100 Examples of Past Perfect Tense | Exercise with Answers

Here are 100 examples of sentences in the past perfect tense. These can help students and learners understand how the past perfect is used to show an action that happened before another action in the past.

100 Examples of Past Perfect Tense

1. She had finished her homework before dinner.
2. We had left the house when it started raining.
3. He had eaten before he went to the gym.
4. They had gone to the market before I arrived.
5. I had never seen such a beautiful sunset.
6. The train had departed before we reached the station.
7. She had already gone to bed when I called.
8. We had studied French before visiting Paris.
9. He had broken his leg before the match.
10. They had cleaned the room before the guests arrived.
11. The movie had started when we entered the hall.
12. He had worked at that company for ten years.
13. I had forgotten my keys at home.
14. She had lived in Delhi before moving to Mumbai.
15. The teacher had left before the students arrived.
16. We had just reached the airport when the flight was cancelled.
17. He had driven that car before the accident.
18. They had never heard such a story before.
19. I had saved the document before the computer crashed.
20. She had completed the project ahead of schedule.
21. We had paid the bill before leaving the restaurant.
22. The sun had set when we got to the beach.
23. He had not slept well the previous night.
24. I had seen that movie before.
25. The baby had cried before the mother picked him up.
26. She had cooked dinner before the guests arrived.
27. He had not finished his test when the bell rang.
28. I had met him once before.
29. They had reached the airport before time.
30. We had booked the tickets in advance.
31. He had taken a bath before breakfast.
32. I had written a letter to her.
33. The teacher had checked the papers.
34. We had cleaned the kitchen before mom came.
35. He had repaired the car before the trip.
36. I had locked the door before leaving.
37. They had danced all night.
38. She had told me the truth earlier.
39. He had practiced hard for the competition.
40. I had never eaten sushi before.
41. The students had completed their assignments.
42. He had not prepared for the exam.
43. We had waited for hours before help came.
44. She had read the book twice.
45. They had already planned their vacation.
46. He had won many awards.
47. I had called her several times.
48. She had not seen him for years.
49. We had tried everything we could.
50. He had cleaned his room before guests came.
51. I had closed the window before sleeping.
52. They had started the meeting before I arrived.
53. We had learned the lesson before the test.
54. He had waited for her for a long time.
55. The cat had jumped out the window.
56. She had typed the report before the deadline.
57. I had helped him with his project.
58. He had lost his wallet before reaching home.
59. We had missed the train.
60. The students had left the class early.
61. She had applied for the job before graduation.
62. They had watched the match already.
63. I had forgotten to bring my ID.
64. He had drawn a beautiful picture.
65. We had organized everything properly.
66. The team had discussed the plan.
67. He had spoken to the manager before the meeting.
68. I had planned a surprise party.
69. She had visited the museum.
70. They had fought over a silly reason.
71. We had not expected the storm.
72. He had never been so nervous before.
73. I had attended the lecture.
74. She had packed all her clothes.
75. The manager had decided to cancel the event.
76. I had taken the wrong turn.
77. They had cleaned the house before Diwali.
78. She had gifted me a watch.
79. He had booked a hotel room.
80. We had met each other before the seminar.
81. I had promised to help her.
82. He had painted the fence.
83. They had built a treehouse.
84. She had sung that song beautifully.
85. I had climbed the mountain last year.
86. The dog had barked loudly before the guests came.
87. He had fixed the pipe.
88. She had worn a red dress.
89. I had paid the fees already.
90. They had decorated the hall.
91. He had told me a secret.
92. We had driven through the forest.
93. I had caught the bus in time.
94. She had cried the whole night.
95. They had enjoyed the party.
96. He had borrowed money from me.
97. I had reserved a table for us.
98. She had fallen asleep early.
99. The children had hidden the gift.
100. We had understood the lesson clearly.

Past Perfect Tense Exercises with Answers

Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb (past perfect tense)

• She _ (finish) her homework before dinner.
• They _ (leave) the house before the rain started.
• He _ (not see) the movie before last night.
• I _ (meet) him once before we started working together.
• We _ (reach) the station before the train departed.
• The teacher _ (check) all the papers before the class began.
• She _ (cook) dinner before the guests arrived.
• I _ (lose) my keys and couldn’t enter the house.
• The child _ (fall) asleep before the story ended.
• He _ (not complete) the task when the manager asked.

Rewrite the following sentences using past perfect tense

• I ate dinner. Then I went to bed.
  → _____________________________
• She finished her work. Then she left the office.
  → _____________________________
• They arrived at the cinema. The movie started.
  → _____________________________
• The train left. We reached the station.
  → _____________________________
• He submitted the report. The manager asked for it.
  → _____________________________

Choose the correct option (MCQ)

• By the time we arrived, they _.

a) left

b) had left

c) leaves

d) leaving

• She _ the book before the class.

a) read

b) reading

c) had read

d) was reading

• I didn’t go out because I _ my homework.

a) hadn’t finished

b) didn’t finish

c) hadn’t finish

d) hadn’t finishing

• The boy cried because he _ his toy.

a) broke

b) had broke

c) had broken

d) was breaking

• We _ to the party because we had other plans.

a) hadn’t gone

b) haven’t gone

c) hadn’t go

d) didn’t gone

Correct the errors in these sentences

• She had ate lunch before I came.
• I hadn’t saw her in years.
• He had went home early.
• We had not understand the problem.
• The movie had already begin when we arrived.

Answer Key

Part A:

• had finished
• had left
• had not seen
• had met
• had reached
• had checked
• had cooked
• had lost
• had fallen
• had not completed

Part B:

• I had eaten dinner before I went to bed.
• She had finished her work before she left the office.
• The movie had started when they arrived at the cinema.
• The train had left before we reached the station.
• He had submitted the report before the manager asked for it.

Part C:

• b) had left
• c) had read
• a) hadn’t finished
• c) had broken
• a) hadn’t gone

Part D:

• had eaten
• hadn’t seen
• had gone
• had not understood
• had already begun