Past perfect tense – English Grammar Test for A2
Grammar » Grammar Test for A2 » Past perfect tense - English Grammar Test for A2
Part 1 – Gap-fill
Put the verbs into the correct Past Perfect tense.
1 She ___ (already/finish) her homework before dinner.
2 By the time we arrived, the bus ___ (leave).
3 He was tired because he ___ (work) all day.
4 They ___ (not/see) the film before yesterday.
5 When I got home, my mother ___ (cook) dinner.
6 She cried because she ___ (lose) her wallet.
7 We ___ (already/go) home when you called.
8 I ___ (never/meet) him before the party.
9 The shop ___ (already/close) when we got there.
10 After he ___ (pack) his suitcase, he went to the airport.
Part 2 – Sentence Transformation
Rewrite each sentence using the Past Perfect tense.
11 She finished her work before lunch. → (Rewrite)
12 He didn’t study before the test. → (Rewrite negative)
13 Did she see him before the party? → (Rewrite as Past Perfect question)
14 They had dinner and then watched TV. → (Use Past Perfect for the first action)
15 I saw the film, but I didn’t read the book. → (Rewrite with Past Perfect for the book)
16 He wrote the letter before dinner. → (Rewrite with Past Perfect)
17 They didn’t bring the ball, so they couldn’t play. → (Use Past Perfect negative)
18 By the time we came, she left. → (Correct with Past Perfect)
19 I met her, but I never talked to her before. → (Rewrite with Past Perfect)
20 They cleaned the classroom before the teacher arrived. → (Use Past Perfect for the first action)
Part 3 – Short Reading
Last summer, Maria traveled to London. She was excited because she had never visited the city before. Before she arrived, she had already read many travel blogs and had booked her hotel. When Maria got to the airport, she realized she had forgotten her camera at home. By the time she reached the hotel, her friends had already checked in. During the trip, she visited many famous places. At the end, she was happy because she had taken lots of photos with her phone.
21 Maria had visited London many times before. (True/False)
22 What had she done before arriving?
a) Read travel blogs
b) Bought souvenirs
c) Met her friends
23 What had she forgotten at home?
a) Her ticket
b) Her camera
c) Her clothes
24 By the time she reached the hotel, what had her friends done?
a) Left the hotel
b) Checked in
c) Gone shopping
25 Why was she happy at the end?
a) She had bought new clothes
b) She had taken many photos
c) She had met new friends
26 Which tense shows actions completed before her arrival?
a) Past Perfect
b) Past Simple
c) Present Perfect
27 She ___ (already/book) her hotel before the trip. (Gap-fill)
28 What is the main problem she faced?
a) She had forgotten her camera
b) She had lost her passport
c) She had missed her flight
29 “Had never visited the city before” means:
a) It was her first time in London
b) She went to London every year
c) She disliked London
30 The story uses Past Simple for main events and Past Perfect for…
a) Earlier actions
b) Future actions
c) Present actions
Answer
1 had already finished – Action completed before dinner.
2 had left – Bus departed before arrival.
3 had worked – Cause of being tired.
4 hadn’t seen – Negative Past Perfect, no experience before.
5 had cooked – Dinner prepared before I got home.
6 had lost – Loss caused crying.
7 had already gone – They left before the call.
8 had never met – No previous meeting.
9 had already closed – Shop shut before we arrived.
10 had packed – Packing done before going to the airport.
11 She had finished her work before lunch. – First action in Past Perfect.
12 He hadn’t studied before the test. – Negative Past Perfect.
13 Had she seen him before the party? – Past Perfect question form.
14 They had had dinner before they watched TV. – First action in Past Perfect.
15 I hadn’t read the book before I saw the film. – Reading not done earlier.
16 He had written the letter before dinner. – Writing completed first.
17 They hadn’t brought the ball, so they couldn’t play. – Negative Past Perfect.
18 By the time we came, she had left. – Leaving happened earlier.
19 I had never talked to her before I met her. – Past Perfect for earlier experience.
20 They had cleaned the classroom before the teacher arrived. – Cleaning done first.
21 False – She had never visited London before.
22 a) Read travel blogs – She had done this earlier.
23 b) Her camera – Forgotten at home.
24 b) Checked in – Friends had done it before she arrived.
25 b) She had taken many photos – Reason for happiness.
26 a) Past Perfect – Shows earlier actions.
27 had already booked – Correct gap-fill.
28 a) She had forgotten her camera – Main problem.
29 a) It was her first time in London – Correct meaning.
30 a) Earlier actions – Past Perfect shows what happened before main events.