Practice for Past Perfect Complete the sentences with the correct form of the past simple or past

perfect. 1. The travel agent _______________ (offer) better and cheaper destinations after we ______________ (book) our summer holiday. What a pity! 2. When the ambulance _______________ (arrive), the injured man _______________ (die). 3. His wife ___________ (take) him to hospital since he ______________ (cut) his finger preparing lunch. 4. Marys parents _______________ (be married) for 20 years when they suddenly _______________ (split) up. 5. I really ________________ (think) you ______________ (forget) to email me while you ____________ (be) in France, but you ___________. 6. We ____________ (have) to wait for hours at the station because the accident ______________ (damage) the line. 7. I finally ____________ (see) Sue. We ______________ (arrange) to meet at the Central caf before going to the cinema. 8. When we _____________ (get) at the theatre, the play ______________ (just/ begin). 9. At the annual meeting he _____________ (can/ talk) to some friends he ____________ (not/ see) since he _______________ (leave) school. 10. When Peter __________________ (turn) up, we ______________ (already/ have) lunch. 11. They _____________ (decide) to walk because they _____________ (not/ go) to the bank in the morning. 12. The conference was a bit of a mess! In fact, I feel the speakers ________________ (not/ prepare) their talks quite seriously, so people ________________ (find) them really uninteresting. 13. Peter ___________ (say) he _____________ (make) the meal on his own, but nobody ____________ (believe) him. 14. Luckily, when the light _______________ (go) off, we ____________ (finish) the birthday party. 15. Mary _____________ (visit) the village where she ____________ (live) as a child last month. She ______________ (not/ go) there for years. Everything _______________ (change) so much that she _______________ (not/ recognize) most of the places where she ______________ (use) to play. 1. Hardly ______ she _______ (to sit down) when a very stout gentleman ________ (to flop) into the chair opposite hers. 2. Jessica ________ (to pull away) her hand and _______ (to run) into the house. When the door ________ (to close) behind her Theodor ________ (to stoop) and ________ (to pick up) the spray of cypress which _________ (to fall) from her breast. 3. Stella _______ (to go) slowly down the stairs, Nicholas following in silence. She _________ (to grow) to look ten years older in these few days, and the gray streak across her hair __________ (to widen) into a broad band. 4. No sooner _______ he _________ (to take) a drink himself, than Mrs. Fettle _________ (to look in).

5. The Gadfly _______ (to pause) a moment, glancing furtively at Gemma; then he __________ (to go on). 6. When Alfred _______ (to enter) the room, Mason ________ (to turn) his head round quickly. 7. Eleanor ______________ (not to take) more than half a dozen steps, when a hand ________ (to fall) on her arm from behind. 8. Smith ________ just __________ (to leave) his neighbours house when the detective __________ (to appear). 9. Looking at the address, Nicholas ____________ (to observe) that it ________ ____ (to contain) no name. The stranger _______________ (not to go) far, so he ___________ (to make) after him to ask it. KEY PAST SIMPLE AND PAST PERFECT 1. The travel agent offered (offer) better and cheaper destinations after we had booked (book) our summer holiday. What a pity! 2. When the ambulance arrived (arrive), the injured man had died (die). 3. His wife took (take) him to hospital since he had cut (cut) his finger preparing lunch. 4. Marys parents had been (be married) for 20 years when they suddenly split (split) up. 5. I really thought (think) you had forgotten (forget) to email me while you were (be) in France, but you hadnt. 6. We had (have) to wait for hours at the station because the accident had damaged (damage) the line. 7. I finally saw (see) Sue. We had arranged (arrange) to meet at the Central caf before going to the cinema. 8. When we got (get) to the theatre, the play had just begun (just/ begin). 9. At the annual meeting he could talk (can/ talk) to some friends he hadnt seen (not/ see) since he left (leave) school. 10. When Peter turned (turn) up, we had already had (already/ have) lunch. 11. They decided (decide) to walk because they hadnt been (not/ go) to the bank in the morning. 12. The conference was a bit of a mess! In fact, I feel the speakers hadnt prepared (not/ prepare) their talks quite seriously, so people found (find) them really uninteresting. 13. Peter said (say) he had made (make) the meal on his own, but nobody believed (believe) him. 14. Luckily, when the light went (go) off, we had finished (finish) the birthday party. 15. Mary visited (visit) the village where she had lived (live) as a child last month. She hadnt been (not/ go) there for years. Everything had changed (change) so much that she didnt recognize (not/ recognize) most of the places where she used (use) to play. 1) had she sat down; flopped 2) pulled away, ran, closed, stooped, picked up, had fallen

3) went, had grown, had widened 4) had he taken, looked in 5) paused, went on 6) entered, turned 7) had not taken, fell 8) had just left; appeared 9) observed, contained, had not gone, made.