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Grammar Worksheet

Past Perfect: What Had Already Happened

B1–B2 had + past participle
Explanation

Use the past perfect to talk about an action that happened before another past action.

It makes clear which event came first.

Form: subject + had + past participle

Form
Subject Had / Hadn’t Past participle
I / You / He / She / It / We / They had eaten  •  gone  •  finished  •  seen…
I / You / He / She / It / We / They hadn’t eaten  •  gone  •  finished  •  seen…

Question:  Had + subject + past participle?  →  Had she left?

Key tip:  Use the past perfect for the first event. Use simple past for the second event.

Examples
  1. When I arrived, the film had already started.
  2. She had eaten before she came, so she wasn’t hungry.
  3. I was tired because I hadn’t slept well.
  4. Had you visited London before last year?
  5. By the time he called, I had already left.
  6. They had never seen snow before they moved to Canada.
  7. He didn’t recognise her because she had changed so much.
  8. Had she finished her homework before dinner?
Common Mistakes
Exercises
1 Had or hadn’t?

Write had or hadn’t to complete each sentence.

  1. When I arrived, the film already started.
  2. She eaten before she came, so she wasn’t hungry.
  3. I was nervous because I prepared for the exam.
  4. He didn’t recognise her because she changed her hair.
  5. They met before, so the introduction was awkward.
2 Correct the mistake

Each sentence has one mistake. Write the correct sentence.

  1. The film already started when I arrived.
  2. She had ate all the food.
  3. He hadn’t never been to Italy.
  4. I have left before you called.
3 Combine the sentences

Join the sentences. Use past perfect for the first event.

She finished work. Then she left.  →  She had finished work before she left.

  1. I studied the grammar. Then I did the exercise.
  2. He ate all the food. Then we arrived.
  3. She read the book. Then she saw the film.
  4. We walked for hours. Then we found a café.
  5. They never met. Then they worked together.
4 True or False

Write T or F about yourself before this course. If false, rewrite with hadn’t.

  1. I had studied a foreign language before English.   
  2. I had visited an English-speaking country.   
  3. I had heard English songs before I started studying.   
  4. I had read a book in English.   
5 Write the question

Use the words to write a past perfect question.

you / visit / London / before  →  Had you visited London before?

  1. she / finish / her homework / by 6pm
  2. he / ever / eat / sushi / before
  3. they / meet / before the party
  4. you / study / English / before moving here
Speaking Activity

Ask your partner about experiences they had before an important moment in their life.

Ask follow-up questions: Where? When? How long? What was it like?