These past perfect exercises turn the whole lesson into a free Jeopardy game with 30 questions: the affirmative form, the negative form, questions, the past perfect against the simple past, the third conditional, wishes and reported speech. Need to review first? Read our Past Perfect Tense lesson, then our guides to conditionals and wishes and reported speech.
Table of Contents
Past Perfect Exercises: Play the Jeopardy Game
How many teams are playing?
Choose 1 to 6 teams. You can play alone, in pairs of teams, or with the whole class.
- Pick a tile: the bigger the number, the harder the question.
- You have 20 seconds. The timer is separate from the Reveal answer button.
- Right answer: the team wins the points. Wrong answer: that team is out and the next team can try.
Answer Key: Past Perfect Jeopardy Questions
Affirmative Form
-
100 points: She ___ her work before the meeting started.
- has finished
- had finished
- have finished
- was finishing
Answer: B. She finished first, then the meeting started: the earlier past action takes had + past participle.
-
200 points: When we arrived, they ___ already.
- had went
- had left
- had leave
- has left
Answer: B. Past perfect = had + past participle. The past participle of go is gone and of leave is left, so it is had left.
-
300 points: By the time the film began, we ___ our seats.
- had took
- had taken
- have taken
- were taking
Answer: B. By the time + simple past (began) asks for the past perfect in the other clause: had taken. Take is irregular: took (simple past), taken (participle).
-
400 points: In “She’d finished her homework”, what does ‘d stand for?
- would
- had
- did
- should
Answer: B. ‘d followed by a past participle (finished) is the contraction of had.
-
500 points: In which sentence does ‘d stand for HAD?
- I’d love a cup of tea.
- I’d never visited Rome before that trip.
- She’d rather stay home.
- We’d go if we could.
Answer: B. ‘d + past participle (visited) = had. In the other sentences ‘d = would.
Negative Form
-
100 points: Which is the negative form of “He had eaten breakfast”?
- He hadn’t ate breakfast.
- He hadn’t eaten breakfast.
- He didn’t had eaten breakfast.
- He not had eaten breakfast.
Answer: B. Add not (or n’t) after had and keep the past participle: He hadn’t eaten breakfast.
-
200 points: Which is the short form of “I had not studied for the exam”?
- I hadn’t studied for the exam.
- I haven’t studied for the exam.
- I didn’t studied for the exam.
- I wasn’t studied for the exam.
Answer: A. had not = hadn’t. The past participle studied stays the same.
-
300 points: We were lucky: when we arrived, the shop ___ yet.
- hasn’t closed
- didn’t close
- hadn’t closed
- wasn’t closed
Answer: C. Up to that moment in the past, the closing had not happened yet: hadn’t closed.
-
400 points: Which sentence is correct?
- She hadn’t never seen snow before.
- She never had saw snow before.
- She had not never seen snow before.
- She had never seen snow before.
Answer: D. Never is already negative, so we do not add not or n’t: She had never seen snow before.
-
500 points: Which sentence has the same meaning as “He hadn’t eaten anything before he went out”?
- He had a big meal before leaving the house.
- He left the house without having eaten anything.
- He stayed at home all day.
- He ate lunch and then went out.
Answer: B. The negative past perfect says that nothing had been eaten up to the moment he went out.
Questions
-
100 points: Which is a correct yes/no question?
- Did you had ever traveled abroad before your trip to Italy?
- You had ever traveled abroad before your trip to Italy?
- Had you ever traveled abroad before your trip to Italy?
- Were you ever traveled abroad before your trip to Italy?
Answer: C. Yes/no questions invert the subject and had: Had you ever traveled…?
-
200 points: What ___ he done before he arrived at the party?
- had
- did
- has
- was
Answer: A. Wh-question word + had + subject + past participle: What had he done…?
-
300 points: “Had they left when you arrived?” Choose the correct short answer: “No, ___.”
- they didn’t
- they weren’t
- they hadn’t
- they haven’t
Answer: C. A short answer repeats the auxiliary of the question: Had they…? No, they hadn’t.
-
400 points: Choose the correctly formed question.
- What did happen had before the police arrived?
- What happened had before the police arrived?
- What had happened before the police arrived?
- What had it happen before the police arrived?
Answer: C. When the question word is the subject, there is no inversion: What had happened…?
-
500 points: Which is a correct NEGATIVE question?
- Hadn’t finished you the exam when the bell rang?
- Didn’t you had finished the exam when the bell rang?
- Haven’t you finished the exam when the bell rang?
- Hadn’t you finished the exam when the bell rang?
Answer: D. Negative questions put hadn’t before the subject: Hadn’t you finished…?
Past Perfect vs Simple Past
-
100 points: “After I had revised my lessons, I watched a film.” Which action happened FIRST?
- I watched a film.
- I revised my lessons.
- They happened at the same time.
- We cannot know.
Answer: B. The past perfect (had revised) marks the earlier action.
-
200 points: Which tense do we use for the LATER of two past actions?
- Past perfect
- Simple past
- Present perfect
- Future simple
Answer: B. The later action uses the simple past; the earlier one uses the past perfect.
-
300 points: When we ___ at the station, the train ___ already.
- had arrived / left
- arrived / left
- arrived / had left
- had arrived / had left
Answer: C. We arrived (later, simple past) and the train had left (earlier, past perfect).
-
400 points: Which sentence means the phone rang BEFORE I opened the door?
- When I opened the door, the phone rang.
- When I opened the door, the phone had rung.
- When I opened the door, the phone was ringing.
- When I opened the door, the phone has rung.
Answer: B. The phone had rung = it rang first. With the simple past (the phone rang) the ringing comes right after the opening.
-
500 points: I ___ her at the party because she ___ so much since our last meeting.
- hadn’t recognised / changed
- didn’t recognise / had changed
- didn’t recognise / changed
- hadn’t recognised / had changed
Answer: B. Not recognising her is the main past event (simple past). Her change happened earlier, so it takes the past perfect.
Third Conditional
-
100 points: Which structure forms the third conditional?
- If + simple past, would + base verb
- If + past perfect, would have + past participle
- If + present simple, will + base verb
- If + past perfect, would + base verb
Answer: B. Third conditional: if + past perfect, would have + past participle.
-
200 points: If I had worked hard, I ___ good grades.
- would have
- will have had
- would have had
- had would have
Answer: C. The main clause needs would have + past participle: would have had.
-
300 points: The third conditional talks about …
- a possible future event.
- a general truth.
- an unreal situation in the past.
- a real habit.
Answer: C. It imagines a different past that did not happen, so it cannot be changed now.
-
400 points: We wouldn’t have got lost if we ___ the wrong road.
- didn’t take
- hadn’t taken
- wouldn’t have taken
- haven’t taken
Answer: B. The if clause of the third conditional uses the (negative) past perfect: hadn’t taken.
-
500 points: Which is a correct third-conditional QUESTION?
- What will you do if you had missed the flight?
- What did you do if you would have missed the flight?
- What would you have done if you had missed the flight?
- What would you have done if you would have missed the flight?
Answer: C. Question: Wh-word + would + subject + have + past participle, then if + past perfect.
Wishes & Reported Speech
-
100 points: “I wish I had worked harder” expresses …
- a plan for the future.
- a regret about the past.
- a daily habit.
- an ability in the present.
Answer: B. Wish + past perfect expresses regret about something in the past.
-
200 points: I wish I ___ harder last year.
- studied
- would study
- had studied
- have studied
Answer: C. A wish about the past takes the past perfect: I wish I had studied.
-
300 points: “I saw a film yesterday.” He said he ___ a film.
- saw
- would see
- has seen
- had seen
Answer: D. In reported speech the simple past shifts back to the past perfect: He said he had seen a film.
-
400 points: “Did you finish?” She asked me ___.
- if I finish
- did I finish
- if I had finished
- had I finished
Answer: C. Reported yes/no question: if + subject + past perfect, with no inversion.
-
500 points: Yesterday Tom told me: “I haven’t eaten anything.” Tom told me he ___ anything.
- hasn’t eaten
- didn’t eat
- hadn’t eaten
- won’t eat
Answer: C. The present perfect shifts back to the past perfect in reported speech: hadn’t eaten.
What Are Past Perfect Exercises?
Quick answer: past perfect exercises practise the tense formed with had + past participle, which shows that one past action was completed before another past action. This page gives you 30 free questions in a Jeopardy game, with the correct answer and a short explanation for every question.
The questions follow the lesson: the form (affirmative, negative and questions), the difference between the past perfect and the simple past, the past perfect in the third conditional, and its use in wishes about the past and in reported speech.
How to Play the Past Perfect Exercises Game
- Choose 1 to 6 teams. You can play alone, with 2 teams or with the whole class.
- Teams take turns to pick a tile. The bigger the number, the harder the question.
- Pick one answer within 20 seconds. The timer runs on its own and has Pause and Restart buttons.
- A right answer wins the points. A wrong answer puts that team out, and the next team can choose another answer.
- The Reveal answer button shows the correct answer and the explanation, with no points. It is separate from the timer.
- A tile disappears after its question is closed. Use the -100 button to give a penalty and the Full screen button to play on a projector.
Past Perfect Form: Affirmative, Negative and Questions
Before you start the past perfect exercises, check the three forms. The auxiliary is always had, for every subject: I, you, he, she, it, we and they.
Affirmative Past Perfect
Subject + had + past participle. The short form ‘d can mean had or would, so look at the word after it: a past participle after ‘d means had.
- She had finished her work before the meeting started.
- I had studied French for two years before I traveled to Paris.
- The train had already left the station by the time we got to the platform.
Negative Past Perfect
Add not after had, or use hadn’t. The word never is already negative, so it does not need not.
- He hadn’t eaten breakfast before he went to work.
- I had not studied for the exam, so I didn’t do well.
- She had never seen snow before she moved to Canada.
Past Perfect Questions
In yes/no questions, had comes before the subject. In wh-questions, the question word comes first. When the question word is the subject, there is no inversion.
- Had you ever traveled abroad before your trip to Italy? Yes, I had. / No, I hadn’t.
- What had he done before he arrived at the party?
- What had happened before the police arrived?
Past Perfect vs Simple Past
The past perfect looks back from a point in the past. Use it for the earlier of two past actions and use the simple past for the later one.
- When we arrived at the station, the train had already left. (The train left first.)
- After I had revised my lessons, I watched a film. (I revised first.)
If you mention only one past event, use the simple past, even if it happened a long time ago. You can read more in the past perfect explanation on British Council LearnEnglish.
Signal Words for the Past Perfect
Time words help you see the order of the events. The words after, already, never and just often go with the past perfect, while before, by the time and when often introduce the simple past action.
- By the time the film began, we had taken our seats.
- I had never seen such a film before.
- My brother had gone to school before I woke up.
Past Perfect in the Third Conditional
The third conditional imagines a different past. The if clause takes the past perfect and the result clause takes would have + past participle.
- If I had worked hard, I would have had good grades.
- We wouldn’t have got lost if we hadn’t taken the wrong road.
- What would you have done if you had missed the flight?
In the first example, the real situation is the opposite: I did not work hard, so I did not get good grades. Do not use would have in the if clause: say If I had known, not If I would have known.
Past Perfect in Wishes and Reported Speech
Use wish + past perfect to express a regret about the past: I wish I had worked harder. In reported speech, the simple past and the present perfect move back to the past perfect.
- “I saw a film yesterday.” becomes: He said he had seen a film yesterday.
- “We have just finished our meal.” becomes: He said they had just finished their meal.
- “Did you finish?” becomes: She asked me if I had finished.
Common Mistakes in Past Perfect Exercises
Using the Wrong Verb Form After Had
After had, always use the past participle: had gone, not had went; had taken, not had took. Learn the three forms of irregular verbs: go, went, gone; take, took, taken; leave, left, left.
Mixing Did and Had
Do not use did with had. Say He hadn’t eaten, not He didn’t had eaten. Say Had you finished?, not Did you had finished?
Double Negatives and Would Have in the If Clause
Never is already negative: say She had never seen snow, not She hadn’t never seen snow. In the third conditional, the if clause takes the past perfect: say If I had studied, not If I would have studied.
How to Get a High Score in the Past Perfect Exercises
- First ask which action happened first. That action takes the past perfect.
- Decide the form: affirmative, negative or question. Then check the word order.
- Read all four options before you click, because wrong answers often differ by one small word.
- In a team, agree on the answer quickly. You only have 20 seconds.
- After each question, press Reveal answer or read the explanation, so you learn from the mistakes.
- Play again and try to beat your score.
When you finish the game, write five sentences about your own day or week with the past perfect: two affirmative, two negative and one question.
FAQ: Past Perfect Exercises
How do you form the past perfect?
The past perfect is formed with had + past participle. The negative is had not (hadn’t) + past participle, and questions start with had: Had you finished?
When do we use the past perfect instead of the simple past?
Use the past perfect for the earlier of two past actions, and the simple past for the later one. For example: When we arrived, the train had left.
How is the past perfect used in the third conditional?
The if clause takes the past perfect and the result clause takes would have + past participle: If I had worked hard, I would have had good grades.
Can I play these past perfect exercises alone?
Yes. Choose 1 team on the start screen. You can also play with 2 to 6 teams in a class.
Where can I do past perfect exercises online for free?
On this page. It has 30 questions in a Jeopardy game with a 20-second timer, a Reveal answer button for every question and a full answer key with explanations.
- Past Perfect Tense: the full lesson
- Conditional and Wishes
- The Reported Speech
- Free English Grammar Exercises for Moroccan Students
- Best 7 Moroccan BAC English Exercises for EFL Learners
Thank you so much for your help. I have an exam now but its so hard to now all the verbs in simple past and past participle .. and it’s so difficult
thank you teacher profusely for your great effort . the lessons are explained in easy way, everyone can understand it, also the website is greatly designed with an innovative design which can create a good atmosphere for learning.
i failed “_”
number 2 , 5, 8 , 9 , 11 , 12 , 13
please help *_*
2- By the time we (get) got to the stadium, the football match had already started(already/begin)
5- I was very tired because I had studied (study) too much.
8- When we arrived (arrive) to the station, the train had just left (just/leave)
9- The patient had already died (already/die) by the time the doctor saw (see) her.
11- They (stop) stopped smoking as soon as they had seen (see) their boss.
12- My mother had already prepared (already/prepare) breakfast when I woke (wake) up.
13- if the driver had driven (drive) slowly, he wouldn’t have had that terrible accident.
[…] Need some exercises? Click Here. […]
Teather you made in the correction :
They stopped smoking as soon as they saw their boss.
but we have two actions one is happened before the other .. we need to do the first action in past perfect ..
like this: They had stopped smoking as soon as they saw their boss.
teacher if i am wrong explain to me please ?!
Hafsa. Your justification is correct but your answer needs verification.
The rule of the past perfect says that it is used with the first action and the second action is used in the simple past.
So which action is first? is it seeing their Boss or stopping smoking?
That’s seeing their boss. The second action is stopping smoking. Furthermore, the word ‘as soon as’ is used with the past perfect.
The first action: see their boss
The second action: stop smoking.
Hence the answer is: They stopped smoking as soon as they had seen their boss. And this is the answer in the exercise but for certain reasons didn’t show up to you.
I hope it is clear Miss Hafsa otherwise just say it and we discuss it more.
theacher for Question Numbre 11 we heve ( as soon as ) Followed by Past perfect ??!
The rule of the past perfect says that it is used with the first action and the second action is used in the simple past.
So which action is first? is it seeing their Boss or stopping smoking?
That’s seeing their boss. The second action is stopping smoking. Furthermore, the word ‘as soon as’ is used with the past perfect.
The first action: see their boss
The second action: stop smoking.
Hence the answer is: They stopped smoking as soon as they had seen their boss. And this is the answer in the exercise but for certain reasons didn’t show up to you.
I hope it is clear otherwise just say it and we discuss it more.