Past Perfect

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• havo
• Leerjaar 2

Past Perfect

Remind me what is a perfect tense (you can say it in Dutch)?
Which auxiliary (hulpwerkwoord) do you use to make it?

Past Perfect 

Past perfect (voltooid verleden tijd in Dutch) is always 

had + third participle (know/knew/KNOWN)

I had listened to my teacher before.

He had known her before she became famous.

Past Perfect 

Used when something happened in the past before something else happened in the past.

For example: Naomi had taken the dog out before she started to prepare dinner.

or Naomi started to prepare dinner after she had taken the dog out.

Past Perfect

Naomi had taken the dog out before she started to prepare 

dinner.

or Naomi started to prepare dinner after she had taken the dog out.

The underlined part of the sentence is always the first action therefore always the past perfect.

Past Perfect

Naomi had taken the dog out before she started to prepare 

dinner.

or Naomi started to prepare dinner after she had taken the dog out.

The second (bold) part of the sentence (the subsequent action) is always a past simple.

Past Perfect Signalwords

A few words reveal the past perfect:

-before

-after

-already

-by the time

-when

-just

 

Summary

In short:

- The past perfect is the past of the past

-When two actions happen in the past the first is the past perfect and the second the past simple

-It's made with 'had'+ third participle

Which one of the following sentences is a past perfect?

1. When I arrived, they were having dinner.
2. When I arrived, they were eating dinner
3. When I arrived, they had eaten dinner.
4. When I arrived they were about to have dinner.

How do you make a past perfect?

1. Had + 3rd participle
2. Had + past simple
3. Have + 3rd participle
4. Have + past simple

When two actions happen in the past, which one is the past perfect?

1. Both are the past perfect
2. Depends on the action
3. First action is the past perfect
4. Second one is the past perfect

She ___1___(finish) her homework before her friends ___2___ (arrive)

1. 1. finished 2. arrived
2. 1. finished 2. had arrived
3. 1. had finished 2. had arrived
4. 1. had finished 2. arrived

By the time we ____1_____ (get) to the station, the train ____2_____ (leave).

1. 1. got 2.left
2. 1. got 2. had left
3. 1. had gotten 2. had left
4. 1.had gotten 2. left

I ____1____(close) the door when the phone______2______(ring).

1. 1.closed 2.rang
2. 1. closed 2. had rang
3. 1.had closed 2. had rang
4. 1. had closed 2. rang

We ______(plan) the trip long before they________ (invite) us