Past Perfect Tense Exercises with Answers for Better Grammar Practice

We use the past perfect tense to talk about an action that was completed before another action in the past. It helps us clearly show the correct order of past events. The past perfect tense is often confused with the simple past tense, so regular practice is important. Past perfect tense exercises with answers will help you improve your understanding of the tense and learn how to use it correctly in sentences. These exercises are designed to help you practise real-life sentence structures using the past perfect tense. By solving them regularly, you can easily identify and correct common mistakes in tense usage.

Table of Contents

• Past Perfect Tense Exercises with Answers
• Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks
• Exercise 2: Choose the Correct Form
• Exercise 3: Rewrite the Sentences
• Exercise 4: True or False

Past Perfect Tense Exercises with Answers

The past perfect tense is used to talk about an action that had already happened before another action took place in the past. It is often used to show the sequence of two past events.

Structure of the Past Perfect Tense: Subject + had + past participle + object

Past perfect tense exercises with answers will help you improve your understanding of the tense and learn how to use it correctly in sentences.

 

Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks

Fill in the blanks using the correct past perfect form of the verb given in brackets. Use contractions where possible.

1. By the time I arrived, she __________ (leave) already.

2. He __________ (never / see) such a big elephant before that safari.

3. They __________ (finish) all the food by the time we got there.

4. I __________ (not / do) my homework when the teacher asked for it.

5. The train __________ (already / depart) when we reached the station.

6. She __________ (study) for three exams before the weekend.

7. We __________ (not / meet) each other before that conference.

8. The students __________ (complete) the assignment before the deadline.

9. My father __________ (work) at that company for ten years before he retired.

10. He __________ (lose) his passport before he realised it.

11. By the time dinner was ready, the guests __________ (arrive).

12. I __________ (read) the book before watching the film.

13. She __________ (not / hear) the news before I told her.

14. The children __________ (go) to sleep before their parents got home.

15. By 2010, the scientist __________ (discover) a new treatment for the disease.

Answers:

1. had already left

2. had never seen

3. had finished

4. hadn't done

5. had already departed

6. had studied

7. hadn't met

8. had completed

9. had worked

10. had lost

11. had arrived

12. had read

13. hadn't heard

14. had gone

15. had discovered 

Exercise 2: Choose the Correct Form

Read the sentences carefully and choose the correct verb form to complete each sentence.

1. By the time I arrived at the party, most guests __________ already. (had left / had leave)

2. She __________ dinner before she called me. (had eaten / had ate)

3. By the time the doctor arrived, the patient __________. (had recovered / had recover)

4. He __________ her before the wedding. (hadn't seen / hadn't saw)

5. I was worried because Jim __________ yet. (had not called / had not call)

6. She __________ him before the party started. (had already met / had already meet)

7. After they __________ dinner, they went for a walk. (had finished / had finish)

8. When the police arrived, the thieves __________ already. (had escaped / had escape)

9. I couldn't find the keys because I __________ them somewhere. (had put / had putted)

10. She __________ in France for two years before she moved to London. (had lived / had live)

11. He __________ his medicine before going to bed. (had taken / had took)

12. The film __________ by the time we arrived at the cinema. (had started / had start)

13. I __________ sushi before last Tuesday. (had never eaten / had never ate)

14. By the time she was 18, she __________ three languages. (had learnt / had learn)

15. They __________ friends for years before they became business partners. (had been / had be)

Answers:

1. had left

2. had eaten

3. had recovered

4. hadn't seen

5. had not called

6. had already met

7. had finished

8. had escaped

9. had put

10. had lived

11. had taken

12. had started

13. had never eaten

14. had learnt

15. had been

 

Exercise 3: Rewrite the Sentences

Rewrite each of the following sentences using the past perfect tense.

1. She watched a movie last night.

2. They cooked dinner for the family last weekend.

3. I went swimming at the beach yesterday.

4. He submitted his report before the meeting.

5. We visited Paris last summer.

6. She studied English for two hours yesterday.

7. My uncle came to our house last month.

8. They went to the supermarket early in the morning.

9. He spoke to his manager about the issue.

10. I learned how to drive six months ago.

11. The teacher explained the lesson before the test.

12. She finished all her tasks before lunch.

13. We saw that documentary on TV.

14. He cleaned the house before the guests arrived.

15. The team won three matches before the final.

Answers:

1. She had watched a movie last night.

2. They had cooked dinner for the family last weekend.

3. I had gone swimming at the beach the day before.

4. He had submitted his report before the meeting.

5. We had visited Paris the previous summer.

6. She had studied English for two hours the day before.

7. My uncle had come to our house the previous month.

8. They had gone to the supermarket early that morning.

9. He had spoken to his manager about the issue.

10. I had learned how to drive six months earlier.

11. The teacher had explained the lesson before the test.

12. She had finished all her tasks before lunch.

13. We had seen that documentary on TV.

14. He had cleaned the house before the guests arrived.

15. The team had won three matches before the final.

 

Exercise 4: True or False

Read each sentence below. Write True if the sentence is correctly written in the past perfect tense, and False if it is in a different tense or is incorrectly formed.

1. They had traveled to many countries before they retired.

2. We had been eating when you arrived.

3. I told her about it before she went to the meeting.

4. Before the concert started, all my friends had come inside.

5. We had identified the problem before the manager arrived.

6. She had not finished reading the book when I arrived.

7. He was working on the project before he got sick.

8. The doctor had examined the patient before giving advice.

9. By the time I woke up, she had already cooked breakfast.

10. He had never tried sushi before last night.

11. We waited for a long time before the bus arrived.

12. She had left the office before I reached there.

13. They had been friends since childhood.

14. I had called him but he does not answer.

15. Before the match ended, the players had scored three goals.

Answers:

1. True

2. False 

3. False 

4. True

5. True

6. True

7. False 

8. True

9. True

10. True

11. False

12. True

13. True

14. False

15. True

Learn more: "Tenses Exercises with Answers | Practice English Tenses"