Class 9 Interact With English Workbook Solutions | Unit 1 Simple Past and Past Perfect Tense

We use the past perfect tense to make it clear that something had already happened at the time we are talking about. It is common after verbs of saying and thinking.

• I told her that I had received the parcel.
• I wondered who had left the doors and windows open.
• I thought you had left in the morning.

When we talk about two past events, we use the past perfect for the earlier action.

• They had left before we arrived at their home.
• Suddenly I remembered that I had forgotten to lock the door.

Class 9 English Course Communicative  (Interact With English) Unit 1 – Verb forms Solutions

Simple past and past perfect

Complete this story by Julius Lester. Choose the correct forms of the words given in the brackets.

Brer Rabbit (a) …………………. (decided / had decided) gardening was too much hard work. So he (b) ………………….. (had gone / went) back to his old ways of eating from everybody else’s garden. Earlier, he (c) …………………… (made / had made) a tour through the community to see what everybody (d) ………………….. (had been / was) planting that summer and his eye (e) ……………….. (was / had been) caught by Brer Fox’s peanut patch.

As soon as the peanuts (f) ……………… (had been / were) ready, Brer Rabbit (g) ………………. (decided / had decided) to make his acquaintance with them. Every night he (h) ……………….. (had eaten / ate) his fill and even started bringing his family. Brer Fox (i) ………………. (had / had had) a clear idea who was eating his peanuts, but he couldn’t catch him. He inspected his fence and finally (j) …………… (had found / found) a small hole on the north side. He tied a rope with a loop knot and put it inside the hole. If anybody (k) ……………… (stepped / had stepped) in it, the rope would grab his leg and hoist him up in the air.

That night Brer Rabbit (l) ………………. (came / had come) down to the peanut patch. He climbed through the hole and WHOOSH! Next thing he (m) ……………… (had known / knew), he was hanging in the air upside down. There (n) ……………….. (wasn’t / hadn’t been) a thing he could do, so he made himself comfortable to catch a little sleep!

Solution

Brer Rabbit (a) had decided gardening was too much hard work. So he (b) went back to his old ways of eating from everybody else’s garden. Earlier, he (c) had made a tour through the community to see what everybody (d) had been planting that summer and his eye (e) was caught by Brer Fox’s peanut patch.

As soon as the peanuts (f) were ready, Brer Rabbit (g) decided to make his acquaintance with them. Every night he (h) ate his fill and even started bringing his family. Brer Fox (i) had a clear idea who was eating his peanuts, but he couldn’t catch him. He inspected his fence and finally (j) found a small hole on the north side. He tied a rope with a loop knot and put it inside the hole. If anybody (k) stepped in it, the rope would grab his leg and hoist him up in the air.

That night Brer Rabbit (l) came / had come down to the peanut patch. He climbed through the hole and WHOOSH! Next thing he (m) knew, he was hanging in the air upside down. There (n) wasn’t a thing he could do, so he made himself comfortable to catch a little sleep!

1.1 Based on the story you have read above, answer the following questions.

a) What had Brer Rabbit found out?

Answer: Brer Rabbit had found out that gardening was too much hard work.

b) What did he do when the plants grew?

Answer: When the plants grew he decided to make his acquaintance with them.

c) How did he enter Brer Fox’s peanut patch?

Answer: He entered Brer Fox’s peanut patch through a small hole on the north side of the fence.

d) Brer Fox had an idea of who was stealing from his patch. What did he do to trap Brer Rabbit?

Answer: Brer Fox tied a rope with a loop knot and put it inside the hole through which Brer Rabbit was entering his peanut patch.