Time Expressions with the Past Perfect

Example: John does his homework.... The class starts.

By the time the class started, John had done his homework.
The class started after John had done his homework.
John had done his homework before the class started.
John had already done his homework when the class started.
The class started at 6pm. By then John had done his homework.
I had just finished my homework when the bell rang.

Use a range of past tenses including (e.g. the past simple, the past continuous, the past perfect) to
write short stories:-

John _______________(hike) through the forest when he _________________(see)

a unicorn. He ___________(call to) his friends but by the time they ______________
(arrive) the unicorn_______________(disappear). His friends ___________(say) he
was crazy.

Rachel ___________________(cook lunch) when the doorbell rang.

Rachel____________(answer) the door and the postman ____________(give) her a
parcel. As the postman _____________(drive) away Rachel ________________
(remember) the food in the kitchen. She __________ (run) back inside but it was too
late. The dog ______________________ (already / eat) it.

The hairdresser ___________________ (just /colour) my hair. She ____________

(dry) it while I ___________(read) a magazine. When I _________(look) in the mirror
I was horrified. She ______________(dye) my hair pink!

Rosa _______________(walk) through Guadalajara when it ________ (start to rain).

As she ____________(wear) her new suit, she ____________(decide to buy ) an
umbrella in Corte Ingles. It __________(be) December so the queues ________(be)
huge. Before Rosa ____________(leave) the shop the rain ____________ (stop).

As we _______________(trek) through the jungle we _______________ (see) a tiger.

Fortunately, it _________________ (already/ eat).

Now invent your own story with the past simple, the
past continuous and past perfect tenses.
 Time Expressions with the Past Perfect

Example: John does his homework.... The class starts.

By the time the class started, John had done his homework.
The class started after John had done his homework.
John had done his homework before the class started.
John had already done his homework when the class started.
The class started at 6pm. By then John had done his homework.

Use a range of past tenses including (e.g. the past simple, the past continuous, the past perfect) to
improve these short stories:-

John sees a unicorn in the forest then he calls his friends then his friends arrive then the unicorn
disappears then his friends say hes crazy.

..
Rachel cooks lunch then the doorbell rings then Rachel answers it and the postman gives her a
parcel then the dog eats the lunch then Rachel returns to the kitchen.

.
The hairdresser dyes my hair pink then she dries it while I read a magazine then I look in the mirror .

..
It starts raining then Rosa goes into the shop to buy an umbrella then it stops raining then Rosa leaves the
shop.

..
The tiger eats then we trek through the jungle then we see the tiger.

Possible answers:
John was hiking through the forest when he saw a unicorn. He called to his friends but by the time they
arrived the unicorn had disappeared. His friends said he was crazy.

Rachel was cooking lunch when the doorbell rang. Rachel answered the door and the postman gave her a
parcel. As the postman was driving away Rachel remembered the food in the kitchen. She ran back inside
but it was too late. The dog had already eaten it.

The hairdresser had just coloured my hair. She was drying it while I read a magazine. When I looked in the
mirror I was horrified. She had dyed my hair pink!

Rosa was walking through Guadalajara when it started raining. As she was wearing her new suit, she decided
to buy an umbrella in Corte Ingles. It was December so the queues were huge. Before Rosa left the shop the
rain had stopped.

As we were trekking through the jungle we saw a tiger. Fortunately, it had already eaten.

Possible answers:
John was hiking through the forest when he saw a unicorn. He called to his friends but by the time they
arrived the unicorn had disappeared. His friends said he was crazy.

Rachel was cooking lunch when the doorbell rang. Rachel answered the door and the postman gave her a
parcel. As the postman was driving away Rachel remembered the food in the kitchen. She ran back inside
but it was too late. The dog had already eaten it.

The hairdresser had just coloured my hair. She was drying it while I read a magazine. When I looked in the
mirror I was horrified. She had dyed my hair pink!

Rosa was walking through Guadalajara when it started raining. As she was wearing her new suit, she decided
to buy an umbrella in Corte Ingles. It was December so the queues were huge. Before Rosa left the shop the
rain had stopped.

As we were trekking through the jungle we saw a tiger. Fortunately, it had already eaten.

Possible answers:
John was hiking through the forest when he saw a unicorn. He called to his friends but by the time they
arrived the unicorn had disappeared. His friends said he was crazy.

Rachel was cooking lunch when the doorbell rang. Rachel answered the door and the postman gave her a
parcel. As the postman was driving away Rachel remembered the food in the kitchen. She ran back inside
but it was too late. The dog had already eaten it.

The hairdresser had just coloured my hair. She was drying it while I read a magazine. When I looked in the
mirror I was horrified. She had dyed my hair pink!

Rosa was walking through Guadalajara when it started raining. As she was wearing her new suit, she decided
to buy an umbrella in Corte Ingles. It was December so the queues were huge. Before Rosa left the shop the
rain had stopped.

As we were trekking through the jungle we saw a tiger. Fortunately, it had already eaten.