English Grammar Pattern 86
(1) Past Perfect + (2) Connector + (3) Past
Model SentenceWe (1) had already finished eating (2) when our boss (3) offered to take us out to dinner!
Grammar Pattern 86 has two past events, one which happened before the other. Usually, the first past event has an important connection to the second one. In the Model Sentence above, "we had finished eating" so we were not hungry when "our boss offered to take us out to dinner". The meaning of the sentence is that we missed a good opportunity - if only the boss had offered earlier!
Pronunciation Practice - Repeat each sentence out loud!
1. He had been waiting for two hours when the telephone suddenly rang.
2. I had already been planning my holiday when the boss told me I had to work overtime.
3. She had been studying for the exam for two months before learning that it was cancelled.
4. When we arrived at the football match, they had already been playing for 15 minutes.
5. I had just started using my computer when the electricity suddenly went out.
Conversation Practice - Ask these questions to your friends!
1. How long had you been working in your job before you started to do well?
2. Had you already been studying sentence patterns before you started these lessons?
3. Where had you been living when you decided to start your career?
4. Can you remember when you first went to university or started your first job? How long had you been studying to prepare for that day?
5. What kind of job had you been dreaming of before you found your current job?
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