Past Simple x Past Perfect Simple/Continuous
Grammar Notes
I -The Past Perfect is used …
1) when we need to make a time distinction
between two past events, we use the past
perfect for the earlier of the two events.’
When I arrived at the restaurant,
they had gone home.
2) when something had happened over a
period of time in the past before something
else happened and we wish to establish a
causal connection between two clauses.
We could hardly recognize each other
because we hadn’t met for more than twenty
years,
3) in the third conditional
I’d have made a cake if I had known you
were coming.
II - The Present Perfect Continuous is
used …
1) when you emphasise how long something
had been happening before another action
took place.
He had been running fast for about an hour
when he fainted .
2) when we talk about longer actions or
situations which had continued up to that
moment in the past.
The actors had been talking for about five
minutes on the stage when someone in the
audience began to cough.
3) when you emphasise the continuity of
the past action.
I had been painting that room for more than
three hours when you called me.
Complete the sentences with the Past
Simple, the Past Perfect or the Past Perfect
Continuous.
I’ve got two workmates, Meg and Lucy. We’ve been
friends for a long time. The week before the incident,
I …………………………………………. (think)1 very often about
Meg. I ………………………….(wonder)2 what …………… (be) 3
wrong with her. She ………………. (seem) 4 so confused
and inattentive the whole week! The day before
yesterday she ………………. (say)5 she
……………………………………..(not feel)6 very well since the
weekend because her fiancé ……………………… (not phone)7
or ………………………………… (e-mail)8 her. I …………………………….
(suspect )9 ……………………………………. (there be)10 something
wrong because Tom, her fiancé, ……………………………………….
(give)11 her much attention after they
…………………………………….. (decide)12 to get married .
Yesterday morning my husband ……………………… (leave) 13
me at the office a little too early. When I …………………
(enter)14 the building, Meg ……………………. (be)15 at the
reception. The receptionist ……………………… (tell)16 me
my friend …………………………………………………………… (cry and
sob )17 since 6:30 a.m.! I ………………………………………………
(try)18 to comfort her, but she ……………………….(keep)19
saying her fiancé …………………………………………….. (just-
tell)20 her over the phone, they would have to cancel
their wedding because he ………………………………….. (fall)21
in love with somebody else.
To make a long story short, Lucy and I ended up inviting
Meg to have lunch with us. Up to that moment I
………………………………………….. (not think)22 it ……………(be)23 a
bad idea. As a matter of fact, it …………………… (be)! 24.
Meg …………………………………. (insist)25 on going to that
restaurant! Who ………………………………………………………………
(she - plan)26 to meet the whole morning? ……………………
(she- intend) 27 she would see her ex-fiancé with his
new girlfriend somewhere?
As soon as we entered the restaurant I ………………(see) 28
Tom with a tall brunette at one of the tables. So, Meg
…………… ……………………………(probably - know) 29 she would
meet them there. My friend ………………………………(decide) 30
to confront her ex-fiancé and his girlfriend…