simple past vs past perfect simple

8/10/2019 Simple Past vs Past Perfect Simple

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Simple Past vs Past Perfect Simple

Form

Simple Past Past Perfect Simple

2nd column of irregular verbs

Example:I spoke

had+ 3rd column of irregular verbs

Example:I had spoken

regular verbs: infinitive + ed

Example:

I worked

regular verbs: form of have+ infinitive + ed

Example:

I had worked

Exceptions

Exceptions when adding ed:

when the final letter is e, only add d

Example:

love loved

after a short, stressed vowel, the final consonant is doubled

Example:

admit admitted

final lis always doubled in !ritish English "not in #merican English$

Example:

travel travelled after a consonant, finalybecomes i"but: not after a vowel$

Example:

worry worried

but: play played

%ee also explanations on %imple &astand &ast &erfect %imple

Use

'e use %imple &ast if we give past events in the order in which they occured( )owever, when we look back

from a certain time in the past to tell what had happened before, we use &ast &erfect(

Normal order in the past or looking back to an event before a certain time in the past?

*o you ust want to tell what happened some time in the past or do you want to tell what had happened

beforeup to a certain time in the past-

Simple Past Past Perfect Simple

some time in the past

Example:

.ane got up at seven( %he opened her

birthday presents and then the whole family

before/up to a certain time in the past

Example:

!efore her sixth birthday, .ane had never

been to the /oo(

0aken and adapted from: http:www(ego1u(comencramupgrammarsimpaspasper, on april 2th, 2 4

8/10/2019 Simple Past vs Past Perfect Simple

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went to the /oo(

Signal Words

Simple Past Past Perfect Simple

first

then

already

up to then

before that day

after5

56ote: 7#fter7 is only used as a signal word forPast Perfectif it is followed by a subect + verb, meaning that

one action had been completed before another action began "the new action is in Simple Past$(

Example:

#fter the family had had breakfast, they wentto the /oo(

)owever, if 7after7 is followed by obect + subect + verb, the verb belongs to the new action and is therefore

in Simple Past(

Example:

#fter her visit to the /oo, .ane wasexhausted(

More exceptions with signal words

When

*epending on the situation, 7when7 can be used with Simple PastorPast Perfect( 8ompare the following

examples:

Example:

'hen .anesawthe elephants, she wasama/ed( (at the same time)

'hen .ane had seen the elephants, she wantedto see the giraffes( (second action happened after the

first action had been completed)

'hen .ane wentto see the elephants, she had already seen the lions( (second action had been

completed when the first action took place)

Before

7!efore7 as well can either be used with Simple PastorPast Perfect( If the action after 7before7 is a new

action, use Simple Past( If the action after 7before7 started "and was not completed$ before a certain time inthe past, usePast Perfect( 8ompare the following examples:

Example:

.ane had read a lot about elephants before she wentto the /oo(

.ane wentto the /oo before she had finished reading her new book about elephants(

Exercise 1 Choose the correct tense (Simple Past or Past Perfect).

4( 0he wind "blow$ 9999999999999999 away the leaves that we "collect$ 999999999999999999(

2( %he "throw$ 9999999999999999999away the letter that she "write$ 9999999999999999999999

3( 0hey "show$ 999999999999999999999me the pictures, they "take$ 99999999999999999999999during

their holidays(

0aken and adapted from: http:www(ego1u(comencramupgrammarsimpaspasper, on april 2th, 2 2

8/10/2019 Simple Past vs Past Perfect Simple

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1( In the evening, the children "tell$ 99999999999999 their daddy what they "see$

9999999999999999999999at the /oo(

( 0he boy "be$9999999999999 very sorry for what he "do$ 99999999999999999999999999999

Exercise 2 Put the verbs into the correct tense (Simple Past or Past Perfect).

4( ;y friend "eat$ 9999999999999999999999999 up all the biscuit we "bake$ 999999999999999999

2( 0he teacher "correct$ 99999999999999999999999999 the tests we "write$ 9999999999999999999999

3( I "give$ 99999999999999999999999999them some of the candies I "buy$ 999999999999999999999991( ;y sister "see not$ 9999999999999999999999999 the note that I "lay$ 99999999999999999999on

the kitchen table for her(

( 'e "want$ 999999999999999999999 to watch a film that we "see not$ 99999999999999999999999

before(

Exercise 3 Put the verbs into the correct tense (Simple Past or Past Perfect)

4( 'hen %imon "go$ 99999999999 out to play, he "do$ 999999999999999999 his homework(

2( .enny "come$ 9999999999999999999 home, "sit$ 9999999999999999999 down and "read$

99999999999999999a good book

3( !efore that day in winter, the #frican boy "%ee$ 999999999999999999999999999999snow in his life(

1( %he "give$ 9999999999999999999me the book that she "read$ 99999999999999999999999

( 'e "visit$ 999999999999999999999 the museum that our friend "tell$ 99999999999999999 us about a

month before(

Exercise 3 Put the verbs into the correct tense (Simple Past or past perfect simple).

4( 'hen he "wake up$ 99999999999999999999, his mother "already prepare$9999999999999999999

breakfast(

2( 'e "go$99999999999999999999999 to