The Past Perfect

El uso del past perfect en inglés es casi igual que en castellano. 

Para formar el pluscuamperfecto: Subject        +       Past Tense of To Have = Had    +            Past Participle Often the contracted form of  Had is used: I’d -You’d - He’s - She’s - We’d - They’d – It’d Here are some examples: I had been to China before I went to Japan. I had done my homework already. USES Actions in the past that happen before another action.  The 1st action is in past perfect and the second action is in simple past. Take a look at this situation and how past perfect is used: 7:00        I ate dinner. 9:00        She invited me to a restaurant. She invited me to a restaurant but I had eaten dinner. Here are some examples of the past perfect: I had never been to his house before I went to his party. I arrived at the station at 9:00 am, but the train had left. I had not met his girlfriend before. He had not studied English before he came to Canada. Past Perfect and Present Perfect Past perfect is present perfect in the past.  Look at the example to understand how past perfect works the same as present perfect. (Monday) Tom:  Would you like to go out for dinner? Jane:  No.  I have already eaten dinner. (Present Perfect) (Tuesday) Kim:   Did you go out for dinner with Jane? Tom:  No.  I invited her to dinner, but she had already eaten. This means the words that are common with present perfect can also be used in the past.  These include ALREADY, YET, STILL, SINCE, and FOR. My teacher asked me for my project, but I had not finished it yet. He introduced me to his father, and I realized had already met him. I ate a lot of food last night for dinner, because I hadn't eaten anything since breakfast. I had not seen my sister for 3 months Exercises from Perfect English Grammar 1. When I arrived at the cinema, the film ____________________ (start). 2. She ____________________ (live) in China before she went to Thailand. 3. After they ____________________ (eat) the shellfish, they began to feel sick. 4. If you ____________________ (listen) to me, you would have got the job. 5. Julie didn’t arrive until after I ____________________ (leave). 6. When we ____________________ (finish) dinner, we went out. 7. The garden was dead because it ____________________ (be) dry all summer. 8. He ____________________ (meet) her before somewhere. 9. We were late for the plane because we ____________________ (forgot)our passports.                             10. She told me that she ____________________ (study) a lot before the exam. 11. The grass was yellow because it ___________________ (not / rain) all summer. 12. The lights went off because we ___________________ (not / pay) the electricity bill. 13. The children ___________________ (not / do) their homework, so they were in trouble. 14. They ___________________ (not / eat) so we went to a restaurant. 15. We couldn’t go into the concert because we ___________________ (not / bring) our tickets. 16. She said that she ___________________ (not / visit) the UK before. 17. Julie and Anne ___________________ (not / meet) before the party. 18. I ___________________ (not / have) breakfast when he arrived. 19. He ___________________ (not / use) email before, so I showed him how to use it. 20. You ___________________ (not / study) for the test, so you were very nervous. Answers: 1. When I arrived at the cinema, the film had started. 2. She had lived in China before she went to Thailand. 3. After they had eaten the shellfish, they began to feel sick. 4. If you had listened to me, you would have got the job. 5. Julie didn’t arrive until after I had left. 6. When we had finished dinner, we went out. 7. The garden was dead because it had been dry all summer. 8. He had met her before somewhere. 9. We were late for the plane because we had forgotten our passports. 10. She told me that she had studied a lot before the exam. 11. The grass was yellow because it hadn’t rained all summer. 12. The lights went off because we hadn’t paid the electricity bill. 13. The children hadn’t done their homework, so they were in trouble. 14. They hadn’t eaten so we went to a restaurant. 15. We couldn’t go into the concert because we hadn’t brought our tickets. 16. She said that she hadn’t visited the UK before. 17. Julie and Anne hadn’t met before the party. 18. I hadn’t had breakfast when he arrived. 19. He hadn’t used email before, so I showed him how to use it. 20. You hadn’t studied for the test, so you were very nervous.