TBL Mixed Tenses (past simple, present perfect and past perfect)

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• havo, vwo
• Leerjaar 3

Mixed tenses

Quick recap: Past Simple / Present Perfect/ Past Perfect

Past Simple - Signal words

Signal words:   These words help you to see if something happened in the past

• yesterday
• last week
• ten minutes ago
• in 2007
• this morning / earlier today
• when I was small, etc.

Past Simple - Signal words: (WALDY)

In Dutch signal words are called 'signaalwoorden'  

These words help you to see if something happened in the past

• W:  when
• A:   ago
• L:   last
• D:  days and dates
• Y:   years 

Signal words Present Perfect

I .... (buy) this iPod last week.

1. buyed
2. have bought
3. was buying
4. bought

It .... (work) for two days, but it ... (not/work) since Tuesday.

1. worked, was not working
2. was working, has not worked
3. worked, has not worked
4. was working, was not working

I think the wheel button ... (break).

1. broke
2. has broken
3. was breaking
4. has breaked

How ... it ... ? (happen)

1. has ... happened
2. was ... happening
3. did ... happen
4. did ... happened

Well, I ... (jog), when it suddenly made a funny noise.

1. had jogged
2. was jogging
3. jogged
4. has jogged

Since then it ... (be) quiet.

1. has been
2. was being
3. is
4. was

You need a new one. I ordered some, but they ... (not arrive) yet.

1. not arrived
2. were not arriving
3. have not arrived
4. did not arrive

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What do you know already?

Past Perfect

What is happening in this sentence?

When he arrived at the train station, the train had already left.

What 

happened

first?

🇬🇧 Past Simple 

🇳🇱 Verleden Tijd

ww+ed

(irr. verb = 2e vorm)

I 

I saw him yesterday.

🇬🇧 Past Perfect

🇳🇱 Voltooid Verleden Tijd

🇬🇧 Past Simple 

🇳🇱 Verleden Tijd

ww+ed

(irr. verb = 2e vorm)

He arrived to the train station.

I decided to walk home.

🇬🇧 Past Perfect 

🇳🇱 Voltooid Verleden Tijd

had + ww+ed

(irr. verb = had + 3e vorm)

When he arrived to the train station the train had left.

I had lost my bike key so I decided to walk home.

The Past Perfect shows what happened first in the past.

Past Perfect tense

Past perfect - form

Affirmative (+) sentences: had + past participle (3rd form)

I had eaten lunch...

Negative (-) sentences: had + not + past participle (3rd form)

I had not eaten lunch... or I hadn't eaten lunch

Questions (?): had + subject + past participle (3rd form)

Had I eaten lunch...?

Fill in the Past Perfect:
When I walked in, the meeting ___ already___ (start).

Fill in the Past Perfect:
After he ______ (pass) his exam,
he threw a party.

Fill in the Past Perfect:
He was shocked because he ____ never ____ (see) anything like this.

Great! Now let's practise a bit with the Present Perfect and the Past Simple.

In every question, look carefully what happened first (past perfect) and what happened next (past simple).

When they _______ (finish) school, they _______ (go) to the mall.

1. had finished - went
2. finished - had gone

They ________ (show) me the pictures they ________ (take) during their holiday.

1. had shown - took
2. showed - had taken

The boy _______ (be) sorry for what he ______ (do).

1. had been - did
2. was - had done

Forming a sentence with 

the Past Perfect and Past Simple

- Ben bought flowers for Jen.

- Then, Ben arrived at Jen's house.

What happened first?

Forming a sentence with 

the Past Perfect and Past Simple

- Ben bought some flowers for Jen. (1)

- Ben arrived at Jen's house. (2)

What happened first? --> Past Perfect

What happened second? --> Past Simple

Ben had bought some flowers before he arrived at Jen's house. 

or

Before he arrived at Jen's house, Ben had bought some flowers.

Now, write one sentence describing what happened using the Past Perfect and Past Simple:

Now, write one sentence describing what happened using the Past Perfect and Past Simple:

You're up for a challenge? How would you put these three sentences in one sentence?

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I can now use the Past Perfect, the Present Perfect and the Past Simple).

1. Yes
2. No
3. Not sure yet..

Want to do some additional exercises?

• Go to the next slide
• You will visit www.english-4u.de
• Pick exercises on the 3 tenses in category Intermediate and Advanced

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