PAST PERFECT

PAST PERFECT

Se usa:

1. Para hablar de una acción que ocurrió antes de otra acción, siendo las dos en el pasado.

      Se usa para mostrar el orden de las acciones del pasado.

     Antes de usar el past perfect  preguntarse si una acción había ocurrido antes de la otra acción.

     Example:

        When I arrived at the bus stop the bus had already left.

        Cuando llegué a la parada de autobús, el autobús ya se había ido.     

                                  1st acción:    the bus left

   2nd acción:   I arrived at the bus stop.

Estructura afirmativa:      SUBJECT + HAD + PAST PARTICIPLE (3ª column).          

Estructura negativa:           SUBJECT + HADN’T + PAST PARTICIPLE.

                                                           

Estructura interrogativa:      HAD + SUBJECT + PAST PARTICIPLE?

                                                 QUESTION WORD + HAD + SUBJECT + PAST PARTICIPLE?

La palabra “already” se pone entre el had y el past participle.

HAD + ALREADY+ PAST PARTICIPLE

Ejemplos:

When I got there the party had already started.

 Cuando llegué la fiesta ya había empezado.

Suddenly he remembered that he had seen the film before.

 De repente recordó que había visto la película antes.

EXERCISES

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.

Use of Past Perfect

• action taking place before a certain time in the past
  (putting emphasis only on the fact, not the duration)
  Example: Before I came here, I had spoken to Jack.
• Conditional Sentences Type III (condition that was not given in the past)
  Example: If I had seen him, I would have talked to him.

Signal Words

• already, just, never, not yet, once, until that day (with reference to the past, not the present)
• If-Satz Typ III (If I had talked, …