Past Perfect (B1) — English exercises with answers

Past perfect for the earlier of two past actions, with when, after, by the time, already and never

Correct answers are marked. Add the set to your exercises to open it in the editor, where you can adjust tasks, play them on screen or add them to a lesson.

1
Multiple choice
When I arrived at the station, the train .
had already lefthas already leftalready leaveswas already leaveThe train left before I arrived, so we use the past perfect: had + past participle.
2
Multiple choice
Choose the correct sentence.
I had never seen the sea before I was twenty.I have never seen the sea before I was twenty.I never had seen the sea before I was twenty.I had never saw the sea before I was twenty.Had + never + past participle (seen) describes experience up to a point in the past.
3
Multiple choice
By the time we got to the cinema, the film .
startedhad startedhas startedstartsBy the time + past simple shows a moment in the past; the action before it is in the past perfect.
4
Multiple choice
She was very nervous on the plane because she before.
had never flownnever flieshas never flownis never flyingHer nervousness was in the past, and her lack of experience was before that: had never flown.
5
Fill the gap
I couldn't get into the flat because I (lose) my keys.
Answer: had lostAlso accepted: 'd lostLosing the keys happened first, so it is in the past perfect: had lost.
6
Fill the gap
After they (finish) dinner, they went for a walk.
Answer: had finishedAlso accepted: 'd finished, finishedAfter already shows the order of events, so both had finished and finished are correct here.
7
Fill the gap
When the police arrived, the thief (already / escape).
Answer: had already escapedAlso accepted: 'd already escapedAlready goes between had and the past participle: had already escaped.
8
Fill the gap
you ever been to London before you moved there?
Answer: HadAlso accepted: hadIn past perfect questions, had comes before the subject: Had you ever been...?
9
Fill the gap
We were really hungry because we (not / eat) anything all day.
Answer: hadn't eatenAlso accepted: had not eatenThe negative is hadn't (had not) + past participle.
10
True / false
This sentence is correct: 'When I got home, my brother had eaten all the pizza.'
Answer: TrueMy brother ate the pizza before I got home, so had eaten is correct.
11
True / false
In the sentence 'When I arrived, Tom left', Tom left before I arrived.
Answer: FalseTwo past simple verbs show that Tom left when I arrived, or just after. To show he left first, say: When I arrived, Tom had left.
12
Discussion question
Think of a day when everything went wrong. Write three sentences about it with the past perfect.
Sample answer: When I woke up, my alarm had already stopped. By the time I got to the bus stop, the bus had just left. When I finally arrived at work, the meeting had started without me.

Past perfect for the earlier of two past actions, with when, after, by the time, already and never

Correct answers are marked. Add the set to your exercises to open it in the editor, where you can adjust tasks, play them on screen or add them to a lesson.

1
Multiple choice
When I arrived at the station, the train .
had already lefthas already leftalready leaveswas already leaveThe train left before I arrived, so we use the past perfect: had + past participle.
2
Multiple choice
Choose the correct sentence.
I had never seen the sea before I was twenty.I have never seen the sea before I was twenty.I never had seen the sea before I was twenty.I had never saw the sea before I was twenty.Had + never + past participle (seen) describes experience up to a point in the past.
3
Multiple choice
By the time we got to the cinema, the film .
startedhad startedhas startedstartsBy the time + past simple shows a moment in the past; the action before it is in the past perfect.
4
Multiple choice
She was very nervous on the plane because she before.
had never flownnever flieshas never flownis never flyingHer nervousness was in the past, and her lack of experience was before that: had never flown.
5
Fill the gap
I couldn't get into the flat because I (lose) my keys.
Answer: had lostAlso accepted: 'd lostLosing the keys happened first, so it is in the past perfect: had lost.
6
Fill the gap
After they (finish) dinner, they went for a walk.
Answer: had finishedAlso accepted: 'd finished, finishedAfter already shows the order of events, so both had finished and finished are correct here.
7
Fill the gap
When the police arrived, the thief (already / escape).
Answer: had already escapedAlso accepted: 'd already escapedAlready goes between had and the past participle: had already escaped.
8
Fill the gap
you ever been to London before you moved there?
Answer: HadAlso accepted: hadIn past perfect questions, had comes before the subject: Had you ever been...?
9
Fill the gap
We were really hungry because we (not / eat) anything all day.
Answer: hadn't eatenAlso accepted: had not eatenThe negative is hadn't (had not) + past participle.
10
True / false
This sentence is correct: 'When I got home, my brother had eaten all the pizza.'
Answer: TrueMy brother ate the pizza before I got home, so had eaten is correct.
11
True / false
In the sentence 'When I arrived, Tom left', Tom left before I arrived.
Answer: FalseTwo past simple verbs show that Tom left when I arrived, or just after. To show he left first, say: When I arrived, Tom had left.
12
Discussion question
Think of a day when everything went wrong. Write three sentences about it with the past perfect.
Sample answer: When I woke up, my alarm had already stopped. By the time I got to the bus stop, the bus had just left. When I finally arrived at work, the meeting had started without me.