Life

Intermediate Unit 3b
Past perfect simple

This month’s winning photo:

Before I went to Antarctica, I’d travelled all over the

world and I’d seen all kinds of incredible sights. But
this was definitely more impressive than anything
else I’d ever seen. I’d never been so close to an ice-
berg before. I took this photo just before it started
to turn. I hadn’t realized how big it was until then.
The side that had previously been underwater came
to the top. It was a beautiful deep blue.
Roberto F. (Buenos Aires)

Presentation

Use the past perfect to talk about an action that Past perfect and past simple
happened before a certain time in the past: You often use the past perfect and the past simple
Before I went to Antarctica, I’d travelled all around the together. Use the past simple to talk about the most
world. I’d been to Japan, Mexico and Kenya. recent past action. Use the past perfect to talk about
actions and situations that happened before a certain
time in the past:
time
I hadn’t realized how big it was until it turned over.
Japan Mexico Kenya Antarctica
The side that had previously been underwater came to
the top.
You can also use the past perfect to talk about an action
that did not happen before the given time in the past: Time expressions

I’d never been so close to an iceberg before. The past perfect is often used with the following
adverbs to emphasize the fact that the action happened
Affirmative and negative earlier: already, just, recently, before, previously, earlier.
I / You / He / ’d (had) seen an iceberg • Already, just and recently come between had and the
She / It / They hadn’t (had not) before. past participle.
He had just come back from Laos. I had recently sold
Yes/No questions my car.
Had I / you / he / she / it / they seen an iceberg • Before comes at the end of the sentence. In negative
before? sentences it is often used with never.
I’d been to Argentina many times before. I had never
Short answers seen anything like it before.
Yes I / you / he / she / it / they had.
No I / you / he / she / it / they hadn’t (had not).

TIP Don’t confuse the contracted forms of had (’d) and

would (’d):
I’d seen an iceberg. (I had seen an iceberg.)
I’d like to see an iceberg. (I would like to see an iceberg.)
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 Intermediate Unit 3b
Exercises

Exercises
1 Complete the text with the past perfect form of the verbs.
When I first met Mark, he was working for an advertising agency in London. He 1 had recently finished
(recently finish) his MBA and he was very happy because his company 2 had just offered (just offer)
him a post in Tokyo. He 3 had never worked (never work) abroad before and he
4 had always wanted
(always want) to go to Japan. Then two weeks before he planned to leave, the company
told him that they 5 had closed (close) their office in Tokyo. He was so disappointed.
He 6 had already booked
(already book) his flight. He 7 had even started (even start) learning
Japanese. I 8 had just came back (just come back) from Tokyo. My company still (not find)
9 hadn't found
anyone to take my job. I told Mark to call them. Ten days later Mark’s dreams
10 had come (come) true: he was finally in Japan!
2 Look at the text in Exercise 1. Complete the questions about the text using the verbs in brackets.
Use the past perfect or past simple.
did you meet
1 Where (you meet) Mark for the first time?
At a party in London.
2 What had his company (his company offer) him a few weeks before?
A job in Tokyo.
3 Had he ever worked (he ever work) abroad before?
No, never.
4 W hen did his company tell (his company tell) him the Tokyo office had closed?
Only two weeks before he was leaving.
5 How did mark feel (Mark feel)?
Very disappointed.
6  Had he already booked (he already book) his flight?
Yes, he had and he’d paid for it too!
7 How did you help (you help) him?
I told him to call my company.
8 S o, Did he go (he go) to Japan in the end?
Yes, he did. Ten days later he was living in my old flat in Tokyo.
3  Complete the conversations with the past perfect or the past simple form of the verbs.
Then listen and check.
Conversation 1
A: 1 Had you 2 met (meet) Kris before the party last week?
B: No, not really. I 3 had seen (see) her around, but I 4 hadn't spoken (not / speak) to
her. She’s really nice, isn’t she?
Conversation 2
C: I didn’t know that Rae 5 had left (leave) her job! When 6 did that
7 happen (happen)?
D: Last week. She 8 had had (have) an argument with her boss the day before.
Conversation 3
E: Have you heard? John and Beth 9 got (get) divorced last month.
F: But they’d only just got married!
had only just come back
E: Yes, three months ago! They 10 (only just / come back) from their
honeymoon when John 11 decided (decide) that he wanted a divorce.
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