past perfect

We use the verb had and the past participle for the past perfect:

I had finished the work.
She had gone .

The past perfect continuous is formed with had been and the -ing form of the verb:

I had been finishing the work
She had been going.

The past perfect is used in the same way as the present perfect, but it refers to a time in the past, not the present.

We use the past perfect tense:

• for something that started in the past and continued up to a given time in the past:

When George died he and Anne had been married for nearly fifty years.
She didn’t want to move. She had lived in Liverpool all her life.

We normally use the past perfect continuous for this:

She didn’t want to move. She had been living in Liverpool all her life.
Everything was wet. It had been raining for hours.

• for something we had done several times up to a point in the past and continued to do after that point:

He was a wonderful guitarist. He had been playing ever since he was a teenager.
He had written three books and he was working on another one.
I had been watching the programme every week, but I missed the last episode.

We often use a clause with since to show when something started in the past:

They had been staying with us since the previous week.
I was sorry when the factory closed. I had worked there since I left school.
I had been watching that programme every week since it started, but I missed the last episode.

• when we are reporting our experience and including up to the (then) present:

My eighteenth birthday was the worst day I had ever had.
I was pleased to meet George. I hadn’t met him before, even though I had met his wife several times.

• for something that happened in the past but is important at the time of reporting:

I couldn’t get into the house. I had lost my keys.
Teresa wasn’t at home. She had gone shopping.

We use the past perfect to talk about the past in conditions, hypotheses and wishes:

I would have helped him if he had asked.
It was very dangerous. What if you had got lost?
I wish I hadn’t spent so much money last month.

1: A finished action before a second point in the past.

• When we arrived, the film had started (= first the film started, then we arrived).

We usually use the past perfect to make it clear which action happened first. Maybe we are already talking about something in the past and we want to mention something else that is further back in time. This is often used to explain or give a reason for something in the past.

• I'd eaten dinner so I wasn't hungry.
• It had snowed in the night, so the bus didn't arrive.

If it's clear which action happened first (if we use the words 'before' or 'after', for example), the past perfect is optional.

• The film started before we arrived / the film had started before we arrived.

2: Something that started in the past and continued up to another action or time in the past. The past perfect tells us 'how long', just like the present perfect, but this time the action continues up to a point in the past rather than the present. Usually we use 'for + time'. We can also use the past perfect continuous here, so we most often use the past perfect simple with stative verbs.

• When he graduated, he had been in London for six years. (= He arrived in London six years before he graduated and lived there until he graduated, or even longer.)
• On the 20th of July, I'd worked here for three months.

3: To talk about unreal or imaginary things in the past. In the same way that we use the past simple to talk about unreal or imaginary things in the present, we use the past perfect (one step back in time) to talk about unreal things in the past. This is common in the third conditional and after 'wish'.

• If I had known you were ill, I would have visited you.
• She would have passed the exam if she had studied harder.
• I wish I hadn't gone to bed so late!

Put the verbs into the correct form (past perfect simple).

1. The storm destroyed the sandcastle that we (build) .
2. He (not / be)  to Cape Town before 1997.
3. When she went out to play, she (do / already)  her homework.
4. My brother ate all of the cake that our mum (make) .
5. The doctor took off the plaster that he (put on)  six weeks before.
6. The waiter brought a drink that I (not / order) .
7. I could not remember the poem we (learn)  the week before.
8. The children collected the chestnuts that (fall)  from the tree.
9. (he / phone)  Angie before he went to see her in London?
10. She (not / ride)  a horse before that day.

Complete the sentences below with the simple form of past perfect.

Example:	He ____________ (leave) when I arrived.
	He had left when I arrived.

1.	I thought I knew her. I thought I  (see) her before.
2.	He  (drive) only twice in his life before the accident.
3.	Bonny no longer had her car. She  (sell) it.
4.	I saw Annabel last week. She  (change) a lot.
5.	Terry wasn't at home He  (just go) out.
6.	I tried to find Mr Jones but he wasn't around. Then I found out he  (die).
7.	He didn't need to borrow the car because he  (have) his bike repaired.
8.	Jenny  (just get) home when the phone rang.
9.	The new restaurant wasn't open any longer. It  (close) down.
10.	He fed the cat because no-one  (feed) it for days.

Exercises

Put in the verbs in brackets into the gaps and form sentences in Past Perfect. Use contracted forms only when there are personal pronouns.

1. She  in Sweden before she went to Norway. (to live)
2. After we  the cornflakes, Henry came in. (to eat)
3. Before Ken ran to Kerry's house, he  him. (to phone)
4. After they  their rucksacks, they rode away on their bikes. (to pack)
5. Gerry helped his grandma in the house because his father  him so. (to tell)
6. The cat hid under the chair because the children  so loud. (to be)
7. Before the students started to write, the teacher  their mobile phones. (to collect)
8. After Max  his breakfast, he left the flat. (to finish)
9. Laura repaired her glasses because her brother  them. (to break)
10. By the time the show began, all friends . (to arrive)

speculations

et's look at some other examples:

'Paul looks tired, he must have been out late last night.'
'I could have won the race if I had trained harder.'
'He might have gotten really sick if he hadn't started taking care of his health.'
'She may have taken the day off, because I haven't seen her today.
'I saw a strange light in the sky last night. It could have been a UFO!'

• She looks sad. She must have ___ some bad news.
  
  has
  having
  had
  have
  
• It might have ___ raining.
  
  stop
  stops
  stopping
  stopped
  
• She must have already ___ my name.
  
  know
  knew
  knows
  known
  
• He may have ___ them in his car.
  
  takes
  taken
  taked
  took
  
• The bird is gone, it must have ___ away.
  
  fly
  flown
  flow
  few
  
• He must have ___ himself after falling off his bike.
  
  hurting
  hurted
  hurts
  hurt
  
• The sign is missing, they must have ___ it.
  
  removes
  remove
  removing
  removed

For each sentence, choose between can't, might or must to fill each space.

1. Your mother  be a great cook. You are always so keen to get back home to eat!

2. I don't know why I am so tired these days. I  be working too hard. Or maybe I am not sleeping too well.

3. Do you know where Carl is? He  be out - his car keys are on the table.

4. You seem to know everything about the theatre. You  go every week.

5. To give the promotion to Harold was silly. He  know much about this company after only a year working here.

6. Go and look in the kitchen for your gloves. They  be in there.

7. Oh, the phone is ringing. Answer it. It  be Kate. She always rings at this time.

8. Dan has been drinking that whiskey since early this afternoon. He be totally drunk by now.

9. That couple  think much of this film. They're leaving already - after only 20 minutes!

10. That's the second new car they have bought this year. They be very rich!