You are here: Home / English exercises / Intermediate exercises / Intermediate grammar exercise: past perfect versus past simple

Intermediate grammar exercise: past perfect versus past simple

English grammar practice exercise, for pre-intermediate and intermediate level.

In this exercise you will practise the difference between the past simple and past perfect tenses.

Instructions: Put the verb in brackets into either the past simple or past perfect simple:

questions go herescore goes here

Structure of past simple
positive negative question
I arrived yesterday.
You arrived yesterday.
He/she/it arrived.
We arrived.
They arrived.
 I didn't (did not) arrive.
You didn't (did not) arrive.
He/she/it didn't arrive.
We didn't arrive.
They didn't arrive.
 Did I arrive yesterday?
Did you arrive?
Did he/she/it arrive?
Did we arrive?
Did they arrive?

Past simple - common mistakes
Common mistakes Correct version Why?
I was work in London. I worked in London. In positive sentences, a helping verb such as 'was' or 'did' is not used.
He worked in London? Did he work in London? The helping verb 'did' is used in past simple questions.
Worked he in London? Did he work in London? The helping verb 'did' is used in past simple questions.
Did he wrote a letter? Did he write a letter? The main verb is used in the infinitive form in questions and negatives.
He didn't wrote a letter. He didn't write a letter. The main verb is used in the infinitive form in questions and negatives.



Structure of past perfect simple
positive negative question
I'd (I had) seen him.
You'd done it. 
We'd been there. 
They'd eaten it.  		I hadn't (had not) seen him. 
You hadn't done it. 
We hadn't been there. 
They hadn't eaten it.  		Had I seen him?
Had you seen her?
Had we finished it?
Had they been there?
He'd (he had) gone.
She'd (she had) gone.
It'd (it had) gone. 		He hadn't (had not) gone.
She hadn't gone.
It hadn't gone. 		Had he been here?
Had she finished?
Had it gone?

Past perfect simple - common mistakes
Common mistakes Correct version Why?
I didn't been to London. I hadn't been to London. The helping verb had (negative - hadn't) is used in the past perfect.
When I saw him, I noticed that he had a haircut. When I saw him I noticed that he had had a haircut. The action (haircut) which happened before another past action must be put into the past perfect to make the time order clear to the listener.
He told me has been to London. He told me he had been to London. His original words were: ''I have been to London.'' However, in reported speech we move the tense back - the present perfect (have been) becomes past perfect (had been).