Events with results in the past dislocated his shoulder.
 Similarity with Present Perfect BUT the
sentence does not take speech time as a
reference point

2. The Continuative Past Perfect
 Past events lasting up to a definite time in
the past/another past event, may have
continued after it
+ for/since
They had been in the classroom for an hour when
the teacher came in.
Bill had been in the station for more than two
hours before he realized that Susan wasn’t
coming.

3. The Experiential Past Perfect I had watched them lose twice that season.
 Experiences that occurred at least once in I had never been to Rome before we went
a period that ended in the past together.

4. The Pre-Preterite Value I had finished the book before 10 o’clock

 Preterite= tense expressing actions that yesterday.
were completed in the past. English The passenger got out as soon as the train had
Preterite = Past Tense Simple stopped.
 Past Anteriority: Events completed before
a definite time in the past/another past
event

I. Your turn!! Identify the values of the following sentences

1. He had written ten letters already before she came to work.
2. They had been in London for 7 days when I arrived.
3. She had broken her glasses.
4. I had taken a shower before I left for the party.
5. I had never visited that museum.
6. Tom had eaten at that restaurant only once.
7. She had cooked an entire meal for her guest.
8. I had been waiting for my husband for three hours when he decided to appear.
9. They had been married since 2000 when he met that woman.
10. I realized that I had forgotten the door unlocked.

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II. Translate the following excerpts
a) Lefterica avusese o noapte de chin. Nu trecuse niciodata prin asa ceva. De cand o cunoscuse pe
Paulina, totul se limpezise si se infrumusetase in jurul sau. I se parea ca lumea vedea ca el si se
bucura cu el. Ba, ceva mai mult, avea credinta ca atat de multi il iubesc toti, incat, daca el ar fi
gresit cu ceva si ar fi stricat din asezarea aceasta minunata, pe care nu o intelegea prea bine si
nu stia de unde vine ar fi sarit unul sau toti care il iubeau sa dreaga si sa-l dojeneasca. Aseara a
crezut ca, destept cum e, intelesese ce l-a apropiat de Paulina. Pe urma a vazut insa ca s-a
inselat, si nu numai asupra lui, ci si asupra ei. Altfel isi inchipuia el ca o sa fie venirea femeii in
casa lor. Dupa cele dintai sovaieli, intre ce ar fi vrut el sa fie si ce era, a simtit cum i se urca o
mana pe piept si-l pipaie inspre gat sa i se infiga. Si apoi s-a facut lumina. Daca l-ar fi rupt cineva
in bucati, n-ar fi suferit mai cumplit.

b) O ajunsese oare blestemul parintesc, pentru ca fusese oarba si nu ascultase de sfaturile lui,
pentru ca il parasise in ceasurile mortii, pentru ca si-a batut joc de slabiciunea omului la care
tinea atat de mult raposatul ei tata. Sedea, sedea singura, se gandea la cele petrecute si cu totul
altfel le vedea acum. Isi aducea aminte de ziua cand l-a vazut intaia data pe Sofron, cand el a
luat-o langa el in caruta, si i-a pus cojocul sa saza pe el, isi aducea aminte de vorbele lui, pe care
atunci nici nu le baga in seama, iar acum si le reamintea atat de bine, si cu o sete nespusa. Si
cum a sarutat-o el, cum l-a lovit ea fara mila atunci, noaptea, in fata lui Iorgovan si a tatalui ei, si
cat de nenorocit era taica-su!

c) Federica was agitated. She remembered her last encounter with Alexander and failed yet again
to understand her own behavior. She had stalked him with infinite care, she had attacked him
frontally, she had thrown herself at him and teased him, and she had finally reached the point of
consummation where she was coming to dinner, in an empty house, wanting her. And what she
had done was to flee to Scarborough on the back of Wilkie’s motorbike. She loved Alexander.
She had an intimation that it had been important to her to have an impersonal initiation, in her
own control, not overwhelming. But how could she explain this to Alexander who anyway no
longer wanted to understand her.

d) Daniel remembered. It had been a local cause célèbre – a young couple, married just in time,
accused of murdering their six-month child. Jerry and Barbara Butt. The child had been beaten,
burnt, starved, and finally smothered. Crowds of women that howled outside the assize Court in
Calverley, as the figures of the parents were rushed in blindly muffled under blankets. In the
public gallery they had hissed and shaken with rage. A good lawyer had got Barbara Butt to
plead guilty to infanticide. Jerry, who had maintained that we was responsible for none of the
sores, welts and burns on his daughter, who had been described as a little slow-witted by his
council, had been gaoled for neglect and was now out. His wife, Danny remembered vaguely,
had been recommended for hospital treatment.

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III. Correct the mistakes in the following sentences
a) The woman had seen the fire-spitting dragon after she drew her sword.
b) If you would have talked to your son more often, he would have responded to you more
warmly.
c) She has been in this place for more than a year, but the place was dead. Tourists weren’t coming
any longer, so she has brought herself in a tomb-like place.
d) A: Had he sang the song so far?
B: No, not as far as I know; he didn’t even thought of it.
e) She didn’t used to come here on the beach. But now she did. In the past she was so afraid of the
water that even the mere sight of the beach would turn her stomach.
f) Even though she knew the truth, she had never payd no attention to it.
g) I didn’t know what to think about Joe. He was a kind boy and lately he was even kinder, but still,
something was missing. Maybe he did not grow enough yet.
h) A: Had Mary posted the letter?
B: You know she had, had she?
i) Did they come to an agreement so far? Or didn’t they?