Past perfect simple

What happened in these pictures?

now

9pm 10:30pm 11p

m
When Dean arrived at the party, Sonia had
gone home.
9pm

11p
m
Sonia arrived at the party at 9pm.

Dean arrived at
10:30pm 11pm.

She went home at 10:30pm.

 Look at the example below
now
1 2

7 pm 7:15 pm

Last night we went to the cinema.

When we arrived
The film started at 7pm. at the cinema,
the film had
We arrived at 7:15pm. started.
 The past perfect simple
When we tell a story, we often use the past perfect to talk about
one event that happened before another event in the past.

now

1 2 3 4

We went on a Someone broke We arrived We discovered

holiday. into our house. home. that someone
had broken into
our house.
One event happened before another event

now
1 2 3

Someone broke We arrived We discovered

into our house. home. that someone
had broken into
our house.

Here, we use the past perfect to show that the first event
finished before the second event happened.
 Read carefully…

On Thursday, I left home at Look at the three

A events.
7pm.
All three events
happened in the
B I arrived at the airport at 8pm.
past.
Which event
C My plane left at 7:30pm! happened first?
Second?
Third?
 Talking about events in the past
now
1 2 3

I left home at My plane left I arrived at

7pm. at 7:30pm. the airport at
8pm.
When I
arrived at
the airport,
my plane
had left.
 Look at these examples

now now

Taylor She I arrived It We

arrived at ordered late. stopped played
the a raining. outside.
restaurant pizza.
early.
It had stopped
raining so we played
When I arrived at the outside.
restaurant, Taylor had ordered
a pizza.
 Make it clear!

We use the past perfect to make it clear which action happened first.

now now

Taylor I arrived at I arrived at the restaurant.

ordered a the
pizza. restaurant. Taylor ordered a pizza.

When I arrived at the When I arrived at the

restaurant, Taylor had ordered restaurant, Taylor
a pizza. ordered a pizza.
 The past perfect simple

subject had verb 3 /

verb+ed
subject had verb 3

I slept
you spoken
he worked
she had gone
it snowed
we hidden
they looked
 Use had + verb 3 below
1. The student was very happy start play
because he his college
entrance exam. pass fly
2. I arrived late at the office
yesterday and the meeting
.

3. Charles’ mother was not happy

because he
computer games all weekend.

4. Desmond was not nervous

because he
many times.
 Use the past perfect simple below
5. Robert to the supermarket, so
when his friends knocked on the door, no-one
answered.

6. Derek said that he the report on his

boss’s desk, but his boss didn’t believe him.

7. Joan all over the world, but this was her first visit to
South America.

8. Alanna excited about the party all

week, so she was very disappointed when it was
cancelled.

travel be put go
 Make sentences
9. You visited your 10. Samuel came late to
grandparents but they the office.
were not home.
(the meeting / start)
(they / go / out)
 Make sentences
11. You went to New York 12. Alice didn’t come to the
for the first time in 15 cinema with us last
years. night.

(it / change / a lot) (she / organise /

something else)
 Which event happened first? Which
happened second?
13. John was happy 14. I checked the back
because he had won door but someone
the tennis match. had already locked it.

i John won the tennis i .

match.

ii He was happy. ii .
 Which event happened first? Which
happened second?
15. Ella had broken her 16. He went home when
arm so she was in he had completed all
the hospital for a his work.
week.
i . i .

ii . ii .
 Which event happened first? Which
happened second?
17. Elena and Christina 18. I looked for you
arrived at the theatre everywhere but you
but the theater had had left the office.
cancelled the play.
i . i .

ii . ii .
 Which event happened first? Which
happened second?
19. Someone had called 20. Melis had knocked
me but I didn’t on the door but no-
answer the phone. one answered.
i . i .

ii . ii .
 Use the past perfect

Read each situation. Which happened first? Link the events

with because and the past perfect simple.

21. Somebody broke into our house. We called the

police. We called the police because somebody
had broken into our house.

22. I was in a car accident. I stayed in the hospital.

23. I failed my entrance exam. I could not go to

university.

24. Henry didn’t do his homework. Henry’s mom was

really angry.
 Use the past perfect

Read each situation. Which happened first? Link the events

with because and the past perfect simple.

25. It was good to see my friend yesterday. I

did not see her for five years.

26. A car broke down on the highway. I

stopped to help.

27. We arrived late at the station. We got stuck

in traffic.

28. James couldn’t get into his house. He left

his house keys at the office.
 Make logical sentences

James was excited about …because she had never

his trip… played before.

Helen didn’t play tennis …because they hadn’t

well… cleaned it in weeks.

…because she hadn’t

Ben was hungry all
finished reading the book.
day…
…because he hadn’t eaten
anything.
The house was dirty…
…because he hadn’t been
Felicia couldn’t write her to Mexico before.
© 2014-2021 Global Online Language Services Inc.
The past perfect simple (negative form)

subject hadn’t verb 3 /

verb+ed
subject hadn’t verb 3

I known
you lived
he stopped
she hadn’t done
it rained
we eaten
they spent
 Use the past perfect simple negative
29. Terry didn’t pass his final exam
because at all.
he / study

30. John in ten years so

at first I didn’t recognise
him when I saw him in the
street. I / see

31. The flowers and plants were

dead because the
garden in a long time. Sally /
water

32. in months so the

 Which is correct?
33. The man sitting next to me was quite
nervous because he had flown/hadn’t
flown before.

34. I was angry with you because you

had bothered/hadn’t bothered to
call me!

35. Graham received a prize from his

school because he had come/hasn’t
come top of his class.

36. She had decided/hadn’t decided what

to buy for her sister’s birthday and
now she still doesn’t have a present.
 Events on a timeline…
now

before 11
11 am
am

I wasn’t hungry at 11am because I had already eaten.

 Can you make a sentence?

A B
now now

David left home. Jon did not finish

his book.
I knocked on Jon could not
David’s door but complete his
he did not book report for
answer it. school.
 Can you make a sentence?

A B
now now

Someone called I forgot to bring

my name. the keys to
I turned around. the office. I couldn’t open
the office
door.
 Can you make a sentence?

A B
now now

It rained all Riley had a fight

with her best
afternoon. The children friend. Riley felt sad.
couldn’t
play
outside.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TrE6VdtgLE