past perfect simple & past perfect continuous

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

Past Tense and Word formation

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)

Talking about the past

1. The past perfect simple

Compare the present perfect and the past perfect:

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

2. I didn't know who she was. I'd 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?

In short:

De present perfect simple:  (I have done)

De past perfect simple:  (I had done)

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.

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

How difficult do you find this topic?

too difficult; I don't get it

not difficult at all

a little challenging

none of these options

Word formation

She was very ............... to the problems of adult students. SYMPATHY

I have no particular ................, so long as it is hot and sunny. PREFER

We have .................. sources. RELY

Two officers on patrol became ........... of two men in a car. SUSPECT