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Past perfect

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Il Past perfect si usa per descrivere azioni passate antecedenti ad altre avvenute sempre nel passato.

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Esprime quindi un’azione anteriore rispetto a un momento nel passato.

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_(PAST PERFECT)____(past simple)_____l_________________

past now future

Definizione

Past perfect

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HAD + PARTICIPIO PASSATO

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AFFERMATIVA

I had read the book before I saw the film.

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INTERROGATIVA

Had you finished the book before you saw the film?

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NEGATIVA

I hadn’t finished the book before I saw the film.

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INTERROGATIVA-NEGATIVA

Hadn’t you finished the book before you saw the film?

Come si forma

Past perfect

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Silvia was wet because

she had left her umbrella

at home.

⇩

Si è dimenticata l’ombrello, prima di bagnarsi.

PPer azioni avvenute prima di altre nel passato:

Quando si usa - 1

Past perfect

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I knew he’d eaten the cake when I saw his face!

⇩

CCon verbi come think, know, be sure:

L’ha fatto

prima che lo vedessi.

Past perfect

Quando si usa - 2

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Con espressioni temporali come when, since, for, already, yet, by the time:

already/

when

The concert had already finished, when I arrived.

by the time

By the time I arrived, the concert had finished!

yet

The concert finished, but I hadn’t arrived yet.

since

Since I hadn’t seen the concert, I watched it on television the next day.

for

We had been there for an hour and the concert hadn’t started!

Past perfect

Quando si usa - 3

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Il Past perfect si usa anche:

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  • Nel discorso indiretto per riportare ciò che è stato detto al Past simple o al Present perfect:

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She told me she had bought the tickets.

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  • Nel periodo ipotetico di terzo tipo per esprimere impossibilità nel passato:

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If I had known you were in town I would have invited you to lunch.

Altri usi

Past perfect

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Per esercitarsi

Past perfect

Inserisci il Past perfect dei verbi tra parentesi alla forma affermativa, interrogativa o negativa.

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I got sunburnt because I …………… any sun-cream. (not use)

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Peter felt sick because he …………… too much ice-cream. (eat)

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We didn’t understand the story because we ……………. the beginning. (miss)

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Where …………..……… the umbrella? (they leave)

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Per esercitarsi

Past perfect

Inserisci il Past perfect dei verbi tra parentesi alla forma affermativa, interrogativa o negativa.

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The flowers were withering because Martha ……….….. to water them. (forget)

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I was tired because I ……………….. hard all day. (work)

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John had nothing to eat because he …………….. the shopping. (not do)

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Sue got to school late because she …………….. (over-sleep)

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