Прошедшее совершенное время

(The Past Perfect Tense)

Past Perfect образуется с помощью вспомогательного глагола to have в форме прошедшего времени – had и Past Participle смыслового глагола. На русский язык переводится прошедшим временем совершенного, реже несовершенного вида глагола.

Past Perfect употребляется для обозначения действия, закончившегося раньше определенного момента времени в прошлом или раньше (до) другого действия в прошлом. Поэтому Past Perfect называют "предпрошедшим" временем. Момент времени, к которому завершилось "предпрошедшее" действие, может быть выражен:

1. обстоятельством времени с предлогом by: by six o'clock к шести часам, by the end of January к концу января, by the last week к прошлой неделе.

By the end of January all our students had passed their credits and examinations. – К концу января все наши студенты сдали зачеты и экзамены.

2. другим действием, выраженным глаголом в Past Indefinite.

When I phoned him he had(already)left for Moscow.– Когда я ему позвонил, он уже уехал в Москву.

Before they wrote a test, they had revised many grammar rules.– Перед тем, как написать контрольную работу, они повторили много грамматических правил.

After we had heard this news, we phoned them at once.– После того, как мы услышали эту новость, мы им сразу же позвонили.

Как видно из примеров, Past Perfect часто употребляется в сложноподчиненных предложениях с придаточным времени, которое вводится союзами when, before, after.

3. Если в связном контексте при изложении последовательных действий в прошлом упоминается другое действие, которое им предшествовало, т. е. произошло раньше событий, являющихся основной темой изложения, то это действие выражается глаголом в Past Perfect.

Our train was approaching Paris. It was my first visit to it. I had never been to any European capital before.– Наш поезд приближался к Парижу. Это был мой первый визит туда. Я никогда не был ни в одной европейской столице.

Если речь идет о нескольких действиях, которые в прошлом совершались одно за другим, через незначительные промежутки времени, то все глаголы употребляются в Past Indefinite.

He unlocked the door, entered the hall and switched the light on.– Он открыл дверь, вошел в коридор и включил свет.

Exercises

Use Past Perfect.

Models: Why didn't you listen to that play on the radio? (hear / before).

– I didn't listen to that play on the radio, because I had heard it before.

1. Why didn't you see Fred when you came to Moscow? (leave)

2. Why didn't Kate want to go to the cinema? (see the film)

3. Why didn't you tell him my new address? (forget)

4. Why didn't Jeff hear about Kate's examination? (pass)

5. Why did Fred come home so soon from his holiday? (spend all the money)

6. Why couldn't you get into your flat at once? (lose the key)

7. What did you learn about Bob? (get married)

8. What did she read in the newspaper about the expedition? (return)

9. What did he learn about Helen from the letter he received? (be ill for a month)

Complete the sentences using the verbs in brackets. You visited a friend and learned a lot of news about his family and other friends.

Model: His father didn't work in the bank anymore. He had retired (retire).

1. His parents didn't live there any longer. They (go) to live in the country.

2. His sister wasn't there either. She (get) married.

3. His house was larger. He (build) the third storey.

4. Your friends, Mike and Brenda, were away. They (leave) for Sweden.

Complete the sentences, using the verb in brackets.

Model: I was very excited about visiting London because I had never been there before (be).

1. The little boy couldn't wait to get to the sea. He (see) … before.

2. The teacher was late that morning. The class didn't know what to think (be / late) … .

3. Yesterday Larry taught Nell to play the guitar. She felt very unsure because she (play) … .

4. It was Miss Kelly's first day at school. She was very nervous because she (teach) … .

Make sentences using the words in brackets.

Model: His hair was wet. (He / just / have / a shower) – He had just had
a shower.

1. There was nobody at the platform, (the train / just / leave)

2. We didn't find anybody at home, (everybody / already / go out)

3. The children were playing in the garden, (they / just / come / from school)

4. Bob wasn't at home when I arrived, (he / arrange / to meet / some friends / at the club)

5. I couldn't recognize the child after all that time, (I / not / see / her / for seven years)

Put the verb into the correct form, Past Perfect or Past Simple.

Models: Was Father at home when I phoned? – No, he had already left.

Was Father at home when I phoned? – Yes, but he left soon afterwards.

1. The flat was empty when he arrived. Everybody (go) to the party.

2. There were voices heard from the kitchen, so I (go) straight there.

3. He cannot take part in the competition. He (break) his leg yesterday.

4. There was an accident at the mountain top. Some skier (break) his leg and the ambulance men were carrying him to the road. So we (stop) to let them pass.

Use the Past Perfect of the verbs given in brackets to complete the sentences.

Model: When John and I got to the river, the boat race (start already).

– When John and I got to the river, the boat race had already started.

1. When she went to bed, she remembered that she (not / switch off the light).

2. She felt tired because she (walk a lot / that day).

3. She went for a holiday after she (pass the exams).

4. We didn't know what to do when they (show / me / the picture).

5. I was very sorry to hear that he (die).

6. He didn't start speaking until the children (leave / the room).

7. When I met Helen, I understood why Bill (marry her).

8. He understood the book only after he (read it / again).

7. Unite the following pairs of sentences. Use the conjunctions after, as soon as, before, until, till, when.

Model: They went to England. They left school, (after). – They went to England after they had left school.

The sun set. They finished their work, (before). – The sun had set before they finished their work.

1.The sun rose. He woke up, (before).

2. He died. He was very ill, (before).

3. I understood the problem. He explained, (as soon as).

4. She wrote the letter. She went to the post office, (after).

5. I drove to the airport. The plane took off, (when).

6. She read the message carefully. She wrote the reply, (before).

7. He left the room. I turned on the radio, (as soon as).

8. He had dinner. He went to the cinema, (after).

9. The man didn't leave. He didn't receive a definite answer, (till).

10. We didn't say a word. He finished his story, (until).

11. We reached the football ground. The game started, (when).

12. John worked as a skilled builder. He began to study architecture, (before).

13. Harold couldn't leave for home. He completed everything, (till).

14. The snow was very deep. It snowed heavily, (after).