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Thursday, July 10, 2014

Simple Past versus Past Perfect by Fung Lan Yong (10 July 2014)

Simple Past versus Past Perfect
by Fung Lan Yong, Honorary Advisor
IPB Pine Academy Sabah
July 10, 2014


Simple Past Tense versus Past Perfect Tense

 

Part 1: Put the verbs into the simple past or past perfect.

 

My grammar lecturer (1) _________ (go) to Disneyland in Los Angeles in 1991 when she (2) __________ (be) still a university student at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. Before 1991 she (3) ________  (never be) to any of the American theme parks because she (4) _________ (grow) up in a small country where none existed.  She (5) __________ (be) fascinated by the sights and sounds at Disneyland, but most of all she () _________ (admire) the beautiful castle that she (4) _________ (see) many times in one of her favourite fairytales Cinderella.  She (5) _________(also enjoy) the other attractions of the park, including Mickey Mouse and Goofy whom she (7) __________ (take) some pictures with.

 
Source:

Grammar in Context by Fung Lan Yong, Honorary Advisor, IPB Pine Academy Sabah, 2014.  

 

 

Part 2:  Put the verbs into the simple past or past perfect.

 

My grammar lecturer’s ancestors (1) _________  (come) from southern China.  In the late 20th century, there (2) __________(be) many political tensions in the region.  The emperor (3) __________(not allow) political freedom in China as he (4) ________ (have) problems with several dialect groups in the past. That was why during his reign many people, especially farmers, (5) _________ (leave) the country to look for greener pastures.  My lecturer’s grandparents (6) _________ (go) aboard a junk to sail to Southeast Asia.  Before their journey, they (7) __________  (already live) in severe poverty for a long tie. Now on the junk, storms (8) __________(make) the journey exceedingly difficult.

 

Her grandparents only (9) __________ (reach) Sabah after they (10) ________  (sail) the Pacific Ocean for several months.  When they first (11) _________ (land) on the shores of Borneo, the immigrants (11) _________ (not build) enough huts and they (12) _________ (not collect) enough food when the rainy season (13) _________ (begin).   Several (14) _________ (become) sick while some others (15) __________ (die) of hunger and disease.  Her grandparents (15) _________  (clear) the swamps and (16) __________ (cultivate) various crops, including coconuts and rice.   They also (17) __________ (fish) and (18) ________  (hunt) to supplement their income.

My lecturer’s relatives (19) _________ (even learn) a little bit of English because Borneo (20) _________  (be) under British rule then.  To maintain their customs and traditions my lecturer’s ancestors (21) ___________  (also build) vernacular schools and temples.   

 

Source:

Grammar in Context by Fung Lan Yong, Honorary Advisor, IPB Pine Academy Sabah, 2014.  

 

 

Part 3:  Put the verbs into the simple past or past perfect.

 

It (1) _________ (be) a gloomy weekend, so the grammar lecturer (2) _________ (decide) to finish the newspaper article that she (3) _________ (start) writing a few days before. She (4) ________  (switch) on the notebook and (5) _________ (open) the interesting document.  Then she (6) ________ (begin) searching for her valuable notes that she (7) _________(handwrite) on a few sheets of foolscap paper. However, the notes (8) _________ (be) not on her desk and she (9) _________  (not remember) where she (10) _________ (put) them.   She (11) ________  (turn) the entire apartment upside down, but where (12) __________(she finally locate) her precious notes?  She (13) _______  (leave) them in the sitting room, under a heavy stack of papers and magazines.  Now that she (14) _________ (find) her notes, she (15) _________  (want) to continue writing my paper.  First she (16) _________ (not know) what to write, but soon, she (17) __________ (have) several ideas.  She (18) __________(almost complete) the manuscript when her notebook suddenly (19) _________ (crash) and she (20) _________(realise) that she (21) _________ (forget) to save a large portion of the document.  After she (22) _________ (reboot) her notebook, she (23) _________ (notice) that at least three of the pages that she (24) __________ (type) (25) _________ (be) missing; hence, she (26) _________ (have) to start all over again.  The following Monday, she (27) _________ (recount) to her students that she (28) _________ (really have) a frustrating time; nevertheless she still (29) __________ (persist) and thankfully, the newspaper editor (30) _________ (accept) her work.  She (31) ___________ (can hardly wait) to see her endeavour in black and white!

Source:

Grammar in Context by Fung Lan Yong, Honorary Advisor, IPB Pine Academy Sabah, 2014.  

 
 
Part 4:  Put the verbs into the simple past or past perfect.

 

1.    The removal van ________(arrive) before they ________ (finish) packing.

2.    Before they _________(move) to this town, they _________ (live) in Chicago.

3.    After the children _________  (take) their lunch, they ________ (take) a nap.

4.    After school we __________ (always meet) at the youth club.

5.    Soon after sunrise we _________ (cycle) to a hill that I _________ (never hear) of before.

6.    When I _________ (come) home, my mother ___________ (already prepare) dinner.

7.    When Monica __________ (finish) her homework, she _________ (go) out to play.

8.    When we _________ (meet) Andrew last Friday, we _________ (reveal) our plans.


10.  We _________ (give) away the flowers that we _________  (pick) from the garden.

11.  Wendy __________ (deliver) the letter that she _________ (compose) last night.

12.  Yesterday she __________ (deliver) the letter that she _________ (compose).

13.  Yesterday the gardener __________ (water) the trees that he __________  (plant).  

14.  I __________ (get) into the taxi that my friend _________ (book) for me.

15.  Yesterday she _________ (want) to wear the dress that her aunt _________ (sew).

16.  Yesterday a boy _________  (destroy) the snowman that we ________ (build).

17.  Jimmy _________ (patiently narrate) to us the film that he ________(watch).

18.  Last Friday we _________(locate) the smartphone that she _________ (misplace).

19.  Last night he ________ (sing) a song that I __________ (never hear) before.

20.  Catherine _________(open) the window that I ________ (just close).

21.  When I __________ (arrive) this morning, the lesson _________ (already begin).  

22.  I __________ (go) to Shanghai last week and I _________ (never be) there before.

23.  Bob _________ (not let) us into his room because he _________ (not clean) it yet.

24.  I _________ (feel) very hungry because I __________ (not eat) anything yet.

25.  As she ________ (see) the film before, she _________ (not wish) to accompany us.

26.  William ________ (live) in Boston for six years before he ________ (move).

27.  The blue car _________ (cross) the street after the lights ________ (turn) red.

28.  When James _________ (try) to contact us, we _________(already leave).

29.  After Joan ________ (finish) her presentation, we ________  (ask) some questions.

30.  At the beginning, we ________(be) nervous as we _______ (not drive) a car before.

    

Reference:
English Grammar Online For You by Heike Pahlow, Mkario Muller, & Stefanie Czapla,10
December 2010, <http://www.ego4u.com/en/team-up/about>.

 

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