Past perfect simple with time expressions | Learn and Practise Grammar

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id="main_column" class="responsive_row"> <div id="main-container" class="main-container"> <div class="centerBlock"> <div class="exercise"> <div><div class="responsive_row"> <head> <div class="level1"><div>Present perfect and past perfect</div></div> <div class="level2"><div>Past perfect simple</div></div> <h1 class="level3"><div>with time expressions before, after, until<span class="cefr">b1+</span> </div></h1> </head> <div class="tab"> <button class="tablinks active ref" onclick="openTab('reference')">Reference</button><button class="tablinks practice" onclick="openTab('practice')">Practice</button> </div> <div class="tabcontent show" id="reference"> <span class="heading"><span class="term" title="the form of a verb that expresses an action completed before a particular point in the past, formed with had and the past participle">Past perfect simple</span> with time expressions </span><div class="reference"> <div class="presentation" market="adult"><ul> <li><span class="example"><span class="item">After</span> the exams <span class="item">had finished</span>, they had a party.</span></li> <li><span class="example"><span class="item">When</span> we<span class="item">'d done</span> the washing-up, we watched TV.</span></li> <li><span class="example">Mum phoned <span class="item">before</span> she<span class="item">'d heard</span> the news.</span></li> <li><span class="example">The party couldn't start <span class="item">until</span> Kate <span class="item">had arrived</span>.</span></li> <li><span class="example">We <span class="item">hadn't tried</span> a house swap <span class="item">until</span> this summer.</span></li> </ul></div> <span class="form"><div market="general" class="rule"><div class="statement"><span class="xref-group"><span class="pnc">For more information on </span><span class="xref-topic"><span class="term" title="a way of writing or saying a word that shows, for example, if it is plural or in a particular tense">forms</span> of the <span class="term" title="the form of a verb that expresses an action completed before a particular point in the past, formed with had and the past participle">past perfect (simple)</span></span><span class="pnc">, see </span><a href="past-perfect-simple"><span class="term" title="the form of a verb that expresses an action completed before a particular point in the past, formed with had and the past participle">Past perfect simple</span></a><span class="pnc">.</span></span></div></div> <table> <tr> <th>Time expression</th> <th><span title="the form of a verb that expresses an action completed before a particular point in the past, formed with had and the past participle" class="term">past perfect</span></th> <th><span class="term" title="the tense used to talk about a completed action in the past, for example We went to the zoo yesterday.">past simple</span></th> </tr> <tr> <td><span class="item">After</span></td> <td>the exams <span class="item">had finished</span>,</td> <td>they <span class="item">had</span> a party.</td> </tr> <tr> <td><span class="item">When</span></td> <td>we<span class="item">'d done</span> the washing-up,</td> <td>we <span class="item">watched</span> TV.</td> </tr> <tr> <th><span class="term" title="the tense used to talk about a completed action in the past, for example We went to the zoo yesterday.">Past simple</span></th> <th>time expression</th> <th><span title="the form of a verb that expresses an action completed before a particular point in the past, formed with had and the past participle" class="term">past perfect</span></th> </tr> <tr> <td>They <span class="item">had</span> a party</td> <td><span class="item">after</span></td> <td>the exams <span class="item">had finished</span>.</td> </tr> <tr> <td>We <span class="item">arrived</span> </td> <td><span class="item">before</span></td> <td>the train <span class="item">had left</span> (or <span class="item">left</span>). </td> </tr> <tr> <td>The party <span class="item">couldn't</span> start</td> <td><span class="item">until</span></td> <td>Kate <span class="item">had arrived</span>.</td> </tr> </table></span><div class="use"> <div class="rule"> <div class="statement">We use the <span title="the form of a verb that expresses an action completed before a particular point in the past, formed with had and the past participle" class="term">past perfect</span> to talk about an action or an event that happened before something else in the past.</div> <ul><li><span class="example">We arrived too late. The train <span class="item">had</span> just <span class="item"> left</span> the station. <span class="gloss"><span class="wrap">(</span>The train left the station first, and then we arrived.<span class="wrap">)</span></span></span></li></ul> </div> <div class="rule"><div class="statement">We use the <span title="the form of a verb that expresses an action completed before a particular point in the past, formed with had and the past participle" class="term">past perfect</span> with the <span class="term" title="the tense used to talk about a completed action in the past, for example We went to the zoo yesterday.">past simple</span> when we talk about two actions or events in the past. We always use the <span class="term" title="the form of a verb that expresses an action completed before a particular point in the past, formed with had and the past participle">past perfect</span> for the action that happened first. We can link the two actions using a time expression.</div></div> </div> <div class="use"> <span class="heading"><span class="item">after</span></span><div class="rule"> <div class="statement">We use <span class="item">after</span> + <span title="the form of a verb that expresses an action completed before a particular point in the past, formed with had and the past participle" class="term">past perfect</span> to talk about an action that happened before something else.</div> <ul> <li><span class="example"><span class="item">After</span> the exams <span class="item">had finished</span>, they had a party. <span class="gloss"><span class="wrap">(</span>The exams finished, and then they had a party.<span class="wrap">)</span></span></span></li> <li><span class="example">We had dinner <span class="item">after</span> Mum <span class="item">had phoned</span>. <span class="gloss"><span class="wrap">(</span>Mum phoned, and then we had dinner.<span class="wrap">)</span></span></span></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div class="use"> <span class="heading"><span class="item">when</span></span><div class="rule"> <div class="statement">We use <span class="item">when</span> + <span title="the form of a verb that expresses an action completed before a particular point in the past, formed with had and the past participle" class="term">past perfect</span> to talk about an action that happened immediately before something else …</div> <ul><li><span class="example"><span class="item">When</span> we<span class="item">'d done</span> the washing-up, we watched TV. <span class="gloss"><span class="wrap">(</span>We did the washing-up, and then we watched TV.<span class="wrap">)</span></span></span></li></ul> </div> <div class="rule"> <div class="statement">… or we can use <span class="item">when</span> + <span class="term" title="the tense used to talk about a completed action in the past, for example We went to the zoo yesterday.">past simple</span> to talk about an action that happened after something else.</div> <ul><li><span class="example"><span class="item">When</span> I <span class="item">phoned</span> the office, Emma had already left. <span class="gloss"><span class="wrap">(</span>Emma left the office, and then I phoned.<span class="wrap">)</span></span></span></li></ul> </div> </div> <div class="use"> <span class="heading"><span class="item">before</span></span><div class="rule"> <div class="statement">We can use <span class="item">before</span> with <span title="the tense used to talk about a completed action in the past, for example We went to the zoo yesterday." class="term">past simple</span> OR <span class="term" title="the form of a verb that expresses an action completed before a particular point in the past, formed with had and the past participle">past perfect</span> to talk about an action that happened before something else.</div> <ul> <li><span class="example">We arrived just <span class="item">before</span> the plane doors <span class="item">closed</span>.</span></li> <li><span class="example">Luckily, we arrived <span class="item">before</span> the plane doors <span class="item">had closed</span>.</span></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div class="use"> <span class="heading"><span class="item">until</span></span><div class="rule"> <div class="statement">We can use <span title="the tense used to talk about a completed action in the past, for example We went to the zoo yesterday." class="term">past simple</span> <span title="" class="term">negative</span> + <span class="item">until</span> + <span title="the form of a verb that expresses an action completed before a particular point in the past, formed with had and the past participle" class="term">past perfect</span> to talk about an action that didn't happen before something else happened first.</div> <ul><li><span class="example">The party <span class="item">couldn't start until</span> Kate <span class="item">had arrived</span>. <span class="gloss"><span class="wrap">(</span>Kate arrived, and then the party could start.<span class="wrap">)</span></span></span></li></ul> </div> <div class="rule"> <div class="statement">We can also use the <span class="term" title="the form of a verb that expresses an action completed before a particular point in the past, formed with had and the past participle">past perfect</span> <span title="" class="term">negative</span> + <span class="item">until</span> to talk about something which didn't happen before a particular time in the past.</div> <ul><li><span class="example">They <span class="item">hadn't had</span> a foreign holiday <span class="item">until</span> this summer.</span></li></ul> </div> </div> </div> <a id="bottom_grammar_button" class="reference_bottom_button" href="https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/us/grammar/online-grammar/table-of-contents"> Grammar contents </a><button id="bottom_practice_button" class="reference_bottom_button" onclick="openTabAndScroll(event, 'practice')">Practice</button> </div> <div class="tabcontent" id="practice"> <li class="practice_list"><a href="practice/past-perfect-simple-with-time-expressions_1"><span class="practice_number">Practice 1</span> <span class="practice_type">Gap-fill</span></a></li> <li class="practice_list"><a href="practice/past-perfect-simple-with-time-expressions_2"><span class="practice_number">Practice 2</span> <span class="practice_type">Gap-fill</span></a></li> </div> </div></div> </div> </div> </div> <div id='ad_btmslot' class='am-default'> <script type='text/javascript'>iaw.cmd.push(function() { iaw.display('ad_btmslot'); });</script> </div> </div> </div> <div id="rightcolumn" class="responsive_entry_center_right"> <div class="innerRefToc"> <div class="mainToc"> <span><span id="tocTitle">Grammar contents</span><a href="https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/grammar/online-grammar/table-of-contents" class="tocLink">View all</a><hr class="hr_underline" /></span> <span><div class="toc-level1">Present perfect and past perfect</div></span><div class="tocContent"><hr /><div class="toc-level2"><a class="items_title items_title_1" id="">Present perfect continuous</a></div><hr class="hidden" /><div class="items_content items_content_1"><div class="items_elem"><a id="present-perfect-continuous" href="/us/grammar/online-grammar/present-perfect-continuous">affirmative, negative, yes/no, wh- questions</a><span class="cefrToc">b1</span></div><div class="items_elem"><a id="present-perfect-simple-and-present-perfect-continuous" href="/us/grammar/online-grammar/present-perfect-simple-and-present-perfect-continuous">contrast: present perfect continuous vs present perfect simple</a><span class="cefrToc">b2</span></div></div><hr /><div class="toc-level2"><a class="items_title items_title_1" id="">Present perfect simple</a></div><hr class="hidden" /><div class="items_content items_content_1"><div class="items_elem"><a id="present-perfect-simple-positive" href="/us/grammar/online-grammar/present-perfect-simple-positive">affirmative, negative, yes/no questions</a><span class="cefrToc">a2</span></div><div class="items_elem"><a id="present-perfect-simple-and-past-simple" href="/us/grammar/online-grammar/present-perfect-simple-and-past-simple">contrast: present perfect vs past simple</a><span class="cefrToc">b1</span></div><div class="items_elem"><a id="present-perfect-simple-with-for-and-since" href="/us/grammar/online-grammar/present-perfect-simple-with-for-and-since">for/since</a><span class="cefrToc">b1</span></div><div class="items_elem"><a id="present-perfect-simple-been-and-gone" href="/us/grammar/online-grammar/present-perfect-simple-been-and-gone">have been vs have gone</a><span class="cefrToc">a2</span></div><div class="items_elem"><a id="present-perfect-simple-with-just-already-and-yet" href="/us/grammar/online-grammar/present-perfect-simple-with-just-already-and-yet">just/already/yet</a><span class="cefrToc">b1</span></div><div class="items_elem"><a id="present-perfect-still-and-yet" href="/us/grammar/online-grammar/present-perfect-still-and-yet">negative sentences with still and yet</a><span class="cefrToc">b1</span></div><div class="items_elem"><a id="present-perfect-simple-wh-questions" href="/us/grammar/online-grammar/present-perfect-simple-wh-questions">wh- questions</a><span class="cefrToc">a2</span></div></div><hr /><div class="toc-level2"><a class="items_title items_title_1" id="">Past perfect continuous</a></div><hr class="hidden" /><div class="items_content items_content_1"><div class="items_elem"><a id="past-perfect-continuous" href="/us/grammar/online-grammar/past-perfect-continuous">affirmative, negative, yes/no, wh- questions</a><span class="cefrToc">b2</span></div><div class="items_elem"><a id="past-perfect-simple-and-past-perfect-continuous" href="/us/grammar/online-grammar/past-perfect-simple-and-past-perfect-continuous">contrast: past perfect continuous vs past perfect simple</a><span class="cefrToc">b2</span></div></div><hr /><div class="toc-level2"><a class="items_title items_title_1" id="">Past perfect simple</a></div><hr class="hidden" /><div class="items_content items_content_1"><div class="items_elem"><a id="past-perfect-simple" href="/us/grammar/online-grammar/past-perfect-simple">affirmative, negative, yes/no, wh- questions</a><span class="cefrToc">b1+</span></div><div class="items_elem"><a id="past-simple-and-past-perfect-simple" href="/us/grammar/online-grammar/past-simple-and-past-perfect-simple">contrast: past perfect simple vs past simple</a><span class="cefrToc">b1</span></div><div class="items_elem"><a id="past-perfect-simple-with-time-expressions" href="/us/grammar/online-grammar/past-perfect-simple-with-time-expressions">with time expressions before, after, until</a><span class="cefrToc">b1+</span></div></div><hr /></div><br /><span><div class="toc-level1">Quantifiers, possessives and demonstratives</div></span><div class="tocContent"><hr /><div class="toc-level2"><a class="items_title items_title_1" id="">Demonstratives</a></div><hr class="hidden" /><div class="items_content items_content_1"><div class="items_elem"><a id="demonstrative-adjectives-this-that-these-those" href="/us/grammar/online-grammar/demonstrative-adjectives-this-that-these-those">demonstrative adjectives (that book)</a><span class="cefrToc">a1</span></div><div class="items_elem"><a id="demonstrative-pronouns-this-that-these-those" href="/us/grammar/online-grammar/demonstrative-pronouns-this-that-these-those">demonstrative pronouns (That is nice.)</a><span class="cefrToc">a1</span></div></div><hr /><div class="toc-level2"><a class="items_title items_title_1" id="">Possessives</a></div><hr class="hidden" /><div class="items_content items_content_1"><div class="items_elem"><a id="possessive-adjectives" href="/us/grammar/online-grammar/possessive-adjectives">possessive adjectives (my book)</a><span class="cefrToc">a2</span></div><div class="items_elem"><a id="possessive-pronouns" href="/us/grammar/online-grammar/possessive-pronouns">possessive pronouns (mine, theirs)</a><span class="cefrToc">a2</span></div><div class="items_elem"><a id="possessive-s-and-s" href="/us/grammar/online-grammar/possessive-s-and-s">possessive ’s</a><span class="cefrToc">a2</span></div></div><hr /><div class="toc-level2"><a class="items_title items_title_1" id="">Quantifiers</a></div><hr class="hidden" /><div class="items_content items_content_1"><div class="items_elem"><a id="quantifiers-both-several-most-and-all" href="/us/grammar/online-grammar/quantifiers-both-several-most-and-all">both, several, most, all</a><span class="cefrToc">b1</span></div><div class="items_elem"><a id="quantifiers-each-and-every" href="/us/grammar/online-grammar/quantifiers-each-and-every">each/every</a><span class="cefrToc">b1</span></div><div class="items_elem"><a id="quantifiers-a-few-a-little-a-lot-lots" href="/us/grammar/online-grammar/quantifiers-a-few-a-little-a-lot-lots">few/little</a><span class="cefrToc">a2</span></div><div class="items_elem"><a id="quantifiers-more-less-and-fewer" href="/us/grammar/online-grammar/quantifiers-more-less-and-fewer">more, less/fewer</a><span class="cefrToc">b1</span></div><div class="items_elem"><a id="quantifiers-much-many-a-lot-of" href="/us/grammar/online-grammar/quantifiers-much-many-a-lot-of">much/many</a><span class="cefrToc">a2</span></div><div class="items_elem"><a id="countable-nouns-a-an-some-and-any" href="/us/grammar/online-grammar/countable-nouns-a-an-some-and-any">some/any with countable nouns</a><span class="cefrToc">a1</span></div><div class="items_elem"><a id="uncountable-nouns-some-and-any" href="/us/grammar/online-grammar/uncountable-nouns-some-and-any">some/any with uncountable nouns</a><span class="cefrToc">a2</span></div><div class="items_elem"><a id="quantifiers-too-much-many-and-not-enough" 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Past perfect simple with time expressions | Learn and Practise Grammar