Past Perfect Regular Verbs Exercises
A2 Level
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There are a few important spelling rules to remember. Verbs ending in -e just add -d: live → "lived," hope → "hoped." Verbs ending in a consonant + y change the y to i and add -ed: study → "studied," carry → "carried." Short verbs ending in one vowel + one consonant double the final letter: stop → "stopped," plan → "planned." These spelling rules are the same ones you learnt for the past simple, so if you already know the past simple of regular verbs, you already know the past participle too. This is a helpful shortcut for A2 learners.
Quick Rule
subject + had + verb-ed (regular past participle)
- 1.She had worked in that office for ten years before retiring. (duration before a past event)
- 2.I hadn't cleaned the house before the guests arrived. (negative — task not done)
- 3.They had already finished their lunch by noon. (completion before a time)
- 4.We had planned the trip carefully, but it still went wrong. (past preparation)
- 5.He had played football every weekend until he hurt his knee. (regular habit before a past change)
All 20 questions
Complete each sentence with the past perfect form of the regular verb in brackets. Remember: had + past participle (-ed). Complete with the past perfect form:
When I got home, my sister _____ (cook) dinner.
She was upset because someone _____ (open) her letter.
By lunchtime, he _____ (finish) all his work.
I couldn't enter because I _____ (not / remember) the password.
When we arrived, they _____ (start) the meeting.
The ground was wet because it _____ (rain) all night.
He knew the city well because he _____ (live) there for years.
After she _____ (clean) the house, she relaxed.
The children were tired because they _____ (play) all afternoon.
By the time the doctor arrived, the patient _____ (recover).
I was hungry because I _____ (prepare / not) any food.
She _____ (study) French before she moved to Paris.
When I arrived, the concert _____ (end).
They were lost because they _____ (follow / not) the directions.
By 2020, they _____ (travel) to 30 countries.
He was angry because someone _____ (damage) his car.
When the fire brigade arrived, the fire _____ (stop).
She felt better because she _____ (rest) all weekend.
Before the exam, I _____ (prepare) for weeks.
They _____ (wait) for two hours before the bus came.
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