Sentence Patterns to Help u Speak English ... 72



English Grammar Pattern 72
Describing Two Past Events - (1) "Had" + (2) Past Participle + (3) Past

Model Sentence
I (1) had already (2) eaten a big meal before they (3) invited me to dinner.

English Grammar Pattern 72 is not used very often, but it causes many troubles for learners of English. This is called the "past perfect" tense in English grammar. One event (usually the second one) was in the past, so we use the past tense of the verb. That event was influenced by a previous past event, which should should be in the past perfect, using "had" with a past participle. The examples below are better than any explanation, so learn them well!

Pronunciation Practice - Repeat each sentence out loud!
1. I had already read the book before I saw the film.
2. We had already read the news when John told us.
3. My mother had left before the letter was delivered.
4. The game had already finished when we arrived at the stadium.
5. I had finished washing the floor just as the dog ran in.

Conversation Practice - Ask these questions to your friends!
1. Had you already studied English before starting these lessons?
2. Had you already studied another language before starting English?
3. Had you visited another country before you finished high school?
4. What work had you done before starting your current job?
5. What experience did you have when you started your first job?

















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