Past Perfect Simple and Continuous Exercises (With Answers)

If you’re looking for past perfect simple and continuous exercises, you’re in the right place.

In this post, you’ll practice:

  • Past perfect simple (had + past participle)
  • Past perfect continuous (had been + verb-ing)
  • Mixed exercises using both tenses
  • Affirmative, negative, and question forms

These exercises will help you understand when to use the past perfect simple and when to use the past perfect continuous in real situations.

Grammar Practice – Past Perfect Simple and Continuous Exercises

Banner - Quiz Time For English Learners: Past Perfect Simple and Continuous Exercises
Quiz Time For English Learners

Exercise 1 – Past Perfect Simple (Irregular Verbs)

Write the past participle of the following irregular verbs.

  1. speak -
  2. catch -
  3. eat -
  4. understand -
  5. begin -

Exercise 2 – Past Perfect Simple (Affirmative Sentences)

Complete the sentences in past perfect simple (affirmative form.)

  1. I lost the key that he (give) to me.
  2. He told me that he (see) the film.
  3. I went outside as I (hear) a noise.
  4. When they came home, Liza (cook) dinner.
  5. We could not send you a postcard because we (lose) your address.

Exercise 3 – Past Perfect Simple (Negative Sentences)

Complete the sentences in past perfect simple (negative).

  1. The waiter served something that we (not / order) .
  2. He went to the country which he (not / visit) before.
  3. She picked out the red dress, which she (not / wear) for ages.
  4. He (not / swim) in the beach before that day.
  5. His mother was angry because he (not / do) the shopping for her.

Exercise 4 – Past Perfect Simple Questions

Complete the questions in past perfect simple.

  1. (you / finish) your homework before you went to the cinema?
  2. Why (you / not / clean) the bathroom before you took a bath?
  3. (you / have) breakfast before you left the house?
  4. (she / manage) to find a place to stay when she went to London?
  5. Where (she / stay) before she moved to live with her friend?

Exercise 5 – Past Perfect vs Simple Past

Put the verbs into the correct form (past perfect or the simple past)

  1. The storm (destroy) the house that they had built.
  2. The children (clean) the blackboard they had used to do the mathematics exercise.
  3. When she went out to play, she (do / already) her homework.
  4. She (eat) all of the food that we had made.
  5. He took off the jacket he (put on) before.

Exercise 6 – Past Perfect Simple or Past Perfect Continuous

Put the verbs between brackets in the correct tense (past perfect simple or continuous.)

  1. I (try) to get tickets for that play for months before my friend finally got them.
  2. When I arrived at the theater, my friend (pick, already) up the tickets.
  3. He was really angry because he (wait) for more than half an hour when I arrived.
  4. When the play started, I (already, apologize) to my friend.
  5. We (watch) the play when the lights went off.

Warning

Before submitting the test, check the following:

  • Spelling
  • Spaces (don't add any unnecessary spaces)

Such mistakes would cost you valuable points. Good luck!

Quick Review: Past Perfect Simple vs Past Perfect Continuous

The past perfect describes actions that happened before another action in the past.

1. Past Perfect Simple

  • Form: had + past participle
  • Use it for:
    • A completed action before another past action
    • Showing the result of an earlier action
  • Example:
    • She had finished her homework before she went out.

2. Past Perfect Continuous

  • Form: had been + verb-ing
  • Use it for:
    • Emphasizing duration before another past action
    • Showing an ongoing action that was happening up to a point in the past
  • Example:
    • She had been studying for two hours before she went out.

3. When Do We Use Past Perfect Simple vs Continuous?

  • Use past perfect simple when the focus is on the completed action or its result.
  • Use past perfect continuous when the focus is on how long the action had been happening before something else occurred.

Compare:

  • He had repaired the car before we arrived. (completed action)
  • He had been repairing the car for two hours before we arrived. (duration)

FAQs About Past Perfect Simple and Continuous

What is the difference between past perfect simple and past perfect continuous?

The past perfect simple focuses on a completed action before another past action. The past perfect continuous emphasizes duration before another past action.

How do you form the past perfect continuous?

Subject + had been + verb-ing
Example: They had been waiting for an hour.

Can I use both tenses in the same sentence?

Yes. Often one action shows duration (continuous) and the other shows completion (simple).
Example: He had been working for hours before he finally finished.

Tags: Exercises on English TensesExercises on Past Tenses
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