past perfect simple & past perfect continuous

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• havo, vwo
• Leerjaar 4,5

Talking about the past (part 2)

1. The past perfect simple

Form: had + voltooid deelwoord (past participle), for example: had arrived, had walked, but also: had gone, had driven etc.

Compare with 'present perfect simple' (has/have + voltooid deelwoord)

1. The past perfect simple

Compare the present perfect and the past perfect:

1. Who is that woman? I have never seen her before.

2. I didn't know who she was. I had never seen her before.

1. = present perfect simple

2. = past perfect simple.

1. The past perfect simple

Compare the present perfect and the past perfect:

1. The house is dirty. They haven't cleaned it for weeks.

2. The house was dirty. They hadn't cleaned it for weeks.

1. = present perfect simple / 2. = past perfect simple.

What is one clear difference between the present perfect and the past perfect?

Kort samengevat:

De present perfect simple: ik heb gedaan (I have done)

De past perfect simple: ik had gedaan (I had done)

Bij deze twee tijden kan vergelijken met het Nederlands goed werken.

Kort samengevat:

Now, some MC questions for you to check your understanding....:

Finish all 4 questions with the present perfect or the past perfect simple.

By the time we got to the cinema, the movie ____________.

1. had already started
2. has already started
3. already started

It's nice to see you! I _________________ you in such a long time!

1. didn't see
2. hadn't seen
3. haven't seen

Was Tom there when you arrived? -- No, he ____________.

1. already left
2. has already left
3. had already left

The city is very different now. It _________ a lot.

1. has changed
2. had changed

We often use the past perfect (had + voltooid deelw.) to talk about something that happened in the past;

more specifically, if we want to talk about something that happened before something else in the past.

Je gebruikt de 'past perfect' vaak als je een verhaal aan het vertellen bent over wat er gebeurd is in het verleden. Je hebt 'm nodig om duidelijk te maken wat er eerst gebeurde, wat daarna, etc.

2. The past perfect continuous

Form: had + been + -ing, for example: had been walking, had been laughing, hadn't been driving etc..

*This tense is used in the same way as the present perfect continuous, only this time it's (further) in the past.

*Compare with the present perfect continuous:

Examples:

1. Why are you so dirty? And why do you have a black eye?? -- Well, I've been fighting... 

2. I am so very tired... I have been working all day.

2. The past perfect continuous:

Examples:

1. When the boys came into the house, their clothes were dirty, their hair was messy and one of them had a black eye. It was clear that they had been fighting.

2. I was very tired when I got home. I had been working all day.

2. The past perfect continuous

Keep that difference in mind when you answer the following questions...:

*Be careful because I've also used other verb tenses than the ones we've just been talking about!

I ____________ abroad before I started this job.

1. have never been
2. had never been

John and I went for a walk. I couldn't keep up with him because ....

1. he had been walking really fast.
2. he was walking really fast.
3. he has been walking really fast.

I was angry when my mother sold my old toys. I __________ them for such a long time!

1. have had
2. had been having
3. had had

We were extremely tired at the end of our journey. By then, we __________ for more than 24 hours.

1. had been travelling
2. were travelling
3. have been travelling

I hope the bus comes soon. I ___________ for 30 minutes...

1. had been waiting
2. have been waiting
3. was waiting

At last the bus came. I ___________ for 30 minutes...

1. had been waiting
2. have been waiting
3. was waiting

Vertaal in het Engels: "Ik was net naar de winkel geweest."

Vertaal in het Engels: "Ik was moe, want ik had net een uur gerend."

How difficult do you find this topic?

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