UNIT 10
1. PAST PERFECT
The past perfect simple expresses an action taking place before a certain time in the past.
Form of Past Perfect Simple
Positive
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Negative
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Question
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no differences
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I had spoken.
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I had not spoken.
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Had I spoken?
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For irregular verbs, use the past participle form (see list of irregular verbs, 3rd column). For regular verbs, just add ed.
Exceptions in Spelling when adding ed
Exceptions in Spelling when Adding ed
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Example
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after final e, only add d
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love – loved
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final consonant after a short, stressed vowel or l as final consonant after a vowel is doubled
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admit – admitted
travel – travelled
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final y after a consonant becomes i
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hurry – hurried
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Use of Past Perfect
ü 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.
ü 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
ü already, just, never, not yet, once, until that day (with reference to the past, not the present)
ü (If I had talked, …)
MORE ON PAST PERFECT
FORM
[had + past participle]
Examples:
ü You had studied English before you moved to New York.
ü Had you studied English before you moved to New York?
ü You had not studied English before you moved to New York.
USE 1 Completed Action Before Something in the Past
The Past Perfect expresses the idea that something occurred before another action in the past. It can also show that something happened before a specific time in the past.
Examples:
ü I had never seen such a beautiful beach before I went to Kauai.
ü I did not have any money because I had lost my wallet.
ü Tony knew Istanbul so well because he had visited the city several times.
ü Had Susan ever studied Thai before she moved to Thailand?
ü She only understood the movie because she had read the book.
ü Kristine had never been to an opera before last night.
ü We were not able to get a hotel room because we had not booked in advance.
A: Had you ever visited the U.S. before your trip in 2006?
B: Yes, I had been to the U.S. once before.
With Non-Continuous Verbs and some non-continuous uses of Mixed Verbs, we use the Past Perfect to show that something started in the past and continued up until another action in the past.
Examples:
ü We had had that car for ten years before it broke down.
ü By the time Alex finished his studies, he had been in London for over eight years.
ü They felt bad about selling the house because they had owned it for more than forty years.
Although the above use of Past Perfect is normally limited to Non-Continuous Verbs and non-continuous uses of Mixed Verbs, the words "live," "work," "teach," and "study" are sometimes used in this way even though they are NOT Non-Continuous Verbs.
IMPORTANT Specific Times with the Past Perfect
Unlike with the Present Perfect, it is possible to use specific time words or phrases with the Past Perfect. Although this is possible, it is usually not necessary.
Example:
ü She had visited her Japanese relatives once in 1993 before she moved in with them in 1996.
MOREOVER
If the Past Perfect action did occur at a specific time, the Simple Past can be used instead of the Past Perfect when "before" or "after" is used in the sentence. The words "before" and "after" actually tell you what happens first, so the Past Perfect is optional. For this reason, both sentences below are correct.
Examples:
ü She had visited her Japanese relatives once in 1993 before she moved in with them in 1996.
ü She visited her Japanese relatives once in 1993 before she moved in with them in 1996.
HOWEVER
If the Past Perfect is not referring to an action at a specific time, Past Perfect is not optional. Compare the examples below. Here Past Perfect is referring to a lack of experience rather than an action at a specific time. For this reason, Simple Past cannot be used.
Examples:
ü She never saw a bear before she moved to Alaska. Not Correct
ü She had never seen a bear before she moved to Alaska. Correct
ADVERB PLACEMENT
The examples below show the placement for grammar adverbs such as: always, only, never, ever, still, just, etc.
Examples:
ü You had previously studied English before you moved to New York.
ü Had you previously studied English before you moved to New York?
Online Exercises
2. PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS
FORM
[had been + present participle]
Examples:
ü You had been waiting there for more than two hours when she finally arrived.
ü Had you been waiting there for more than two hours when she finally arrived?
ü You had not been waiting there for more than two hours when she finally arrived.
ü
USE 1 Duration Before Something in the Past
We use the Past Perfect Continuous to show that something started in the past and continued up until another time in the past. "For five minutes" and "for two weeks" are both durations which can be used with the Past Perfect Continuous. Notice that this is related to the Present Perfect Continuous; however, the duration does not continue until now, it stops before something else in the past.
Examples:
ü They had been talking for over an hour before Tony arrived.
ü She had been working at that company for three years when it went out of business.
ü How long had you been waiting to get on the bus?
ü Mike wanted to sit down because he had been standing all day at work.
ü James had been teaching at the university for more than a year before he left for Asia.
A: How long had you been studying Turkish before you moved to Ankara?
B: I had not been studying Turkish very long.
USE 2 Cause of Something in the Past
Using the Past Perfect Continuous before another action in the past is a good way to show cause and effect.
Examples:
ü Jason was tired because he had been jogging.
ü Sam gained weight because he had been overeating.
ü Betty failed the final test because she had not been attending class.
Online Exercises
3. PAST CONTINUOUS VS. PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS
If you do not include a duration such as "for five minutes," "for two weeks" or "since Friday," many English speakers choose to use the Past Continuous rather than the Past Perfect Continuous. Be careful because this can change the meaning of the sentence. Past Continuous emphasizes interrupted actions, whereas Past Perfect Continuous emphasizes a duration of time before something in the past. Study the examples below to understand the difference.
Examples:
ü He was tired because he was exercising so hard.
THIS SENTENCE EMPHASIZES THAT HE WAS TIRED BECAUSE HE WAS EXERCISING AT THAT EXACT MOMENT.
ü He was tired because he had been exercising so hard.
THIS SENTENCE EMPHASIZES THAT HE WAS TIRED BECAUSE HE HAD BEEN EXERCISING OVER A PERIOD OF TIME. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT HE WAS STILL EXERCISING AT THAT MOMENT OR THAT HE HAD JUST FINISHED.
ADVERB PLACEMENT
The examples below show the placement for grammar adverbs such as: always, only, never, ever, still, just, etc.
Examples:
ü You had only been waiting there for a few minutes when she arrived.
ü Had you only been waiting there for a few minutes when she arrived?
Online Exercises
4. REPORTED SPEECH
1) If the sentence starts in the present, there is no backshift of tenses in Reported speech.
Example: Susan: "I work in an office." Susan says that she works in an office.
2) If the sentence starts in the past, there is often backshift of tenses in Reported speech. (see: Note)
Example: Susan: "I work in an office." Susan said that she worked in an office.
Backshift of tenses
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from
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to
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Simple Present
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Simple Past
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Simple Past
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Past Perfect
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Present Perfect
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Past Perfect
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will
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would
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Progressive forms
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am/are/is
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was/were
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was/were
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had been
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has been
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had been
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Backshift of tenses
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from
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to
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Peter: "I work in the garden."
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Peter said that he worked in the garden.
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Peter: "I worked in the garden."
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Peter said that he had worked in the garden.
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Peter: "I have worked in the garden."
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Peter: "I had worked in the garden."
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Peter: "I will work in the garden."
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Peter said that he would work in the garden.
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Peter: "I can work in the garden."
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Peter said that he could work in the garden.
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Peter: "I may work in the garden."
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Peter said that he might work in the garden.
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Peter: "I would work in the garden."
(could, might, should, ought to)
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Peter said that he would work in the garden.
(could, might, should, ought to)
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Progressive forms
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Peter: "I'm working in the garden."
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Peter said that he was working in the garden.
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Peter: "I was working in the garden."
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Peter said that he had been working in the garden.
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Peter: "I have been working in the garden."
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Peter: "I had been working in the garden."
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If the sentence contains an expression of time, you must change it as well.
Peter: "I worked in the garden yesterday."
Peter said that he had worked in the garden the day before.
Shifting of expressions of time
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this (evening)
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that (evening)
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today/this day
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that day
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these (days)
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those (days)
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now
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then
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(a week) ago
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(a week) before
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last weekend
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the weekend before / the previous weekend
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here
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there
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next (week)
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the following (week)
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tomorrow
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the next/following day
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Note:
In some cases the backshift of tenses is not necessary, e.g. when statements are still true.
John: "My brother is at Leipzig university."
John said that his brother was at Leipzig university. or
John said that his brother is at Leipzig university.
or
Mandy: "The sun rises in the East."
Mandy said that the sun rose in the East. or
Mandy said that the sun rises in the East.
Online exercises
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