Past Perfect Tense Quiz – Test Your Grammar Skills!
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Select the correct verbs to fill in the blanks: When we went camping, we _______ outside because we _______ our tent!
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Sleep, forgot
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Slept, had forgotten
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Slept, forget
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Sleep, forget
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The Past Perfect Tense Quiz is designed to help you understand and assess your knowledge of the past perfect tense in English grammar. This tense is used to describe actions that were completed before another action took place in the past, often adding clarity to timelines and events in narratives.
Mastering the past perfect tense allows you to communicate with accuracy, making it easier to explain sequences of events or conditions that existed before something else happened. The past perfect tense test is beneficial for students, writers, and anyone looking to strengthen their English grammar skills. No matter if you are a beginner or brushing up on your grammar, this test is perfect to assess your knowledge.
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- 2.
Choose the correct verb form to complete the sentence:"Before the teacher arrived, the students ___ all the assignments."
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Completed
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Had completed
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Were completing
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Has completed
Correct Answer
A. Had completedExplanation
The correct answer is "had completed" because it shows that the students finished their assignments before the teacher arrived. Using the past perfect tense "had completed" emphasizes that the assignments were already done by the time the teacher entered. This structure uses past perfect to indicate a completed action that preceded another event in the past. Had we used the simple past "completed," it would suggest both actions occurred at the same time. Past perfect clearly organizes the timeline, setting the finishing of assignments as prior to the teacher’s arrival, improving coherence and clarity.Rate this question:
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- 3.
Fill in the blank with the correct verb form:"Emma ___ the news until she checked her phone notifications."
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Had not seen
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Saw
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Has seen
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Was seeing
Correct Answer
A. Had not seenExplanation
The correct answer is "had not seen" because it describes an action that occurred before Emma checked her phone notifications. Here, the past perfect tense "had not seen" establishes that Emma was unaware of the news at an earlier point in time, while checking her phone is marked by the simple past "checked." This arrangement of tenses makes it clear that her knowledge gap existed before she checked. By using the past perfect, we distinguish her earlier state of not knowing from the later action of checking, which resolves her previous lack of awareness.Rate this question:
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- 4.
Select the correct verb form to complete the sentence:"After he ___ the guitar, he realized he was missing a string."
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Played
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Had played
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Was playing
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Has played
Correct Answer
A. Had playedExplanation
The correct answer is "had played" because it reflects that the action of playing the guitar happened before the realization of a missing string. The past perfect tense "had played" is used to show that this action was completed at a specific point in the past, resulting in a subsequent realization. This order of events—first playing, then realizing—clarifies the sequence and demonstrates how past perfect is used to indicate the earlier of two past actions. Using the past perfect tense here ensures clarity, while the subsequent realization is correctly shown in simple past.Rate this question:
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- 5.
Choose the correct verbs: Fraser _______ scuba diving many times before he _______ his scuba license.
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Had gone, received
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Gone, receive
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Has gone, received
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Went, receive
Correct Answer
A. Had gone, receivedExplanation
"Had gone" is in the past perfect tense, indicating that Fraser had prior experience with scuba diving before a second event took place. "Received," in the past simple tense, marks the moment when Fraser obtained his license. The past perfect tense is used here to create a timeline of events, showing that scuba diving was already a familiar activity before the official recognition of his skills through licensing. This sequence underscores that his practical experience predated his formal license, establishing a background that led up to the receipt of the license.Rate this question:
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- 6.
Fill in the blanks with the correct verb forms: When I _______ the new teacher, I was so surprised. I _______ his class before!
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Met, had taken
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Had met, took
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Had taken, met
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Took, had met
Correct Answer
A. Met, had takenExplanation
In this sentence, the past simple tense "met" is used to indicate that the meeting occurred at a specific moment in the past. "Had taken" in the past perfect tense indicates that the action of taking the class happened prior to meeting the teacher. The past perfect shows the sequence of events, clarifying that the speaker had experience in the teacher's class before meeting him. This structure helps to establish a cause and effect, where the previous knowledge of the class shapes the speaker’s reaction upon meeting the teacher, leading to the surprise.Rate this question:
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- 7.
Complete the sentence by choosing the correct verbs: When Airi _______ at school, she realized she _______ her textbook.
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Had arrived, forgot
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Arrived, had forgotten
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Forgot, had arrived
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Had forgotten, arrived
Correct Answer
A. Arrived, had forgottenExplanation
The past simple tense "arrived" is used to indicate the specific moment when Airi reached school. Meanwhile, "had forgotten" in the past perfect tense shows that the act of forgetting her textbook happened before her arrival at school. The past perfect tense is used to make it clear that forgetting her textbook was an earlier action, setting up a timeline of events. This sequence emphasizes that by the time Airi arrived, the forgetting had already happened, establishing cause and effect between realizing she was missing her textbook and her earlier action.Rate this question:
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- 8.
Complete the sentence: I _______ any money on the weekend because I _______ my wallet on Friday.
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Didn't have, had lost
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Hadn't had, lost
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Didn't lose, hadn't had
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Hadn't lost, didn't have
Correct Answer
A. Didn't have, had lostExplanation
"Didn't have" is in the past simple tense, indicating the lack of money over the weekend. "Had lost" is in the past perfect tense, explaining that the loss of the wallet happened before the weekend. The past perfect verb shows the reason why the speaker didn’t have any money during the weekend, establishing a cause and effect sequence. The structure of the sentence clarifies that the wallet loss was an earlier event, leading to the lack of funds. This helps clarify that the wallet’s loss directly impacted the speaker’s financial situation.Rate this question:
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- 9.
Choose the correct verbs to complete the sentence: Yuka _______ English for eight years by the time she _______ from university.
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Had studied, graduated
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Studied, graduate
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Has studied, had graduated
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Had studied, has graduated
Correct Answer
A. Had studied, graduatedExplanation
"Had studied" is in the past perfect tense, showing that Yuka completed eight years of English study before another event occurred. "Graduated" is in the past simple tense, marking her completion of university. The past perfect clarifies that studying was a long-term action that concluded before her graduation. This sequence emphasizes the duration of study in relation to the point in time when she graduated. The use of both tenses provides a clear timeline, allowing readers to understand that her English studies were well underway by the time she graduated.Rate this question:
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- 10.
Fill in the blanks with the correct verb forms: Fraser _______ sushi before he _______ to Japan.
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Never ate, had come
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Came, had never eaten
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Had come, never ate
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Had never eaten, came
Correct Answer
A. Had never eaten, cameExplanation
"Had never eaten" is in the past perfect tense, used to show that Fraser’s experience with sushi occurred before he arrived in Japan. The past simple "came" marks his arrival. The use of the past perfect tense for the action of eating sushi highlights that it was an experience Fraser lacked prior to coming to Japan. By framing this information in a past perfect clause, the sentence gives a clear indication of sequence, allowing us to understand that his arrival in Japan presented the opportunity for this new experience with sushi.Rate this question:
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- 11.
Fill in the blanks: It was a very difficult movie, but I _______ it because I _______ the book.
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Had understood, read
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Read, had understood
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Had read, understood
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Understood, had read
Correct Answer
A. Understood, had readExplanation
In this sentence, "understood" is in the past simple, indicating that the understanding of the movie occurred as a result of something that happened earlier. "Had read" is in the past perfect, which shows that reading the book was completed before understanding the movie. The past perfect tense is used to clarify that the reading happened first, helping the speaker grasp the movie’s complexity. The sequence emphasizes that understanding (past simple) depended on prior knowledge (past perfect), creating a clear cause-effect relationship between reading the book and understanding the movie.Rate this question:
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- 12.
Complete the sentence with the correct verb form:"By the time the movie started, we ___ all the popcorn we had bought."
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Had eaten
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Ate
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Have eaten
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Were eating
Correct Answer
A. Had eatenExplanation
The correct answer is "had eaten" because it indicates an action completed before another event in the past—the start of the movie. The use of the past perfect tense ("had eaten") emphasizes that all the popcorn was consumed before the movie began. This tense highlights the order of events, showing that the popcorn was finished in anticipation of the movie. The sentence structure creates a cause-and-effect relationship, implying that the prior action of eating all the popcorn left them with none once the movie started. Using the simple past tense here would not convey the sequence effectively.Rate this question:
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- 13.
Fill in the blanks with the correct verbs: When we went to Osaka, my friend _______ a lot about the city because she _______ there many times.
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Was, had known
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Had known, was
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Knew, had been
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Had been, knew
Correct Answer
A. Knew, had beenExplanation
"Knew" is in the past simple tense, showing that the friend’s knowledge of the city was a fact. "Had been" is in the past perfect tense, indicating that her familiarity with the city came from previous visits. This use of past perfect highlights that her knowledge stemmed from earlier experiences, forming the basis of her understanding of Osaka. By framing the visits in the past perfect, the sentence establishes a timeline, showing that she had visited Osaka multiple times before the moment described, which gave her the knowledge she shared during this trip.Rate this question:
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- 14.
Select the verbs that correctly complete the sentence: When Yuka _______ washing the dishes, she _______ the TV on.
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Had turned, finished
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Finished, had turned
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Turned, had finished
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Had finished, turned
Correct Answer
A. Had finished, turnedExplanation
"Had finished" is in the past perfect tense, indicating that the task of washing dishes was completed before the second action. "Turned" is in the past simple tense, showing that Yuka turned on the TV after finishing the dishes. This sequence helps to establish that the completion of the dishes happened before Yuka’s next action of turning on the TV. The sentence is structured to show the order of events, clarifying that turning on the TV was the next action in the sequence after the dishes were washed.Rate this question:
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- 15.
Choose the correct verb form to complete the sentence:"They ___ to the library because they had finished their homework early."
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Went
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Had gone
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Go
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Were going
Correct Answer
A. WentExplanation
The correct answer is "went" because it shows an action taken after finishing their homework. Since "finished" is in past perfect, it establishes a past event completed before the subsequent simple past action, "went." This structure lets the listener or reader know that the reason for going to the library was that they were done with their homework early. Using "had gone" would indicate that both actions occurred in the distant past, disrupting the natural order and confusing the sequence. The simple past here successfully keeps events organized, distinguishing two separate past actions.Rate this question:
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Quiz Review Timeline (Updated): Feb 3, 2025 +
Our quizzes are rigorously reviewed, monitored and continuously updated by our expert board to maintain accuracy, relevance, and timeliness.
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Current Version
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Feb 03, 2025Quiz Edited by
ProProfs Editorial Team
Expert Reviewed by
Heather Baxter -
Jan 21, 2013Quiz Created by
Fraser Gould
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