Past Perfect Tense Exercises

We prepared these past perfect exercises in the multiple questions test format with answers to help you improve your knowledge of the past perfect tense. The explanation tab includes past perfect examples, sentences, usage, formula and structure. You can download ready-made worksheets in PDF or Word formats from the worksheet section.

Past Perfect Tense

The Past Perfect Tense is used to show that one action in the past happened before another past action or time. It helps us understand the order of past events clearly.

Form of the Past Perfect

Subject + had + past participle (V3)

  • Positive: She had finished her homework before dinner.
  • Negative: They had not seen that movie before.
  • Question: Had you visited London before 2019?

When Do We Use the Past Perfect?

We use the Past Perfect to:

  • Show that one action happened before another in the past.
  • Talk about experience or states before a point in the past.

Examples:

  • *I had already eaten* when he arrived.
  • *They had left* before the party started.

Common Time Expressions with Past Perfect

Time Expression Example Note
before I had finished my work before he arrived. Use to show earlier action
after After we had eaten, we left. Often followed by Past Perfect
already They had already left by 8 PM. Emphasizes the action was completed
by the time By the time she arrived, I had finished. Shows the cut-off point for the earlier action
when When I got home, he had left. Often pairs Past Perfect with Past Simple

Quick Tips

  • Use “had + past participle” to show something happened earlier than another past action.
  • The action in Past Perfect happened first, the action in Past Simple happened second.
  • Useful for storytelling or explaining past experiences in sequence.
  • Practice with signal words: before, after, already, by the time.
Exercises
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Choose the correct option to complete the Past Perfect Tense Exercises below.
1

When I arrived at the station, the train _____.

a.
had already left
b.
leaves
c.
was leaving
2

She _____ her homework before her parents got home.

a.
had finished
b.
was finishing
c.
finished
3

By the time I woke up, my parents _____ breakfast.

a.
had made
b.
made
c.
were making
4

After she _____ the book, she returned it to the library.

a.
was reading
b.
had read
c.
read
5

He _____ about the meeting because no one had told him.

a.
hadn’t known
b.
wasn’t knowing
c.
didn’t know
6

They _____ in Paris before they moved to London.

a.
were living
b.
had lived
c.
lived
7

When we arrived, they _____ their dinner.

a.
had eaten
b.
eat
c.
were eating
8

By the time the movie started, we _____ our popcorn.

a.
were eating
b.
had eaten
c.
ate
9

She didn’t pass the test because she _____ enough.

a.
had not studied
b.
studied
c.
was studying
10

We _____ the tickets before they sold out.

a.
bought
b.
were buying
c.
had bought
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