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All questions of Past Perfect Tense for CLAT Exam

Identify the sentence with an incorrect use of the Past Perfect Tense.
  • a)
    They had eaten dinner before we arrived.
  • b)
    I had never been to such a beautiful place before.
  • c)
    By the time she reached home, her parents had already left.
  • d)
    We had met each other for the first time last year.
Correct answer is option 'D'. Can you explain this answer?

The Past Perfect Tense is used to express actions completed before another past action. However, Option D, "We had met each other for the first time last year," does not fit this structure as it implies an ongoing action in the past. It should be in the Simple Past Tense.

Choose the correct form of the verb: "She ___ the book before the meeting started."
  • a)
    has read
  • b)
    had read
  • c)
    have read
  • d)
    was reading
Correct answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer?

The correct form is "She had read the book before the meeting started." In the Past Perfect Tense, 'had' is used with all subjects, followed by the past participle form of the verb. This tense is often used to describe an action that was completed before another action in the past.

Find the correct sentence:
  • a)
    We had completed the project.
  • b)
    We have complete the project.
  • c)
    We has completed the project.
  • d)
    We were completed the project.
Correct answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer?

Iq Funda answered
The correct sentence is "We had completed the project." It correctly uses 'had' followed by the past participle 'completed' in the Past Perfect Tense for plural subjects. This tense is used for actions that were completed before another action in the past.

Identify the sentence with an incorrect use of Past Perfect Tense in a sequence of events.
  • a)
    After he had finished his homework, he went to play.
  • b)
    They had already left by the time we have arrived.
  • c)
    We had booked the tickets before the show was sold out.
  • d)
    By the time she reached the station, the train had already left.
Correct answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer?

Malavika Rane answered
Incorrect Use of Past Perfect Tense in a Sequence of Events

The sentence with an incorrect use of Past Perfect Tense in a sequence of events is option 'B'.

Explanation:

The Past Perfect Tense is used to describe an action that happened before another action in the past. It is formed by using the auxiliary verb "had" followed by the past participle of the main verb. The incorrect use of the Past Perfect Tense in option 'B' is as follows:

Option 'B': They had already left by the time we have arrived.

In this sentence, the past perfect tense "had already left" is correctly used to describe the action of leaving, which happened before the action of arriving. However, the present perfect tense "we have arrived" is incorrectly used to describe the action of arriving. Since both actions happened in the past, the correct verb form to use would be the simple past tense "we arrived."

Corrected Sentence: They had already left by the time we arrived.

By using the simple past tense for both actions, the sentence now correctly shows that the action of leaving happened before the action of arriving.

The other options in the given sequence of events use the Past Perfect Tense correctly:

Option 'A': After he had finished his homework, he went to play.
The Past Perfect Tense "had finished" is used correctly to show that the action of finishing homework happened before the action of going to play.

Option 'C': We had booked the tickets before the show was sold out.
The Past Perfect Tense "had booked" is used correctly to show that the action of booking the tickets happened before the action of the show being sold out.

Option 'D': By the time she reached the station, the train had already left.
The Past Perfect Tense "had already left" is used correctly to show that the action of leaving happened before the action of reaching the station.

Therefore, the sentence in option 'B' is the one with an incorrect use of Past Perfect Tense, as it combines it with the present perfect tense.

Identify the correct negative form: "They ___ seen that movie before last night."
  • a)
    hasn't
  • b)
    hadn't
  • c)
    didn't
  • d)
    aren't
Correct answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer?

Pranab Goyal answered
Understanding the Sentence Structure
In the sentence "They ___ seen that movie before last night," we need to fill in the blank with the correct negative form of the verb. The focus is on the context of the action, which is in the past.
Analyzing the Options
- a) hasn't: This is incorrect because "hasn't" is used with singular subjects (he, she, it).
- b) hadn't: This is the correct choice. "Hadn't" is the negative past perfect form, indicating that the action occurred before another point in the past (last night).
- c) didn't: This is the simple past negative form, which is not suitable here as the sentence implies a past action completed prior to another past action.
- d) aren't: This is present tense and incorrect for a past context.
Why "Hadn't" is Correct
- The structure of past perfect tense is: "had" + past participle.
- In this case, "seen" is the past participle of "see."
- Using "hadn't" signifies that they had not seen the movie before the specified time (last night).
Conclusion
Thus, the correct answer is *b) hadn't*, as it accurately conveys that the action of seeing the movie did not occur at any time leading up to last night.

Choose the sentence with the correct use of Past Perfect Tense for a completed action before a specified time.
  • a)
    She had visited the doctor by the time she will feel better.
  • b)
    By the time they arrived, we had already leave.
  • c)
    He had finished his work before the deadline.
  • d)
    I will call you after I had finished my meeting.
Correct answer is option 'C'. Can you explain this answer?

Pranab Goyal answered
Explanation:

Past Perfect Tense:
- Past Perfect Tense is used to indicate an action that was completed before another action or a specific time in the past.

Sentence Analysis:
- Sentence C, "He had finished his work before the deadline," correctly uses the Past Perfect Tense to indicate that the action of finishing the work was completed before the specified time, which is the deadline.
- Option A, "She had visited the doctor by the time she will feel better," is incorrect as it mixes the Past Perfect Tense with the future tense "will feel," creating a grammatically incorrect sentence.
- Option B, "By the time they arrived, we had already leave," is also incorrect as it uses the past participle "leave" instead of the past participle "left," making the sentence grammatically incorrect.
- Option D, "I will call you after I had finished my meeting," is incorrect as it mixes the future tense "will call" with the Past Perfect Tense "had finished," resulting in a grammatically incorrect sentence.

Conclusion:
- Among the given options, only sentence C uses the Past Perfect Tense correctly to show an action completed before a specified time, making it the correct choice.

Complete the sentence: "Before the concert began, the audience ___ their seats."
  • a)
    takes
  • b)
    took
  • c)
    had taken
  • d)
    have taken
Correct answer is option 'C'. Can you explain this answer?

The correct completion is "Before the concert began, the audience had taken their seats." In the Past Perfect Tense, 'had' is followed by the past participle form of the verb. This tense is used to describe an action that was completed before another past action.

Find the error in the sentence: "I had not ate breakfast before I left the house."
  • a)
    I
  • b)
    had not
  • c)
    ate
  • d)
    before I left the house
Correct answer is option 'C'. Can you explain this answer?

Malavika Rane answered
Identifying the Error
The sentence "I had not ate breakfast before I left the house" contains a grammatical mistake in the verb form used. The error lies in the use of the word "ate."
Understanding Verb Tense
- Past Perfect Tense: The phrase "had not" indicates that the sentence is in the past perfect tense. This tense is used to describe an action that was completed before another action in the past.
- Correct Form: The correct past participle of the verb "eat" is "eaten," not "ate."
Correcting the Sentence
To correct the sentence, you should replace "ate" with "eaten."
- Revised Sentence: "I had not eaten breakfast before I left the house."
Summary of the Error
- Error Location: The word "ate" (option C).
- Correct Form: "Eaten" is the appropriate past participle to use with "had not."
This correction aligns the verb form with the grammatical structure of the sentence, ensuring clarity and accuracy in communication.

Choose the correct negative form: "He ___ finished his work before the deadline."
  • a)
    hasn't
  • b)
    hadn't
  • c)
    didn't
  • d)
    doesn't
Correct answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer?

Pranab Goyal answered
Understanding the Sentence Structure
The sentence "He ___ finished his work before the deadline" is implying a past action concerning whether the work was completed on time. The choice of the negative form depends on the tense being used.
Analyzing the Options
- a) hasn't: This is the present perfect tense. It implies that the action has relevance to the present moment, which doesn't fit the context of a specific past deadline.
- b) hadn't: This is the past perfect tense. It indicates that the work was not finished prior to another past event (the deadline). This is the correct choice because it aligns with the context of a completed action in the past.
- c) didn't: This is the simple past tense. While it can convey that the action did not occur at all, it does not specifically indicate the relationship with the deadline as effectively as "hadn't."
- d) doesn't: This is the simple present tense, which is irrelevant to the context since the sentence refers to a completed action in the past.
Why "hadn't" is Correct
Using "hadn't" accurately conveys that the work was not completed before the deadline in the past, establishing a clear timeline and context. It shows that the action was relevant to another past action (the deadline), making it the most appropriate choice in this scenario.
Conclusion
In summary, option "b" (hadn't) is the correct negative form because it aligns with the past perfect tense needed to express the relationship between the work and the deadline effectively.

Select the appropriate verb form: "They ___ the news before it was officially announced."
  • a)
    hears
  • b)
    heard
  • c)
    had heard
  • d)
    have heard
Correct answer is option 'C'. Can you explain this answer?

The correct answer is "They had heard the news before it was officially announced." In the Past Perfect Tense, 'had' is used with the past participle form of the verb. This tense is often used to talk about knowledge or experiences acquired before a specific point in the past.

Which sentence correctly uses the Past Perfect Tense?
  • a)
    She had visited the museum before she will go to the park.
  • b)
    By the time we arrived, they leave the party.
  • c)
    He will finish his homework before he had played video games.
  • d)
    They had already eaten dinner when I have arrived.
Correct answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer?

Abhiram Mehra answered
Explanation:

Past Perfect Tense:
The Past Perfect Tense is used to show actions that were completed before another past action or point in time.

Sentence Analysis:
- Sentence (a) "She had visited the museum before she will go to the park" correctly uses the Past Perfect Tense.
- The sentence shows that the action of visiting the museum (Past Perfect) happened before the action of going to the park (Simple Future).
- The use of "had visited" indicates that the action of visiting the museum was completed before the action of going to the park.
- Sentence (b) "By the time we arrived, they leave the party" is incorrect.
- The correct form would be "By the time we arrived, they had left the party" to show that the action of leaving the party happened before the time of arrival.
- Sentence (c) "He will finish his homework before he had played video games" is also incorrect.
- The correct form would be "He will finish his homework before he plays video games" to show the sequence of actions in the future.
- Sentence (d) "They had already eaten dinner when I have arrived" is incorrect.
- The correct form would be "They had already eaten dinner when I arrived" to show that the action of eating dinner was completed before the arrival.
Therefore, Sentence (a) is the only one that correctly uses the Past Perfect Tense.

Identify the sentence with an incorrect use of Past Perfect Tense in reported speech.
  • a)
    She said, "They had already arrived."
  • b)
    He told us, "She had left before we reached."
  • c)
    We said, "He had called earlier."
  • d)
    I told them, "We had met each other before the event."
Correct answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer?

Arnav Saini answered
Incorrect Use of Past Perfect Tense in Reported Speech - Option B

Explanation:
When reporting speech, we often need to change the tenses in the original statement to fit the context. The Past Perfect Tense is used to show an action that happened before another action in the past. In reported speech, it is essential to maintain the sequence of events accurately.

Analysis of Option B:
- The original statement: "She had left before we reached."
- Reported speech: He told us, "She had left before we reached."
In this sentence, the Past Perfect Tense is incorrectly used in reported speech. When reporting the statement, the correct tense to use would be the Past Simple Tense. The sentence should be: He told us, "She left before we reached."

Corrected Sentence:
He told us, "She left before we reached."
By using the correct tense in reported speech, the sequence of events is accurately portrayed, leading to clear and effective communication.

Identify the sentence with an incorrect use of Past Perfect Tense in a sequence of events.
  • a)
    After she had finished her book, she went to bed.
  • b)
    They had already left by the time we had arrived.
  • c)
    We had visited the museum, and then we have lunch.
  • d)
    By the time he reached home, his family had already eaten dinner.
Correct answer is option 'C'. Can you explain this answer?

Arnav Saini answered
Incorrect Use of Past Perfect Tense:

Explanation:
- The sentence "We had visited the museum, and then we have lunch" is incorrect because it mixes past perfect tense with present tense.
- In a sequence of events, when one action happened before another in the past, past perfect tense should be used consistently.
- In this case, "We had visited the museum" is correct as it shows an action that happened before another past event.
- However, "and then we have lunch" should be corrected to "and then we had lunch" to maintain consistency in the use of past perfect tense.

Corrected Sentence:
- We had visited the museum, and then we had lunch.

Choose the sentence with the correct use of Past Perfect Tense for describing a condition that existed before a specific past time.
  • a)
    The sun had set, and the stars shine brightly.
  • b)
    By the time we arrived, the party had already ended.
  • c)
    She said she had never met someone so friendly.
  • d)
    I had finished my chores, and then I will relax.
Correct answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer?

Arnav Saini answered
Explanation:

Past Perfect Tense:
The Past Perfect Tense is used to describe an action that took place before a certain time in the past. It is formed by using the auxiliary verb "had" followed by the past participle of the main verb.

Correct Answer:
The correct answer is option B: "By the time we arrived, the party had already ended."

Explanation of Correct Answer:
- This sentence correctly uses the Past Perfect Tense to show that the action of the party ending (had already ended) occurred before the specific past time of "we arrived."
- The use of "had" before "ended" indicates that the party ending happened before the arrival.
- This sentence effectively conveys the sequence of events in the past.
Therefore, option B is the correct use of the Past Perfect Tense for describing a condition that existed before a specific past time.

Identify the sentence with a negative form of the Past Perfect Tense.
  • a)
    They had never been to Paris before.
  • b)
    She had finished her book by the time I arrived.
  • c)
    He had already left when we reached the station.
  • d)
    We had celebrated the victory together.
Correct answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer?

Iq Funda answered
The negative form of the Past Perfect Tense is formed by adding "not" after "had." Option A, "They had never been to Paris before," correctly uses the negative form, indicating that the action of going to Paris had not occurred before a specific point in the past.

Identify the error in the sentence: "I had not understand the instructions."
  • a)
    I
  • b)
    had not
  • c)
    understand
  • d)
    the instructions
Correct answer is option 'C'. Can you explain this answer?

The error lies in "understand". The correct form should be "understood" as in "I had not understood the instructions." In the Past Perfect Tense, 'had not' is followed by the past participle form of the verb.

Complete the sentence: "Had they ___ the movie before we arrived?"
  • a)
    saw
  • b)
    seen
  • c)
    sees
  • d)
    seeing
Correct answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer?

G.K Academy answered
The correct completion is "Had they seen the movie before we arrived?" In the Past Perfect Tense, 'had' is used in questions, followed by the past participle form of the verb, 'seen' in this case. This tense is often used to ask about actions completed before a specific time in the past.

Identify the error in the sentence: "He had never understand the problem before now."
  • a)
    He
  • b)
    had never
  • c)
    understand
  • d)
    before now
Correct answer is option 'C'. Can you explain this answer?

The error lies in "understand". The correct form should be "understood" as in "He had never understood the problem before now." In the Past Perfect Tense, 'had' is followed by the past participle form of the verb.

Select the appropriate verb form: "He ___ any emails before the system crashed."
  • a)
    hasn't sent
  • b)
    hadn't sent
  • c)
    didn't send
  • d)
    doesn't send
Correct answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer?

G.K Academy answered
The correct answer is "He hadn't sent any emails before the system crashed." In the Past Perfect Tense, 'had not' (hadn't) is used with singular third-person subjects, followed by the past participle.

Choose the correct sentence:
  • a)
    She had visited London before she moved there.
  • b)
    She has visit London before she moved there.
  • c)
    She have visited London before she moved there.
  • d)
    She visits London before she moved there.
Correct answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer?

EduRev SSC CGL answered
The correct sentence is "She had visited London before she moved there." The Past Perfect Tense is used here with 'had' followed by the past participle 'visited' for a singular third-person subject.

Which sentence is a question in the Past Perfect Tense?
  • a)
    Had they completed the project on time?
  • b)
    She had finished her assignment yesterday.
  • c)
    We had visited the museum last week.
  • d)
    He had already left before the meeting.
Correct answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer?

Questions in the Past Perfect Tense are formed by using the auxiliary verb "had" before the subject. Option A, "Had they completed the project on time?" is the correct question form in the Past Perfect Tense.

Which sentence correctly uses the Past Perfect Tense to show a duration of time?
  • a)
    She had finished her work in just an hour.
  • b)
    By the time we arrived, they had already stayed for two days.
  • c)
    He had left the party after dancing for a while.
  • d)
    We had completed the project within the deadline.
Correct answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer?

The Past Perfect Tense can be used to express the duration of an action that occurred before another past action. Option B, "By the time we arrived, they had already stayed for two days," correctly uses the Past Perfect Tense to convey the duration of their stay.

Identify the sentence with an incorrect use of Past Perfect Tense for a simultaneous action in the past.
  • a)
    While they had played outside, it started snowing.
  • b)
    He had left the room when she entered.
  • c)
    By the time we arrived, the movie had already started.
  • d)
    She had cooked dinner while he watched TV.
Correct answer is option 'C'. Can you explain this answer?

G.K Academy answered
Option C, "By the time we arrived, the movie had already started," has an incorrect use of Past Perfect Tense for simultaneous actions. The Past Perfect Tense should not be used for the action that occurs after another past action in this context.

Find the error in the sentence: "We had never ate sushi before that day."
  • a)
    We
  • b)
    had never
  • c)
    ate
  • d)
    before that day
Correct answer is option 'C'. Can you explain this answer?

The error is in "ate". The correct form is "eaten" as in "We had never eaten sushi before that day." In the Past Perfect Tense, the past participle form of 'eat' is 'eaten'.

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