past perfect essay topics

Questions in Past Perfect Simple Tense with Examples

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Olivia Drake

Summary : To ask questions in the past perfect simple tense, use “Had” with the subject and the past participle (third form) of the verb. Negatives are formed with “had not” or “hadn’t.” Reply with “Yes” or “No,” followed by the appropriate auxiliary verb.

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Question Forms in Past Perfect Simple

Questions in the past perfect simple tense are used to ask about actions or situations that were completed before a specific time in the past. These questions can refer to experiences, changes, or actions completed at an earlier time. Here’s how they are typically structured:

• To ask about completed actions in the past: Had + subject + past participle (third form)?
• Had you finished your homework before dinner?
• Had she practiced the piano before the concert?
• Had they completed their project before the deadline?
• To inquire about the reason for a past action: Why + had + subject + past participle (third form)?
• Why had you left before the meeting ended?
• Why had she not attended the class?
• To form positive and negative questions:
• Had you finished eating when I called?
• Hadn’t you finished eating when I called?

These structures allow for a wide range of questions about completed actions and reasons for actions in the past.

Yes or No Questions in Past Perfect Simple

In the past perfect simple tense, yes or no questions are formed by starting with the auxiliary verb ‘had,’ followed by the subject and the past participle of the main verb. The past perfect simple tense is used to describe actions that were completed before a specific moment in the past.

To form a yes or no question in the past perfect simple tense, follow this pattern:

Had + Subject + Past Participle + ?

• Had you finished your assignment?
• Had she attended the meetings?
• Had they cooked dinner?

To answer these questions, use the auxiliary verb and an appropriate subject pronoun:

Positive Response: Yes, (I/he/she/it/we/you/they) had.

Negative Response: No, (I/he/she/it/we/you/they) had not (hadn’t).

For example:

• Yes, I had.
• No, she hadn’t.

Keep in mind that when using contractions, the answers may be:

Practice forming yes or no questions in the past perfect simple tense to become more efficient and confident in your usage of this verb tense.

Wh-Questions in Past Perfect Simple

In the past perfect simple tense, forming wh-questions is straightforward.

First, let’s talk about how to form basic wh-questions. Start your sentence with a wh-word such as who, what, when, where, why, or how. Following the wh-word, insert the auxiliary verb “had.” Next, place the subject, and finally, add the past participle of the main verb.

• What had you done?
• Where had she gone?

To ask a question about the subject of the sentence, just use the appropriate wh-word followed by the auxiliary verb “had” and the past participle. Remember that in this case, the subject doesn’t appear in the question.

For example: Who had taken care of the garden? (instead of “John had taken care of the garden.”)

To form wh-questions that involve negation, place “not” after the auxiliary verb “had.”

For example: Why had you not attended the classes?

Using Adverbs in Past Perfect Simple Questions

When constructing past perfect simple questions, adverbs play an essential role in communicating the intended meaning. Adverbs can help specify the time, frequency, or manner of an action.

Another common adverb is “already,” used to emphasize that an action was completed by a certain time. For instance, “Had you already finished your work?” In this case, “already” modifies the verb phrase “had finished” and indicates that the action was completed before the specified time.

For adverbs of frequency, such as “always,” “usually,” “often,” or “rarely,” they generally come before the past participle. An example is “Had she always practiced the piano before the concert?” Here, “always” acts as an adverb of frequency describing the main verb “practiced.”

Past perfect simple questions involving adverbs of manner can include “how,” “why,” or “in what way.” For example, “How had they managed their time?” In this case, “how” is the adverb related to the action “had managed.”

Past Perfect Simple Questions with “Why”

Past perfect simple questions with “why” are used to ask about the reasons for actions or situations that were completed before a specific time in the past. Here are some examples:

• Why had you left the party early?
• Why had she not called you before?

When forming these questions, the structure usually follows this pattern:

Why + had + subject + past participle (third form)?

This structure helps to emphasize the reason or cause behind an action or situation that occurred before another past event.

Common Past Perfect Simple Questions and Answers

The past perfect simple tense is used to describe actions or events that were completed before a specific moment in the past. In this section, we will discuss commonly asked questions and their answers in the past perfect simple tense.

One typical type of question in the past perfect simple is asking about completed actions. For example:

• Had you finished your work by 5 PM?
• Yes, I had finished my work by 5 PM.
• No, I hadn’t finished my work by 5 PM.

Another common question is asking about experiences or events:

• Had they visited Paris before the trip?
• Yes, they had visited Paris before the trip.
• No, they hadn’t visited Paris before the trip.

In some cases, the past perfect simple is used to ask about the reasons for actions:

• Why had you decided to leave early?
• I had decided to leave early because I wasn’t feeling well.
• I hadn’t decided to leave early; I stayed until the end.

When inquiring about the sequence of events, the past perfect simple is used:

• Had the meeting already started when you arrived?
• Yes, the meeting had already started when I arrived.
• No, the meeting hadn’t started when I arrived.

It’s also worth noting that questions in the past perfect simple often include time-related phrases such as “before,” “by the time,” and “already.” For example:

• Had you completed the task before the deadline?
• Yes, I had completed the task before the deadline.
• No, I hadn’t completed the task before the deadline.

These examples show various ways to form questions and their answers in the past perfect simple tense. The key is understanding the context and appropriately using the correct verbs, pronouns, and time-related phrases.

Past Perfect Simple Positive and Negative Questions

Past perfect simple positive and negative questions are used to inquire about actions or situations with a focus on different outcomes. Here’s how they’re typically formed:

Positive Questions:

• Had + subject + past participle of the verb?

Negative Questions:

• Hadn’t + subject + past participle of the verb?
• Had you studied for the exam?
• Had she worked late?
• Had they exercised regularly?
• Had he practiced his speech?
• Had we followed the new guidelines?
• Hadn’t you studied for the exam?
• Hadn’t she worked late?
• Hadn’t they exercised regularly?
• Hadn’t he practiced his speech?
• Hadn’t we followed the new guidelines?

Positive questions seek confirmation of an action or experience, while negative questions often imply surprise or expectation that the action should have been completed or experienced.

Tag Questions in Past Perfect Simple

Tag questions are a common way to seek confirmation or agreement in English. They often follow statements and can be very useful for conversation practice.

• You had finished your work, hadn’t you?
• She had practiced, hadn’t she?

Tag questions are typically formed by adding a short question at the end of a statement. The auxiliary verb “had” is used along with the subject pronoun.

Past Perfect Simple Questions for Completed Actions

The past perfect simple tense is often used to ask about actions that were completed before another action in the past.

• Had you finished your project when the client called?
• Had she left before the meeting started?
• Had they completed their tasks by the deadline?
• Had we locked the doors before leaving?

These questions are used to inquire about actions that were completed before another past event.

Using Past Perfect Simple Questions with Non-Action Verbs

While the Past Perfect Simple tense is typically used with action verbs, it can also be used with non-action (stative) verbs such as “know,” “believe,” “own,” etc. Non-action verbs describe a state or condition rather than an activity. Understanding this usage can help learners grasp when to use the simple past instead.

• Had you known him before the party?
• Had she believed in the project from the start?

Non-action verbs that can be used in the past perfect simple include verbs related to thoughts and feelings (e.g., “believe,” “know,” “like,” “love,” “hate”) and possession (e.g., “own,” “possess”).

Past Perfect Simple Questions for Chronological Order

The Past Perfect Simple tense is especially useful for asking about the chronological order of past events, emphasizing that one event occurred before another.

• Had you finished dinner before the movie started?
• Had she completed her assignment before the deadline?
• Had they left the office before the meeting ended?
• Had we met before that conference?

These questions often imply the sequence of events and the completion of one action before another.

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Highlighting common mistakes learners make when forming questions in the Past Perfect Simple tense can provide practical guidance. Being aware of these mistakes can help learners use the tense more accurately.

• Mistake: Using the wrong auxiliary verb.
• Incorrect: Did you had finished your work?
• Correct: Had you finished your work?
• Mistake: Confusing the past perfect with the simple past.
• Incorrect: Did you finish your work before the meeting started?
• Correct: Had you finished your work before the meeting started?
• Mistake: Omitting the past participle.
• Incorrect: Had you finish your work?

By understanding and avoiding these common mistakes, learners can improve their proficiency with the Past Perfect Simple tense.

Summary Table

A summary table can help visually summarize how to form different types of questions in the Past Perfect Simple tense.

Past Perfect Simple Questions Examples

Sentence: I had read the book before the class. Question: Had you read the book before the class?

Sentence: We had completed the project by the deadline. Question: Had you completed the project by the deadline?

Sentence: They had visited the museum before it closed. Question: Had they visited the museum before it closed?

Sentence: She had finished her homework before dinner. Question: Had she finished her homework before dinner?

Sentence: He had known about the event beforehand. Question: Had he known about the event beforehand?

Sentence: The company had reached its goals before the end of the year. Question: Had the company reached its goals before the end of the year?

Sentence: I had lived there for ten years before moving. Question: Had you lived there for ten years before moving?

Sentence: We had seen the movie before the awards ceremony. Question: Had you seen the movie before the awards ceremony?

Sentence: They had cooked dinner before their guests arrived. Question: Had they cooked dinner before their guests arrived?

Sentence: The sun had set before we finished our hike. Question: Had the sun set before you finished your hike?

Sentence: She had worked from home before the office opened. Question: Had she worked from home before the office opened?

Sentence: He had taken care of the problem before it escalated. Question: Had he taken care of the problem before it escalated?

These examples illustrate how to form questions in the past perfect simple tense from declarative sentences. By practicing these structures, you will become more confident in asking questions in the past perfect simple tense.

Feel free to leave comments or ask questions if you need further clarification on any of the points discussed. Happy learning!

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• Teaching secondary
• Intermediate B1

I couldn't believe my eyes

In this activity the teacher creates situations for the students to get plenty of practice with the form and meaning of the past perfect.

Introduction

To get the activity off to a good start it’s good to use your best acting skills.

• had broken down the door
• had left my papers and photos all over the floor 
• had locked my dog in the cellar/shed had taken my... ( a special item) 
• had smashed a window 
• had stolen my laptop
• had eaten the cake I’d bought for my (friend/daughter/wife)’s birthday 
• had urinated all over the floor

Focus on language

• Once your students have a good mental picture of the crime scene write the first sentence up on the board: When I arrived home I saw the burglars...  
• Do students know the name of this tense? (past perfect)
• How is it formed? (had + past participle)
• Why do we use this tense and not the simple past in this example? (The starting point for the story is when the teacher arrives home from work. The burglars’ actions all happen before this point in the past)
• How could we tell the same story using only the simple past? (The burglars broke down the door. They stole the laptop etc. The teacher arrived home.)
• Why do we use the past perfect in this story? (For dramatic effect/ to make the story more interesting)

Practice activity

• Put students into groups of three or four and give each group a situation. They should keep this secret from other groups. 

Parents arrive home from holiday having left their teenage son in charge of the house. They soon realize he’s had a big party while they were away. Start: When they arrived home they saw... A man arrived home having left his new puppy on its own for the first time. Start: When he arrived home he saw... Someone arrived home to discover his/her partner has clearly found out about the affair he/she’d been having with his/her secretary. Start: When s/he arrived home s/he saw... A teacher came back into the class and realized she shouldn’t have left the students on their own for that long.  Start: She walked back in and saw...

• The teacher needs to go to each group just to make sure they have the idea of what to do and then continue to help and monitor throughout the activity.

Once students have written seven or eight sentences, stop the activity and pass the papers from group to group. Each group should read the sentences and see if they can guess what the situation was from the sentences.

Fluency - class discussion

Open the question up and find out if students have any similar stories to tell when they have arrived somewhere to find that things were not as they should be. Help students to use the right tenses as they speak, or, so as not interrupt the flow, note down problem areas just relating to the past perfect and go over these at the end of the discussion.

A beneficial activity

This is a beneficial activity for my classes.

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A very interesting lesson plan!

It's definitely going to be an activity everyone enjoys. And true it can be elevated to a tv show after the discussion of all tenses.

It's really a cool way to get the meaning across

 this format can be adapted.

 This format can be adapted to teach other tenses as well.

This a very good activity for an ESL class.

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IELTS Grammar: How to use the Past Perfect tense

By ieltsetc on December 20, 2017

The Past Perfect is a useful tense to master for describing change in Academic Writing Task 1, and storytelling in both GT Writing Task 1 and Speaking Part 2.

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Reader Interactions

February 23, 2022 at 2:17 pm

is it ok to use past perfect with (during). for example, durning 2012, the sale had increased.

April 2, 2022 at 8:55 am

Hi Harpreet. Not in this example because the action happens at the same time as the year – ‘In 2012, sales increased’. Past Perfect is when you have two different time periods or actions, and one happened before the other e.g. By 2021, sales had increased’. The preposition ‘by’ usually signals a time period BEFORE the date. I hope that helps.

May 24, 2020 at 7:52 am

hello mam…!!! I’m Kavita I can’t understand the difference between by and in, when using past perfect ..please help me.

August 19, 2020 at 2:32 pm

Hi Kavita! Use ‘in’ when the timeframe is in ONE year e.g. I left home in 2000. Use ‘by’ to talk about the time leading up to a year e.g By 2010 I had moved house 10 times.

August 19, 2020 at 2:35 pm

Kavita you can find the examples from our YouTube lesson here to help you see the difference: https://youtu.be/GeZKogKIJ4Q

I first moved house in 1990. By 2019 I had moved house 15 times.

In 2000 Nouman bought his first car. By 2019 he had bought 3 cars.

Saurabh joined the company in 2000. By 2015 he had been promoted 4 times.

In 2011 Amira went to Singapore. She had never been to Singapore before.

In 2000 Prakash found his first job. By 2017 he had done 5 different jobs.