We use past perfect to show that smth.

happened before a
specific time in the past.
2001 2005
1999

Past Now
Future

became famous died

got the Oscar

By 1999 Oprah Winfrey had become famous.

After she had become famous, she got the Oscar.
Before she died in 2005, she had got the Oscar.
 first action second action

PAST FUTURE

The sun rose I woke up

NOW

The sun had risen when I woke up.

First: he ate his lunch.
Then: he lit a cigarette.
After he had eaten his lunch, he lit a cigarette.
First: The plane took off. (It’s 7.30)
Then: We arrived at the airport. (It’s 8.00)
By the time we arrived at the airport, the plane
had taken off.
 TIME EXPRESSIONS
OF PAST PERFECT TENSE

    After:
First, Brad Pitt acted in the movie, “Seven Years in Tibet”
Then, the Government of China banned his entrance to China.
 
After Brad Pitt acted in the movie, “Seven Years in Tibet”,
the Government of China banned his entrance to China.

After + Past Perfect , Past tense

 

Ø    As soon as:

First, Brad began to work in a TV firm
Then, Brad got his first role in the movie
“Thelma and Louise”.

As soon as Brad had began to work in a TV firm,

he got his first role in the movie “Thelma and Louise”

As soon as + Past Perfect , Past tense

    Before:
First, the producers of the film had considered
Brad Pitt for the main role.
Then, Keanu Reeves took the main role in the Matrix.

Before Keanu Reeves took the main role in the Matrix,

the producers of the film had considered Brad Pitt
for the main role.

Before + Simple Past, Past perfect

    By the time/ When:
First, Julia Roberts changed her name from Julie
to Julia.
Then, Julia Roberts became a famous movie star.

By the time/ when Julia Roberts became a famous

movie star, she had (already) changed her name from
Julie to Julia.

By the time/When + Simple Past, Past perfect

 First Then
1) Sue / pack/ her suitcase call / a taxi

2) Bob/drink/some beer pay/ the bill

3) Mary /read /the contract sign/ it

4) The show / finish the boys/ leave/ there

5) Peter /draw/ some money buy/ his plane ticket

from the bank

1) After Sue had packed her suitcase, she called a taxi.

2) After Bob had drunk some beer, he paid the bill.
3) After Mary had read the contract, she signed it.
4) As soon as the show had finished, the boys left there.

5) After Peter had drawn some money from the bank,

he bought his ticket.
 First Then
1) Sue / already/pack/ her call / a taxi
suitcase
2) Bob/drink/some beer pay/ the bill

3) Mary /read /the contract sign/ it

4) The show / already /finish the boys/ leave/ the

theatre
5) Peter /draw/ some money buy/ his plane ticket
from the bank
1) Before Mary called a taxi, she had already packed her suitcase
2) Before Bob paid the bill, he had drunk some beer

3) Before Mary signed the contract,she had read it.

4) When the boys left the theatre,the show had already
finished.

5) Before Peter bought his ticket, he had drawn some

money from the bank.
 CONJUNCTIONS

AFTER had+v3, v2
AS SOON AS past perf., past tense
Eg: After the doctor had examined me, he wrote a
prescription.

BEFORE
                      

         
v2 , had+ v3
BY THE TIME past tense, past perf.
WHEN

Eg: Before the doctor wrote a prescription, he had

examined me.
First the burglars left the building. Then the police arrived.
had left
After the burglars ___________________ the building,the police
________________.
arrived

arrived
By the time the police ________________, the burglars
________________.
had left
 First I learned French. Then I went
to France.
had learned
I ____________________ French before
I __________
went to France.

I __________________
went to France after
I _______________
had learned French.

After I _____________
had learned French, I
_______________
went to France.

Before I _____________
went to
France,I ______________
had learned French.
 I read the book,then I watched its film.
had read watched
After I ________________ the book, I _____________
its film.
watched had read
Before I ________________ the film, I ______________
its book.
had read
I ___________________ the book before I
______________
watched the film.
watched
I _______________ the film after I
________________
had read the book.
OPEN THE BRACKETS
1) Sam (be) ___________
had been a newspaper reporter before he
(become) __________
became businessman.
felt
2) I (feel)___________ a little better after I (take)
_________
had taken the painkiller.
3) I was late. The teacher(give/already) _____________
had already given
a quiz when I (get) _________
got to class.
1) It was raining hard,but by the time the course (be)
______________over,
was the rain (stop)_____________.
had stopped
2) Millions of years ago, dinosaurs (roam) _________ roamed the
earth, but they (become) ______________
became extinct by
the humankind first (appear)____________.
had appeared
3) I(see/never) ________________
had never seen any of Picasso’s
paintings before I (visit)___________
visited the art museum.
4) Yesterday at a restaurant,I (see) _________ saw Pam
Donelly, an old friend of mine.I (not/see) __________
haven’t seen
her for years. At first,I (not/recognize) __________
didn’t/ couldn’t rec
her because she (lose) ________
had lost a great deal of weight.
PAST PERFECT TENSE OR PAST SIMPLE TENSE
had finished
After Jim and Terry 1).......................(finish) their breakfast,
took
they 2.).................(take) went
their bags and 3.).................(go) to the
had gone
river to fish. They 4.).....................(go) there before and
caught
5.)...................(catch) some big fish. By 5 o’clock they
hadn’t got
6.)...................(not/get) any fish, so they decided to go home. They
had promised
7.)........................(promise)their mother to bring fish for dinner,
looked
so they 8.)..................(look) for a shop where they could buy some
had already closed(already/close). When they
but the shops 9.).................................
arrived
10.).....................(arrive) told
home, they 11.)...................(tell) their
had caught
mother that they 12.).......................(catch) the biggest fish they
had ever seen
13.)........................(ever/see) escaped
but it 14.).........................(escape).