In if (conditional) sentences

The past perfect tense is used in unreal or hypothetical stituations, as in the following sentences:

• If I had known you were in Frankfurt, I would have called you. (but I didn't know you were here so I didn't call you!)
• If I had had enough money, I would have bought you a better present. (but I didn't have enough money.)
• I would have been very angy if you had laughed when I got the answer wrong. (but you didn't laugh, so I wasn't angry.)
• She wouldn't have been able to finish, if you hadn't helped her. (but you did help her and she did finish.)
• I wish I had studied for my exams. (but I didn't study - and I got bad grades!)
• I would have been in big trouble if you hadn't helped me. (but you did help me so I stayed out of trouble.)

 

Exercises:

a) Past Perfect

Conjugate the verb in parentheses in the past perfect tense. In the case of questions, use the indicated subject as well.

1. They ____ (eat) before he arrived.

2. ____ (you finish) the report before he asked for it?

3. Jennifer _____ (buy) the house before the market crashed.

4. What _____ (she do) that upset him so much?

5. Our boss _____ (not make) the decision yet when management changed their mind.

6. The students _____ (write) the report, but the teacher made them do it again.

7. Mark _____ (want) to go to New York, but his wife changed his mind.

8. _____ (they invest) in that stock before the market improved?

9. Alex _____ (not do) the gardening before it started raining.

10. We _____ (eat already) so we weren't hungry.

11. _____ (Tom choose) the color for his room before he was asked to paint it black?

12. Sarah _____ (drive) three hundred miles by the time she arrived in Tacoma.

13. Few people _____ (understand) the news when the consequences began to appear.

14. The reporter _____ (not tell) the cameraman to get ready when the president walked into the room.

15. Bob _____ (purchase) the first generation iPad two weeks before the second generation was introduced.

16. I _____ (print) the report before he gave me the updates.

17. _____ (Henry come) home before the called the police?

18. She _____ (not complete) the article when the news changed everything.

19. The coach _____ (reserve) rooms for everybody so there weren't any problems.

b) Directions: Circle the 10 verbs in the past perfect tense. Identify the other event in the past that the past perfect refers to. Example: I had gone to the gym before I ate dinner. (had gone = past perfect; ate dinner = other event in the past).

Daughter	Hi Mom.
Mother	Hello. What’s going on?
Daughter	Oh, nothing. Can I talk to you about your past?
Mother	Sure. What would you like to know?
Daughter	I want to know about your life before you had children.
Mother	Oh, ok. Your father and I had been married for 10 years before we decided to have children, so we had spent a lot of time getting to know each other.
Daughter	Had you ever thought of having children?
Mother	Yes, we had. We had actually planned on adopting children. We had started the adoption process, and we had set up the spare bedrooms for children. Then, one day, I got sick. It turned out to be morning sickness.
Daughter	What about before you got married?
Mother	Your father said he had noticed me at work, but he never asked me out. Finally, he had gotten up the nerve to ask me out. I said yes.
Daughter	Did you have any regrets?
Mother	I had never really thought about it.

Listening College Life

Listen and complete the answers.

1. What does the man want to do after he graduates?
A. He wants to become a teacher.
B. He hopes to go on to graduate school.
C. He'd like to work at a hotel.

2. What is the woman majoring in?
A. history
B. French
C. computer science

3. How does the woman pay for college?
A. She has a part-time job.
B. She received a scholarship.
C. Her parents are paying for it.

4. Where does the man work part-time?
A. at a bakery
B. in a library
C. at a restaurant

5. What thing did the man NOT say about his job?
A. His co-workers are friendly.
B. He works long hours.
C. The pay is okay.

Speaking

Speak about the University’s academic activity using the following words and word-combinations:

wide choice of programmes; Bachelor’s programmes in economics and management; Master’s programmes; different level of academic achievement; postgraduate and doctorate programmes; special studies; academic year; term; examination session; candidate degree; to submit a graduation paper; general education; to take the state examination.

 

Reading

Text My University