Joy English
Joy English
← Back to the lesson

Joy English · Level B2 · Tensesjoy-english.com

Past perfect simple and continuous

Name:Date:

Show which past event happened first, and talk about activities in progress before a past moment.

Choose the correct form

Choose the best option to complete each sentence.

  1. When we reached the cinema, the film ___, so we missed the beginning.
    • a) started
    • b) had started
    • c) has started
  2. Her eyes were red because she ___ onions.
    • a) has cut
    • b) had been cut
    • c) had been cutting
  3. I didn't recognise Omar at first. I ___ him for ten years.
    • a) hadn't seen
    • b) didn't see
    • c) haven't seen
  4. By the time Leila retired, she ___ at the same school for 35 years.
    • a) was teaching
    • b) had been teaching
    • c) has been teaching
  5. They ___ each other for years before they started the business.
    • a) had been knowing
    • b) have known
    • c) had known
  6. The ground was wet. It ___ all night.
    • a) had been raining
    • b) has rained
    • c) is raining
  7. How long ___ before you found a job?
    • a) have you been looking
    • b) had you been looking
    • c) you had looked
  8. When I opened the fridge, I saw that someone ___ all the cheese.
    • a) had been eating
    • b) has eaten
    • c) had eaten

Write the past perfect

Type the past perfect simple or past perfect continuous form of the verb in brackets.

  1. When Amara got home, she realised she ___ (leave) her keys at the office.
  2. Leo ___ (fix) the old radio all morning, but it still didn't work.
  3. I ___ (never / see) snow before I moved to Canada.
  4. By the end of the day, Tariq ___ (write) twelve emails.
  5. She ___ (not / eat) anything since breakfast, so she was very hungry.
  6. Yuki ___ (read) the novel for a week, but she was still only on page 50.
  7. Ines was out of breath because she ___ (run) for the bus.
  8. They ___ (know) each other for ten years when they got married.

Answer key

Choose the correct form

  1. b) had startedThe film started before we arrived, so we use the past perfect: had started.
  2. c) had been cuttingAn earlier activity explains what we noticed, so we use the past perfect continuous.
  3. a) hadn't seenThe ten years ended at a past moment (when I saw him), so we use the past perfect.
  4. b) had been teachingWe describe how long an activity continued up to a past moment, so we use had been teaching.
  5. c) had knownKnow is a state verb, so we use the past perfect simple, not the continuous.
  6. a) had been rainingAn activity before a past moment explains the result (wet ground), so we use the past perfect continuous.
  7. b) had you been lookingThe looking continued up to a past moment (when you found a job), so we use the past perfect continuous question form.
  8. c) had eatenAll the cheese was gone, so the action was complete. We use the past perfect simple.

Write the past perfect

  1. had left / 'd leftShe left the keys before she got home, and it was a single completed action: had left.
  2. had been fixing / 'd been fixingThe work was not finished and it lasted all morning, so we use the past perfect continuous.
  3. had never seen / 'd never seenThis describes experience up to a past moment (when I moved), so we use had never seen.
  4. had written / 'd writtenWe count completed actions (twelve emails), so we use the past perfect simple.
  5. hadn't eaten / had not eatenWe describe a situation up to a past moment, and nothing was eaten, so we use hadn't eaten.
  6. had been reading / 'd been readingThe reading was not finished and lasted a week, so we use the past perfect continuous.
  7. had been running / 'd been running / had run / 'd runAn earlier activity explains how she was, so had been running is the most natural answer. Had run is also possible.
  8. had known / 'd knownKnow is a state verb, so we use the past perfect simple even with a period of time.

Joy English · free English practice · https://joy-english.com/grammar/past-perfect