Past perfect vs past simple worksheet
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How this practice helps you
- Print the questions without the answers beside them.
- Use the explained key to review your choices.
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Name: ____________________ Date: ____________________
By the time we arrived, the meeting ___ already ended.
has / had / was
My answer: ________________________________________
She opened her notebook and ___ the date.
writes / has written / wrote
My answer: ________________________________________
I could not log in because I ___ my password.
had forgotten / have forgotten / forget
My answer: ________________________________________
Which sentence clearly places the departure before our arrival?
When we arrived, he had left. / When we arrived, he leaves. / When we arrive, he left.
My answer: ________________________________________
At eight, I ___ my bag and left.
picked up / had been pick up / have picked up
My answer: ________________________________________
The train had left before we arrived. Which event was earlier?
The sentence does not indicate order. / The train left. / We arrived.
My answer: ________________________________________
She ___ the email and then closed her laptop.
sent / had send / has sent yesterday
My answer: ________________________________________
I recognised him because we ___ before.
have meet / will meet / had met
My answer: ________________________________________
After they had eaten, they ___ the dishes.
have washing / washed / had wash
My answer: ________________________________________
Choose the correct sentence.
By noon, we had finished the work. / By noon, we had finish the work. / By noon, we did finished the work.
My answer: ________________________________________
Answer key & explanations
- had — By the time introduces the later past reference point.
- wrote — Two events in sequence use the past simple.
- had forgotten — Forgetting came before the failed past attempt.
- When we arrived, he had left. — Had left explicitly marks the departure as earlier.
- picked up — This moves the past narrative forward.
- The train left. — Had left explicitly marks the departure as earlier than arrived.
- sent — Past simple is natural for successive completed actions in a narrative.
- had met — The meeting preceded the later recognition, so past perfect fits.
- washed — Washed is the later past action; had eaten marks the earlier action.
- By noon, we had finished the work. — Had takes the past participle finished. Did would take the base form finish.
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Next worksheet: Past simple, continuous & perfect →Want more past perfect vs past simple practice?
The online topic pack has 40 exercises across four sets, including sentence work and original writing. This printable covers the ten-question warm-up.
Open all four practice sets →Skills to work on in this practice
- Find the earlier past event
- Use past simple for a finished sequence
- Avoid unnecessary past perfect