Ampersand Lab

Intermediate grammar · Lesson 15 · B1

Past perfect (I had done)

Use had + past participle when you are already talking about a past moment and need to go further back, to something that happened before it.

Start the lesson

11Steps · about 20 minutes

In this lesson

Going further back: had + past participleA2 screens of questions
Present perfect and past perfectB1 screen of questions
Past simple and past perfectC3 screens of questions

Point A of 3

Going further back: had + past participle

Mia and Tariq were both at the same barbecue on Saturday, but they never saw each other. Tariq left at nine o'clock. Mia arrived at half past nine.

So when Mia arrived, Tariq was not there. He had gone home.

This form, had gone, is the past perfect: had + past participle (gone, seen, finished, eaten and so on).

Subject had Past participle
I / we / you / they had (I'd, we'd, you'd, they'd) gone
he / she / it had (he'd, she'd, it'd) seen, finished

The story already has a moment in the past: Mia arrived at the barbecue. For anything that happened earlier than that moment, switch to the past perfect: When Mia arrived, Tariq had already gone home. It is the past seen from further back in the past, so it only makes sense once a story is under way.

  • When we got back from holiday, we found that the freezer had stopped working.
  • Ellie didn't come to the panto with us. She'd already seen it.
  • At first I thought I'd sent the right file, but then I realised I'd sent my shopping list.
  • The man next to me on the ferry looked very pale. He hadn't been on a boat before.
  • He'd never been on a boat before.

Point A · Exercise 15.1 · part 1 of 2

Read each situation and write a sentence using the words in brackets.

  1. Example

    There was broken glass all over the kitchen floor. (A cup / fall / off the shelf)

    A cup had fallen off the shelf.

    AnswerA cup had fallen off the shelf.

  2. Example

    The children in the back seat were very excited. They had never seen the sea. (They / not / see / the sea / before)

    They hadn't seen the sea before.

    AnswerThey hadn't seen the sea before.

  3. You went back to your old school for a reunion. It looked completely different. (It / change / a lot)

  4. Your friend told you a joke. You didn't laugh, because you knew it already. (I / hear / it / before)

  5. You asked Bethan to come walking on Sunday, but she couldn't. (She / promise / to help her dad)

  6. You got to the station two minutes late. (The train / already / leave)

Point A · Exercise 15.1 · part 2 of 2

Read each situation and write a sentence using the words in brackets.

  1. Last summer we went to Norway. It was our first visit. (We / not / be / there / before)

  2. You bumped into your old neighbour in town. You were surprised, because it was such a long time since you last met. (I / not / see / her for ten years)

  3. You offered your guests some cake, but they said no. (They / just / have / dinner)

  4. Josh went ice skating yesterday and fell over about forty times. It was his first time on the ice. (He / never / skate / before)

Point B of 3

Present perfect and past perfect

The present perfect (have seen) looks back from now. The past perfect (had seen) looks back from a moment in the past.

Present perfect Past perfect
Who's that man? I've met him before, but I can't think where. I didn't know who he was. I'd met him before, but I couldn't think where.
We're not hungry. We've just had a sandwich. We weren't hungry. We'd just had a sandwich.
The car is filthy. They haven't washed it for months. The car was filthy. They hadn't washed it for months.
  • I've read this book before. (looking back from now)
  • I'd read the book before, so I knew how it ended. (looking back from a past moment)

Point B · Extra practice

Put the verb in brackets into the present perfect or the past perfect.

  1. We're not hungry. We just lunch. (have)

  2. Nobody wanted pudding. We already far too much. (eat)

  3. I knew the way because I there before. (be)

Point C of 3

Past simple and past perfect

The past simple (left, was) puts events in the order they happened. The past perfect (had left, had been) shows that something happened before the moment you are describing.

Past simple Past perfect
"Was Ollie at the pub when you got there?" "Yes, but he left shortly after." "Was Ollie at the pub when you got there?" "No, he'd already left."
Zara wasn't in when I called round. She was at her gran's. Zara had just got in when I called round. She'd been at her gran's.
  • When the alarm went off, I got up. (first the alarm, then I got up)
  • When the alarm went off, I had already got up. (I got up first)

Point C · Exercise 15.2

The events are listed in the order they happened: (a) before (b), (b) before (c) and so on. Your paragraph does not begin with (a), so sometimes you need the past perfect. Complete the paragraph.

  1. Example

    Events: (a) Somebody left the gate open during the night. (b) We got up in the morning. (c) We went out to look for the dog. Paragraph: We got up in the morning and found that somebody had left the gate open during the night. So we went out to look for the dog.

    AnswerWe got up in the morning and found that somebody had left the gate open during the night. So we went out to look for the dog.

  2. Events: (a) Imran went to work early this morning. (b) I knocked on his door. (c) Nobody answered. Paragraph: I went round to Imran's this morning and knocked on his door, but . to work early.

  3. Events: (a) Fiona came back from Portugal a few days ago. (b) I saw her the same day. (c) She looked very brown. Paragraph: I saw Fiona a few days ago. just back from Portugal. very brown.

  4. Events: (a) Hollie lent Marcus fifty pounds. (b) He never paid it back. (c) Yesterday she saw him in a brand new car. (d) She was annoyed. Paragraph: Yesterday Hollie in a brand new car. annoyed. fifty pounds, but .

Point C · Exercise 15.3 · part 1 of 2

Put the verb into the correct form, past perfect (I had done) or past simple (I did).

  1. Example

    Nadia wasn't at the office when I arrived. She'd gone (She / go) to a meeting.

    AnswerNadia wasn't at the office when I arrived. She'd gone to a meeting.

  2. I was soaked when I got home, so (I / have) a hot bath.

  3. The flat was dark when I got in. Everybody (go) to bed.

  4. Ruth has lived all over the world. When I first met her, (she / already / live) in eight different countries.

  5. Sorry I'm late. The bus (break) down outside the hospital.

Point C · Exercise 15.3 · part 2 of 2

Put the verb into the correct form, past perfect (I had done) or past simple (I did).

  1. We were walking along the canal when (we / see) a swan which (get) caught in some fishing line, so (we / call) the RSPCA.

Lesson 15 · Result

How you did

Next lesson: Past perfect continuous (I had been doing)Back to the course

–Right

Each point

A. Going further back: had + past participle–Not checkedB. Present perfect and past perfect–Not checkedC. Past simple and past perfect–Not checked