Past perfect

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• mavo, havo, vwo
• Leerjaar 2-6

When remembering what a present perfect is, what do you think a past perfect is?

What is a present perfect?

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Verleden in een verleden

Er zijn 2 acties in het verleden, de eerste actie krijgt een past perfect, de tweede actie een past simple.

Je maakt een past perfect met 'had' gevolgd door een voltooid deelwoord. (ww+ed of 3e rijtje).

He left the house after he had done the dishes.

We biked to school after we had missed the bus.

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Vragen en ontkenningen Past perfect

Om een vraag te maken in de Past perfect draai je de vorm 'had' en het persoonlijk voornaamwoord om:

Had he done the dishes before he left the house?

Had they missed the bus before they biked to school?

Om een ontkenning te maken zet je 'not' ('n't') achter 'had':

He hadn't done the dishes before he left the house.

We hadn't missed the bus before we biked to school.

In reported speech

The past perfect is common when we report people's words or thoughts .., as in the following examples:

John said that he had never eaten sushi before.

She told me that she had finished, but I knew she had not.

She wondered why he had been so unkind to her.

If-Conditionals

The past perfect tense is used in unreal or hypothetical stituations, as in the following sentences:

If I had known you were in Frankfurt, I would have called you. 

If I had had enough money, I would have bought you a better present. (but I didn't have enough money.)

I would have been very angy if you had laughed when I got the answer wrong. (but you didn't laugh, so I wasn't angry.)

Let op!!

Wanneer je een past perfect moet maken met een vorm van 'have', volg je de regels zoals je ze hebt geleerd: 'had' gevolgd door het voltooid deelwoord van 'have'.

He had had a few beers before he left the house.

They threw up after they had had the party.

Before they went to Paris, they ......... (train) hard.

Her coach got mad because she ...... (miss) her training.

When she ....... (arrive) in Paris, she checked into the hotel at once.

When Shireen joined the team, she ....... (already / play) in another team.

After she ........ (sign) a contract, she started her training again.

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Name two things you have learned.

What do you still want to know?