THE PAST

TENSE.

PAST PERFECT TENSE AND

PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS
TENSE.
C
Past Perfect Tense

I) TO SHOW AN ACTION HAPPENED BEFORE ANOTHER ACTION IN THE PAST :

Example:

 When I met her, she had bought the food.

 After she had completed her work, she went shopping.
 The baby had cried before her father came.
 When I came home , they had already eaten the meal.
 We I arrived home I was surprised to see my husband had done the washing.
 II) TO SHOW WHAT TAKEN PLACE BY A CERTAIN TIME IN THE PAST :

Example:

 We had finished our work by the time the teacher came.

 When we reached home at 6 o’clock the maid had already cooked dinner.
 By the time he asked me, I had completed everything he requested.
 They had already completed the work when he arrived.
 When Ali arrived at school at 8 o’clock the teacher already taught in the
classroom.
III) TO REPLACE THE SIMPLE PAST OR THE PRESENT PERFECT IN INDIRECT
SPEECH :

Example :

 He told me “I met my old friend at the supermarket “.

 He told me that he had met his old friend at the supermarket.

 May ask “ what have you bought from the market “.

 May ask me what I had bought from the market.

 He said, “ I went to school everyday “.

 He said that he had gone to school everyday.

 Suzy said, “ I have gone to library everyday “.

 Suzy said that she had gone to library everyday.
IV) TO SHOW UNFULLFILLED WISH WHEN USED AFTER WISH
AND IF ONLY :

Example:

 I wish I had studied law at the university.

 If only she had come to my party, It would be the happiest
day of my life.
 I wish I had passed her driving test.
 If only we hadn’t wasted all that money.
 V) TO SHOW SOMETHING COULD HAVE HAPPENED IN THE PAST IN A
CONDITIONAL SENTENCE BEGINNING WITH IF :

Example:

 If you had worked harder, you would have passed the examination.
 If I had known, I would have lent the car to you.
 If I had enough money, I would have bought the camera yesterday.
 If you had been at the party, you would have met him.
 Note:

 The past perfect tense is formed with had+past

participle.
 PAST PERFECT CONTINOUOS
D TENSE

I) TO SHOW AN ACTION THAT WAS GOING ON BEFORE ANOTHER ACTION IN

THE PAST

Example:

 When Ahmad reached home he found that his brother had been
playing computer games the whole afternoon.
 When Abu came home, the maid had been cleaning the house for
hours.
 II) TO REPLACE THE PRESENT PERFECT CONTINOUS IN INDIRECT SPEECH

Example:

 Ann said I have been working on the project since February that Ann that she had
been working on the project since February that year .
 Ann said that she had been working on the project since February that year.

 She said “ I’ve been teaching English for seven years “

 She said she had been teaching English for seven years .
 Note:

 The past perfect continuous is formed with

had + been + ing form of verb.