How do we use these tenses?

Past Perfect Simple and Continuous

Past Perfect Simple● Form (had + past participle)

Affirmative: I/you/he/she/it/we/you/they had written

Interrogative: Had I/you/he/she/it/we/you/they written?

Negative: I/you/he/she/it/we/you/they hadn't written

Spelling tips● Regular verbs ending in -e form the past form with -d.

e.g. decide=> decided● We double the final letter when a one-syllable verb ends in

consonant+vowel+consonant.

e.g. stop=>stopped, rob=> robbed● We also double the final letter when a verb has more than

one syllable and when the last syllable is stressed.

e.g. prefer=> preferred

BUT NOT in : listen, happen (listened, happened)

Make sentences with the expressions above !

Time Expressions● By the time/when/before+ Past Simple● By (+specific time), e.g. by then, by 6 o' clock● After, as soon as● Until● Still + negative● It was the first/second... time● It was + superlative (+ever)

USE● We use Past Perfect Simple for an action that

happened before another action or a specific time in the past. Then the first action is put in Past Perfect Simple and the second action in Past Simple.

e.g. The concert had already started by the time we arrived.

As a result, someone broke into our house !

I didn't catch the bus! What happened?

Past Perfect Continuous● Form (had + been + verb-ing)

Affirmative : I/you/he/she/it/we/you/they had been writing

Interrogative : Had I/you/he/she/it/we/you/they been writing?

Negative : I/you/he/she/it/we/you/they had not been writing

Spelling tips● Revise the rules you learned in Continuous

tenses by practising with verbs such as : study, stop, run, lie

● ALSO: The rule about stative verbs and continuous tenses is also valid here.

USE● We use Past Perfect Continuous to emphasize

the duration of an action that was happening before another action or a specific time in the past.

e.g. I found my keys last night. I had been looking for them for three days.

Time Expressions● For, since, all night/day/week/year...● By the time/when/before + Past Simple● After/by (+specific time)/How long...?

Make sentences with the expressions above !

What had he been doing before he discovered gravity?

Role Play between you and your teacher. You were late for school ! What had you been

doing?

Any questions?