Order of Events Order of Account
Order of Events Order of Account
Order of Events Order of Account
(I did)
We use the past perfect to talk about a past situation or activity that took place before another
past situation or activity, or before a particular time in the past:
• Jo discovered that Leslie had lied to her. As Mary shook Mr Morgan's hand, she
-<—past realised she had seen him before.
-I 1 1- . past
Leslie Jo 4- 4-
lied discovered Mary saw Mary
Mr Morgan realised
We use the past simple rather than the past perfect when we simply talk about a single activity or
«event in the past:
• • I handed the letter to him. • Sorry we're late, we took the wrong turning.
Notice the difference in meaning of these sentences with the past perfect and past simple:
• When he stopped laughing, everyone left. (= they left after he stopped laughing)
• When he stopped laughing, everyone had left. (= they left before he stopped laughing)
• I got up when the phone rang. (= the phone rang and then I got up)
• I had gone to bed when the phone rang. (= I went to bed and then the phone rang)
We use the past perfect when we say what we wanted or hoped (etc.) to do, but didn't:
• I had wanted to visit the gallery before I left Florence, but it's closed on Sundays.
• Bill had hoped to retire at 60, but they persuaded him to stay on for a few more years.
Other verbs used like this include expect (to), mean (to), think (about + -ing).
When we use a time expression (e.g. after, as soon as, before, by the time (that), when) to say that
one event happened after another, we use either the past simple or past perfect for the event that
happened first and the past simple for the event that happened second:
• After Ivan (had) finished reading, he put out the light.
• When Carol (had) brushed her teeth, she went to bed.
But to emphasise that the second event is the result of the first, we prefer the past simple for both:
• She became famous after she appeared on the TV programme.
• When the teacher came in, all the children stood up.
With already and just (= a very short time before) we use the past perfect, not the past simple:
• The film had already begun by the time we got to the cinema.
• She had just stepped into her office when the telephone rang.
Present perfect and past simple = Past continuous and past simple =
Past perfect continuous and past perfect = Adverbials of time
UNIT
EXERCISES
9.2 These things happened in the order given in brackets (e.g. in 1, most people went home and,
sometime after that, I got to the party). Write sentences using this information beginning with the
words given. Use either the past simple or the past perfect. (A)
1 (most people went home /1 got to the party) By the time...
2 (Glen opened the book / some pages fell out) WHen...
3 (the fox disappeared/ we went back to look for it) When...
4 (she picked up her bag/ the handle broke) When...
9.3 Expand one of these sets of notes using the past perfect to begin each sentence. (C)
She / not expect / see David again I / hope for / relaxing day I / mean / to call / parents
He / think about / fly / to Rome She / want to / leave / meeting early
1 ...He »Î¿ .$.<wgπ .Ù˚⁄π˘.‹ ÚÂ,Î but all the flights were booked up.
2 , but I couldn't find a phone box.
3 , so she was delighted when they met at the conference.
4 , but she felt that she ought to stay to find out what was decided.
5 , but instead my cousin and her five children arrived unexpectedly.
9.4 Use these pairs of verbs to complete the sentences. Choose the past perfect where possible;
otherwise, use the past simple. (D)
turn/caught come/start eat/pick check/go type/give collapse/phone
1 After Michael the letter, he it to Kay to sign.
2 When she into the hall, everyone cheering.
3 When Jenny that the children were asleep, she out to the concert.
4 As soon as I the ignition key, the engine fire.
5 When Norma ,I for an ambulance.
6 After they all the food, they up their bags and left.
9.5 Here is an extract from a newspaper article about a missing boy (Roy) and his father (Neil).
Decide why the past perfect was used in each case. (B)
...Neil said that Roy, who used to enjoy with Neil; Neil believed Roy had stayed
riding with him on his bike, followed him behind. It was only some hours later, when
as he set off. He told the child to go back Neil returned, that they realised Roy had
to his mother, and rode away. Meanwhile, vanished....
Roy's mother thought that Roy had gone
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