Simple Past VS PST Perfect

SIMPLE PAST VS PAST PERFECT
Simple Past Past Perfect Simple
2nd column of irregular verbs had + 3rd column of irregular verbs
Example: Example:
I spoke I had spoken
regular verbs: infinitive + ed regular verbs: form of have + infinitive + ed
Example: Example:
I worked I had worked
Exceptions
Exceptions when adding ed:
 when the final letter is e, only add d

Example:
love - loved
 after a short, stressed vowel, the final consonant is doubled
Example:
admit - admitted
 final l is always doubled in British English (not in American English)
Example:
travel - travelled
 after a consonant, final y becomes i (but: not after a vowel)
Example:
worry - worried
but: play - played
See also explanations on Simple Past and Past Perfect Simple
Use
We use Simple Past if we give past events in the order in which they occured.
However, when we look back from a certain time in the past to tell what had
happened before, we use Past Perfect.
Normal order in the past or looking back to an event before a certain time in
the past?
Do you just want to tell what happened sometime in the past or do you want to
tell what had happened before/up to a certain time in the past?
sometime in the past before/up to a certain time in the past
Example: Example:
Jane got up at seven. She opened her birthday presents Before her sixth birthday, Jane
and then the whole family went to the zoo. had never been to the zoo.
Signal Words
 first  already
 then  up to then
 specific time  before that day
 after*
 no specific time
*Note: "After" is only used as a signal word for Past Perfect if it is followed by a

subject + verb, meaning that one action had been completed before another
action began (the new action is in Simple Past).
Example:
After the family had had breakfast, they went to the zoo.
However, if "after" is followed by object + subject + verb, the verb belongs to the
new action and is therefore in Simple Past.
Example:
After her visit to the zoo, Jane was exhausted.
More exceptions with signal words
When
Depending on the situation, "when" can be used with Simple Past or Past Perfect.

Compare the following examples:
Example:
When Jane saw the elephants, she was amazed. (at the same time)
When Jane had seen the elephants, she wanted to see the giraffes. (second action
happened after the first action had been completed)
When Jane went to see the elephants, she had already seen the lions. (second action
had been completed when the first action took place)
Test your knowledge on Simple Past and Past Perfect Simple. After submitting
your answers, you will see how well you have done in the test.
Form
Write down the correct form (pronoun + verb).
Simple Past Past Perfect
they worked they had worked

they /
work
I saw I had seen
I / see
she tidied she had tidied
she / tidy
he ran he had run
he / run
you bought you had bought
you / buy
Use
When do we use which tense?
1. If we give past events in the order in which they occured, we use … Simple Past
2. If from a certain time in the past we look back to what had happened before,
we use … Past Perfect
Choosing the correct form
Choose the correct tense (simple past or past perfect simple).
1. When I arrived (arrive) to school, the lesson had already started (already/start).
2. I went (go) to New York last month. I had never been (never/ be) to the USA
before.
3. Bob did not let (not/let) us into his room because he had not cleaned (not/clean)
for weeks.
4. I felt (feel) very hungry because I had not eaten (not/eat) anything yet.
5. As Vanessa had seen (see) the film before, she did not want (want) to go to the
cinema with us.
Filling in the correct form
Put the verbs into the correct tense (simple past or past perfect simple).
1. William (live) had lived in Boston for six years before he (move) moved to New

York.
2. The blue car (cross) crossed the street after the lights (turn) had turned red.
3. When James (try) tried to ring us, we (leave / already) had already left the house.
4. After Joanna (finish) had finished her presentation, we (ask) asked our
questions.
5. On her first day at the driving school, we (be) were very nervous because
we (drive / not) had not driven a car before.
Text
Put the verbs into the correct tense (simple past or pas perfect simple).
1. It (be) was a cold and rainy Sunday, so I (decide) decided to finish the essay that
I (start) had started writing a few days before.
2. I (switch) switched on the computer and (open) opened the document.
3. Then I (begin) began looking for my notes that I (handwrite) had handwritten
on a sheet of paper.
4. But the notes (be) were not on my desk and I (can / not) could not remember
where I (put) had put them.
5. I (turn) turned the whole house upside down.
6. And where (find / I) did I find my notes?
7. I (leave) had left them in the sitting room, under a huge staple of papers and
magazines.
8. Now that I (find) had found my notes, I (want) wanted to continue writing my
essay.
9. First I (know / not) did not know what to write but then I (have) had lots of
ideas.
10. I (complete / almost) had almost completed my essay when my computer
suddenly (crash) crashed and I (notice) noticed that I (forget) had forgotten to
save the document.
11. After I (reboot) had rebooted my computer, I (see) saw that at least 5 of the
pages I (type) had typed (be) were missing.
12. So I (have) had to start all over again.

Simple Past VS PST Perfect

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SIMPLE PAST VS PAST PERFECT

Simple Past Past Perfect Simple

2nd column of irregular verbs had + 3rd column of irregular verbs

Exceptions when adding ed:

 when the final letter is e, only add d

See also explanations on Simple Past and Past Perfect Simple

Simple Past Past Perfect Simple

sometime in the past before/up to a certain time in the past

Simple Past Past Perfect Simple

*Note: "After" is only used as a signal word for Past Perfect if it is followed by a

After the family had had breakfast, they went to the zoo.

Depending on the situation, "when" can be used with Simple Past or Past Perfect.

Write down the correct form (pronoun + verb).

Simple Past Past Perfect

they worked they had worked

I saw I had seen

she tidied she had tidied

he ran he had run

you bought you had bought

When do we use which tense?

Choosing the correct form

Choose the correct tense (simple past or past perfect simple).

Filling in the correct form

1. William (live) had lived in Boston for six years before he (move) moved to New

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