Simple Past vs. Past Perfect Tense Worksheet For Class 8

When there are two past events in a sentence, the past perfect is used for the earlier event.

Note that we do not use the past perfect to simply say that something happened sometime ago. That meaning is expressed with the simple past.

Fill in the blanks with an appropriate past simple or past perfect tense form.

1. When I met him I …………………………… (realize) that I ……………………………. (see) him before.

2. The train …………………………… (leave) before I …………………….. (reach) the station.

3. I ………………………….. the parcel in the morning. (send)

4. I …………………………. (wait) for hours but he …………………………. (not come)

5. I …………………………… (water) the plants before it ………………………… (start) raining.

6. I ………………………… (hear) the news before you ……………………….. (tell) me about it.

7. The man ………………………………. (swim) to safety before rescuers ………………………….. (arrive) on the scene.

8. I ……………………………. (recognise) him as soon as I ………………………. (meet) him.

9. She …………………………. (tell) me that she …………………………… (decide) to quit.

Answers

1. When I met him I realized that I had seen him before.

2. The train had left before I reached the station.

3. I sent the parcel in the morning.

4. I waited for hours but he did not come.

5. I had watered the plants before it started raining.

6. I had heard the news before you told me about it.

7. The man had swum to safety before rescuers arrived on the scene.

8. I recognised him as soon as I met him.

9. She told me that she had decided to quit.