Introduction
Hello everybody! Today we will talk about the difference between Past Simple and Past Perfect. Past Simple and Past Perfect refer to events that occurred in the past and have no connection to the present. The main difference between Past Simple and Past Perfect is that in the first case it is important to show the sequence of events in the past, and in the second case it is important to emphasize that one event happened before another or ended by a certain moment in the past. For example:
- The party started and we opened the presents.
- The party had started when my friends came.
Task
Task 1. Put the verbs in the brackets correctly.
- Simon ... (be) very glad to see that his brother ... (do) the homework.
- By the time the film ... (end), she ... (fall asleep).
- I really ... (feel) sick last night because I ... (eat) too much raw fish.
- When Richard ... (arrive) at the station he ... (find) that his wife just ... (leave).
- First he ... (make) a toast, then he ... (sit down) and ... (drink) a white coffee.
- Kate ... (walk) home because she ... (miss) the last bus.
- By the time we ... (get) to Brazil, we already ... (spend) all our money.
- I ... (decide) to become a fireman by the time I ... (be) eight.
Task 2. Choose the right form.
- Sorry we are late, we had missed/missed the bus.
- I did/had done my homework, cleaned/had cleaned my room and then went for a walk.
- The man arrived at the station but the train had already left/already left.
- By the time Jenny got to the party most people went/had gone home already.
- They travelled/had travelled to Barcelona last month.
Task 3. Rewrite the sentences.
- They entered the restaurant. They were served. After they ... the restaurant, they ... .
- I lost my credit card. I did not use it. I ... my credit card because I ... it.
- The airline cancelled the flight, but they did not tell me. They ... me that Easyjet ... the flight.
- I broke my leg. I could not go out. I ... out because I ... my leg.
- He left school and took up a job. He ... up a job as soon as he ... school.
Process
Past Simple is formed by using the auxiliary verb did (in interrogative and negative sentences) and the second form of the main verb. Past Perfect, unlike Past Simple, is formed by using the auxiliary verb had and the third form of the main verb. If the verb is regular, in both tenses it is enough to add -ed to the semantic verb, and if it is irregular, the second form from the table of irregular verbs for Past Simple or the third form for Past Perfect must be used.
Examples
- I had seen the film already, so I did not watch it again.
- I had eaten three sandwiches before dinner so I was not hungry.
Evaluation
Evaluation for 3 task.
For Task 1: 1-8 right anwers 40 points, for each wrong answer -5 points
For Task 2: 1-5 right anwers 30 points, for each wrong answer -6 points
For Task 3: 1-5 right anwers 30 points, for each wrong answer -6 points