Past Perfect Exercises PDFSet 6: Narrative Contexts
20 questions·14 min·Answers included·Explanations included
Preview: Questions
Fill in the blank with the correct option.
1.The detective examined the room. Someone ___ (break) the window from outside.
a) has brokenb) brokec) had brokend) was breaking
2.Sarah sat down and ordered a coffee. She ___ (walk) for hours and needed a rest.
a) walkedb) has walkedc) had walkedd) was walking
3.The house was empty. The family ___ (move) away long before we arrived.
a) movedb) was movingc) had movedd) has moved
4.James looked tired. He ___ (not/sleep) the night before because of the storm.
a) wasn't sleepingb) hadn't sleptc) didn't sleepd) hasn't slept
5.The restaurant was closed. The owner ___ (retire) and nobody ___ (take) over the business.
a) retired ... tookb) had retired ... tookc) had retired ... had takend) was retiring ... was taking
... and 15 more questions in the PDF
Preview: Answers
1.had broken
2.had walked
3.had moved
4.hadn't slept
5.had retired ... had taken
... and 15 more answers in the PDF
Preview: Explanations
1."had broken"(c)
In narratives, use Past Perfect to provide background information about what happened before the main event.
2."had walked"(c)
Past Perfect explains why she needed rest—the walking happened before she sat down.
3."had moved"(c)
'Long before we arrived' anchors the moving in a time prior to our arrival, requiring Past Perfect 'had moved'. The family's departure explains the empty house we found.
4."hadn't slept"(b)
The lack of sleep (earlier event) explains his tiredness (narrative present).
5."had retired ... had taken"(c)
Both the retirement and the failure to take over the business happened before the narrative moment when we found the restaurant closed. Both actions need Past Perfect to show they are background events explaining the current state.
... and 15 more explanations in the PDF
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