Past Perfect Practice

Introduction

Past Perfect (had + past participle) shows an earlier past event relative to another past event. It’s useful for sequencing and emphasizing that something had happened before something else. This practice focuses on common time markers like before, after, by the time, already, and yet, and contrasts with Past Simple.

Test Overview

• Total Questions: 30
• Duration: 30 minutes
• Level: A2–B1
• Focus: Sequencing past events, had + past participle, and contrast with Past Simple

Detailed Question Breakdown (Sneak Peek)

Below are sample items from the full 30‑question test to preview the style and difficulty. Take the full quiz for all questions and instant feedback.

SECTION 1: Multiple Choice (Sample)

• When we arrived, they ___ dinner. (had finished / finished / were finishing / have finished)
• She was nervous because she ___ before. (didn’t present / hadn’t presented / hasn’t presented / wasn’t presenting)
• By the time the movie started, we ___ our seats. (had found / found / were finding / have found)
• He apologized because he ___ your message. (didn’t read / hadn’t read / hasn’t read / wasn’t reading)

SECTION 2: Matching (Sample)

Match each sentence to the function (earlier past event, later past event, finished action, cause/result):

• When we reached the station, the train had left. → ______
• He was upset because he had failed the test. → ______
• She said she had sent the file. → ______
• I had never seen snow before that winter. → ______

SECTION 3: Fill‑in‑the‑Blank (Sample)

• By the time we arrived, the show ___.

• She was sad because she ___ the competition.

• They left at 7 because they ___ earlier.

• He didn’t eat; he ___ lunch already.

• We couldn’t enter; someone ___ the door.

• I apologized because I ___ your email.

Explore all 30 questions in the full quiz below.

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• ✅ 30 interactive questions
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Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is this quiz free?
A: Yes! Completely free for everyone.

Q: Do I need to register?
A: Students and teachers should register a free account to save progress, take assignments, and customize quizzes.

Q: When do I use Past Perfect instead of Past Simple?
A: Use Past Perfect to show the earlier past event when two past actions are related. Use Past Simple for single past events at a finished time.

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📚 Want the full list of English Grammar quizzes? See the hub: English Grammar Practice