Past perfect exercises worksheet
Get printable practice and answer guidance, with related online activities ready when you want to continue.
How this practice helps you
- Print the questions without the answers beside them.
- Use the explained key to review your choices.
- Continue the same topic online when you are ready.
Name: ____________________ Date: ____________________
The film was already over when we arrived. It ___ before we got there.
had finished / has finished / finishes
My answer: ________________________________________
She was hungry because she ___ lunch.
has not eaten / had not eaten / does not eat
My answer: ________________________________________
Choose the correct form.
had went / had go / had gone
My answer: ________________________________________
___ you finished before the teacher returned?
Had / Have / Did had
My answer: ________________________________________
I recognised the place because I ___ it before.
had visited / have visit / am visiting
My answer: ________________________________________
By the time we arrived, the film ___.
will start / had started / has started
My answer: ________________________________________
She could not unlock the door because she ___ her key.
had lost / has lost / will lose
My answer: ________________________________________
Choose the correct past perfect form.
They had not finish. / They have not finished yesterday. / They had not finished.
My answer: ________________________________________
___ you ___ the book before you saw the film?
Did / reading / Had / read / Have / read
My answer: ________________________________________
When I reached the shop, it had closed. What happened first?
The shop closed. / I reached the shop. / Both actions must have been simultaneous.
My answer: ________________________________________
Answer key & explanations
- had finished — The finish happened before our arrival, another past event.
- had not eaten — Not eating lunch came before feeling hungry in this past story.
- had gone — The past participle of go is gone.
- Had — Past perfect questions begin with had before the subject.
- had visited — The earlier visit explains the later past recognition.
- had started — Had started places the start before our arrival in the past.
- had lost — The loss happened before the later past problem of being unable to unlock the door.
- They had not finished. — Past perfect uses had plus a past participle, including in negatives.
- Had / read — Use had before the subject and the past participle read for this earlier past experience.
- The shop closed. — Past perfect had closed marks the closing as earlier than the arrival.
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Next worksheet: Past perfect vs past simple →Want more past perfect exercises 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
- Put two past events in order
- Form had + past participle
- Choose past perfect only when needed