Past Perfect: Sequence of Past Events (B1)

Your task

Fill in the gap in each sentence with the correct word or phrase.

0 / 15 answered

Your score

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Keep practising! Focus on the explanations below.

When we arrived at the cinema, the film already. (start)

Correct answer: had started

Two past events. Arriving is the main past event; the film starting is earlier → past perfect "had started". The form is "had + past participle"; "started" is the regular past participle of "start".

By the time the police came, the burglar . (escape)

Correct answer: had escaped

"By the time" + past simple in the main clause pushes the other event into the past perfect → "had escaped".

I the book before the film came out. (read)

Correct answer: had read

The reading happened before the film's release → past perfect "had read". The past participle of "read" is also spelled "read" but pronounced /red/.

She wasn't hungry because she already. (eat)

Correct answer: had eaten

Not being hungry is the past situation; the eating happened earlier and explains it → past perfect "had eaten". Past participle of "eat" is "eaten".

When I got home, my dad dinner already. (cook)

Correct answer: had cooked

Arriving home is the later event; cooking happened earlier → past perfect "had cooked". Regular past participle: "cooked".

He didn't recognise me because I my hair. (cut)

Correct answer: had cut

The haircut happened earlier and explains the failure to recognise → past perfect "had cut". "Cut" is irregular and identical in all three forms (cut / cut / cut).

By 6 p.m., we all the cleaning. (finish)

Correct answer: had finished

"By 6 p.m." sets a past deadline; the action was completed before that point → past perfect "had finished".

The dog was wet because it in the river. (swim)

Correct answer: had swum

The swimming caused the wetness, so it happened earlier → past perfect "had swum". Past participle of "swim" is "swum" (not "swam").

She told me she the email an hour earlier. (send)

Correct answer: had sent

Telling me is the main past event; the sending happened before → past perfect "had sent". Past participle: "sent".

When the test started, I realised I my pen. (forget)

Correct answer: had forgotten

The forgetting happened before the test started → past perfect "had forgotten". Past participle: "forgotten".

We were tired because we for twelve hours. (drive)

Correct answer: had driven

Being tired is the past state; the long drive caused it → past perfect "had driven". Past participle: "driven".

He explained that he the keys in the office. (leave)

Correct answer: had left

Explaining is the main past event; leaving the keys happened earlier → past perfect "had left". Past participle: "left".

Before he moved here, he in Spain for two years. (live)

Correct answer: had lived

"Before he moved" pushes the living-in-Spain into the earlier past → past perfect "had lived".

I was surprised to learn that they before. (meet)

Correct answer: had met

Learning is the past event; the meeting was earlier → past perfect "had met". Past participle: "met".

By the time I phoned, she the house. (sell)

Correct answer: had sold

"By the time" + past simple in the main clause → the other action is past perfect: "had sold". Past participle: "sold".

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