Friday, December 7th

A. Past Perfect

[had + past participle]

Examples:

• You had studied English before you moved to New York.
• Had you studied English before you moved to New York?
• You had not studied English before you moved to New York.

USE 1 Completed Action Before Something in the Past

The Past Perfect expresses the idea that something occurred before another action in the past. It can also show that something happened before a specific time in the past.We use the past perfect when we are already discussing the past and want to refer back to an earlier period in time

Examples:

• I had never seen such a beautiful beach before I went to Kauai.
• I did not have any money because I had lost my wallet.
• Tony knew Istanbul so well because he had visited the city several times.
• Had Susan ever studied Thai before she moved to Thailand?
• She only understood the movie because she had read the book.
• Kristine had never been to an opera before last night.
• We were not able to get a hotel room because we had not booked in advance.
• A: Had you ever visited the U.S. before your trip in 2006?
  B: Yes, I had been to the U.S. once before.

USE 2 Duration Before Something in the Past (Non-Continuous Verbs)

With Non-Continuous Verbs and some non-continuous uses of Mixed Verbs, we use the Past Perfect to show that something started in the past and continued up until another action in the past.

Examples:

• We had had that car for ten years before it broke down.
• By the time Alex finished his studies, he had been in London for over eight years.
• They felt bad about selling the house because they had owned it for more than forty years.

B. Past Perfect Continuous

[had been + present participle]

Examples:

• You had been waiting there for more than two hours when she finally arrived.
• Had you been waiting there for more than two hours when she finally arrived?
• You had not been waiting there for more than two hours when she finally arrived.

USE 1 Duration Before Something in the Past

We use the Past Perfect Continuous to show that something started in the past and continued up until another time in the past. "For five minutes" and "for two weeks" are both durations which can be used with the Past Perfect Continuous. Notice that this is related to the Present Perfect Continuous; however, the duration does not continue until now, it stops before something else in the past.

Examples:

• They had been talking for over an hour before Tony arrived.
• She had been working at that company for three years when it went out of business.
• How long had you been waiting to get on the bus?
• Mike wanted to sit down because he had been standing all day at work.
• James had been teaching at the university for more than a year before he left for Asia.
• A: How long had you been studying Turkish before you moved to Ankara?
  B: I had not been studying Turkish very long.

USE 2 Cause of Something in the Past

Using the Past Perfect Continuous before another action in the past is a good way to show cause and effect.

Examples:

• Jason was tired because he had been jogging.
• Sam gained weight because he had been overeating.
• Betty failed the final test because she had not been attending class.

Past Perfect / Past Perfect Continuous 

Using the words in parentheses, complete the text below with the appropriate tenses, then click the "Check" button to check your answers.

I'm sorry I left without you last night, but I told you to meet me early because the show started at 8:00. I (try)  to get tickets for that play for months, and I didn't want to miss it. By the time I finally left the coffee shop where we were supposed to meet, I (have)  five cups of coffee and I (wait)  over an hour. I had to leave because I (arrange)  to meet Kathy in front of the theater.

When I arrived at the theater, Kathy (pick, already)  up the tickets and she was waiting for us near the entrance. She was really angry because she (wait)  for more than half an hour. She said she (give, almost)  up and (go)  into the theater without us.

Kathy told me you (be)  late several times in the past and that she would not make plans with you again in the future. She mentioned that she (miss) several movies because of your late arrivals. I think you owe her an apology. And in the future, I suggest you be on time!

Put the verbs into the correct form (past perfect simple or past perfect progressive).

1. The storm destroyed the sandcastle that we (build) .
2. He (not / be)  to Cape Town before 1997.
3. When she went out to play, she (do / already)  her homework.
4. My brother ate all of the cake that our mum (make) .
5. The doctor took off the plaster that he (put on)  six weeks before.
6. The waiter brought a drink that I (not / order) .
7. I could not remember the poem we (learn)  the week before.
8. The children collected the chestnuts that (fall)  from the tree.
9. (he / phone)  Angie before he went to see her in London?
10. She (not / ride)  a horse before that day.
11. They (wait)  at the station for 90 minutes when the train finally arrived.
12. We (look for)  her ring for two hours and then we found it in the bathroom.
13. I (not / walk)  for a long time, when it suddenly began to rain.
14. How long (learn / she)  English before she went to London?
15. Frank Sinatra caught the flu because he (sing)  in the rain too long.
16. He (drive)  less than an hour when he ran out of petrol.
17. They were very tired in the evening because they (help)  on the farm all day.
18. I (not / work)  all day; so I wasn't tired and went to the disco at night.
19. They (cycle)  all day so their legs were sore in the evening.

Present Perfect / Past Perfect
Present Perfect Continuous / Past Perfect Continuous 

Using the words in parentheses, complete the text below with the appropriate tenses, then click the "Check" button to check your answers.

1. It is already 9:30 PM and I (wait)  here for over an hour. If John does not get here in the next five minutes, I am going to leave.

2. I was really angry at John yesterday. By the time he finally arrived, I (wait)  for over an hour. I almost left without him.

3. Did you hear that Ben was fired last month? He (work)  for that import company for more than ten years and he (work)  in almost every department. Nobody knew the company like he did.

4. I (see)  many pictures of the pyramids before I went to Egypt. Pictures of the monuments are very misleading. The pyramids are actually quite small.

5. Sarah (climb)  the Matterhorn, (sail)  around the world, and (go)  on safari in Kenya. She is such an adventurous person.

6. Sarah (climb)  the Matterhorn, (sail)  around the world and (go)  on safari in Kenya by the time she turned twenty-five. She (experience)  more by that age than most people do in their entire lives.

7. When Melanie came into the office yesterday, her eyes were red and watery. I think she (cry) .

SHOPPING CROSSWORD

A thematic crossword for students of English as a foreign language, or English as a second language.
Most of the answers to the crossword have something to do with the subject of SHOPPING..

Here's a crossword to help you get by next time you go shopping in an English-speaking country ! You'll probably need to use a dictionary to help you with this crossword.
CLUES ACROSS 7. 1.    What you must do before you take your purchases from the shop! 2.    Some shops offer free ________ of goods to your home, if you spend enough money! 5.    What people usually pay with. 7.    Goods in a shop, waiting to be sold. 9.    An article which is being promoted at a cheaper price than usual (7,5) .	11.    Structure behind which the shopkeeper stands in a traditional small shop. 13.    Following... or the name of a fashionable English clothes shop. 14.    Most shops do this at about 5.30 p.m. in England. 16.    Cardboard container. 17.    Personal journal: many people buy one before Jan. 1st. 18.    Wheeled container used by shoppers in supermarkets.

CLUES DOWN 1.    Puts things into a container. 3.    A tax on things you buy (initials). 4.    The desk where one pays, before leaving a shop. (5,3) 6.    A shop which has multiple branches in different places (5,5). 7.    Taken without being paid for. 8.    Also called "plastic money" (6,4) 10.    Container for putting your shopping in. 12.    To sell directly to the general public. 15.    The opposite of "do".

CLUES ACROSS 1.    Speak 6.    Finish 7.    Container for written message 11.    Person whose job is to answer the phone. 12.    Collection of names. 13.    Written message, transmitted by phone, delivered by hand. 15.    Singular of "were" 17.    Expression of agreement. 18.    Packages, boxes sent by post.
CLUES DOWN1.    Done up with string. 2.    Holds, retains 3.    Entrance, or exit. 4.    Come together at the same time and place 5.    Write it clearly, so your postcard won't get lost.	8.    Use them to speak with. 9.    It is written on paper and sent by post.. 10.    They communicate printed news,  and are usually daily or weekly. 13.    Same as 1 across. 14.    What the postman delivers. 16.    If you don't know the number, look it ......!.