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The Past Perfect Simple


Practice 1: Complete these sentences with the past perfect simple of the words in brackets(). Remember to use contractions ("I'd" not "I had") where possible.


  1. He was sad because up with him. (she, break)
  2. I thought that dinner. (she, cook)
  3. I knew that my birthday. (they, not, remember)
  4. His bike was stolen because it. (he, not, lock)
  5. Before you met your husband, in love? (you, be, ever)
  6. champagne, until the night of the party. (they, drink, never)
  7. I was sure that him before. (I, meet)
  8. When I saw his face, I realised that something terrible . (happen)


Practice 2: Past Perfect Simple or Past Simple? Choose the best tense to complete the following sentences. Again, remember to use contractions. And remember that we only need past perfect if the second event happened before the first one.


  1. His face was so white! He as if he a ghost! (look, see)
  2. When I her in hospital, I her some flowers. (visit, take)
  3. She that he the washing up. (see, not do).
  4. My mum angry because I the car. (be, crash)
  5. We out to a restaurant, and then we to the cinema. (go, go)
  6. They that I the window. (know, break)


Practice 3: Present Perfect Simple or Past Perfect Simple? Choose the best tense to complete the following sentences.


1.I'm tired because I much.
2.I'm so happy! I my driving test!
3.By the time I was 21, I three different jobs.
4.I in this house for 3 years. I love it here.
5.I thought that Sue here before.
6.I think that I this book before.
7.I my husband for 3 years before I married him.


Do you want more grammar? If you have 10 minutes free, click here to learn about and practise the past perfect continuous.