Back to the past

Het juiste gebruik van de werkwoordstijden in het Engels is heel belangrijk, omdat dit anders in een werksituatie voor verwarring kan zorgen. (Of erger natuurlijk…) Daarom vandaag een aantal voorbeelden van de past perfect (I had worked). De past perfect (voltooid verleden tijd) gebruik je om aan te geven dat iets in het verleden gebeurde voordat er iets anders gebeurde.

Twee eenvoudige zinnen
She hadn’t yet seen the reviews when I talked to her.

When I got to the campus the lecture had already started.

Een aantal complexere zinnen
Four years ago I went to an astrologer to find out more about my children’s personality traits. She also had a look at my astrological map and told me to be careful concerning money matters because I could get into serious trouble. I became nervous because I had already signed a contract with an estate investor and I had even paid a huge deposit for the apartment.

By the time I realised that I had been beguiled of my money I could not reach the estate company. I went and reported my case to the police. A few days later I was informed by the police that the suspects had already left the country.

Mr Smith had gone to his lawyer to get a marriage contract drawn up before he proposed to Denise. Denise got outraged and ran off with Mr Smith’s business partner.

Doe je mee met de oefening?
Vul in:

1. If you ____________________ (listen) to me, you would have got the job.
2. Joyce didn’t arrive until after I ____________________ (leave).
3. She ____________________ (meet) her before somewhere.
4. We were late for the plane because we ____________________ (forgot)our passports.
5. Julie said that she ___________________ (not / visit) the UK before.
6. She ___________________ (not / use) email before, so I showed her how to use it.
7. You ___________________ (not / study) for the test, so you were very nervous.

Vul je antwoorden hieronder in! De oplossingen volgen later…