Past simple or past perfect

write the correct form of the verbs in brackets:

1) when i (come), they already (eat) my water-melon.

2) i (look) at the vase my friend (break).

3) when i (arrive) at the party, tom (go) home.

4) the local cinema (be) no longer open. it ) down.

5) we (reach) the station when the rain (start).

6) i (remember) that i (left) my umbrella at home.

7) after jack (turn off) the light, he (left) the room.

8) john no longer (have) his car. he (sell) it.

9) i (finish) my homework before my mom ).

10) hardly julie (enter) the house, when it (start) to rain.

11) he (be) away for several months before his first letter (come).

12) after the sun (set), we (decide) to return home.

13) i (want) to go to the cinema, because i (see) the film.

14) he (not tell) us that he (take) the money.

15) the boy (be) in a bad mood because he (fail) the exam.

16) mr. black (say) that he (buy) a new car.

17) everybody (understand) that he (find out) the truth.

18) i (be) a teacher for ten years since i (graduate) from college; after that i (become) a designer.

19) people (know) that he already (live) there for five years.

20) where they (live) before they (move) to london?

21) i (know) that my sister (go) to the party alone.

22) who (break) the window before i (return) home?

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1) When I came, they had already eaten my watermelon.
Explanation: The action of eating the watermelon happened before the action of coming. Therefore, we use the past perfect tense to show that the eating occurred before the coming.

2) I looked at the vase my friend had broken.
Explanation: The action of breaking the vase happened before the action of looking at it. Therefore, we use the past perfect tense to show that the breaking occurred before the looking.

3) When I arrived at the party, Tom had already gone home.
Explanation: The action of going home happened before the action of arriving at the party. Therefore, we use the past perfect tense to show that the going occurred before the arriving.

4) The local cinema was no longer open. It had closed down.
Explanation: The action of closing down happened before the state of the cinema being no longer open. Therefore, we use the past perfect tense to show that the closing down occurred before the being closed state.

5) We reached the station when the rain started.
Explanation: The action of starting the rain happened after the action of reaching the station. Therefore, we use the past simple tense to show that the rain started at the same time or after the reaching.

6) I remembered that I had left my umbrella at home.
Explanation: The action of leaving the umbrella happened before the action of remembering it. Therefore, we use the past perfect tense to show that the leaving occurred before the remembering.

7) After Jack turned off the light, he left the room.
Explanation: The action of turning off the light happened before the action of leaving the room. Therefore, we use the past simple tense to show that the turning off occurred before the leaving.

8) John no longer had his car. He had sold it.
Explanation: The action of selling the car happened before the state of not having it anymore. Therefore, we use the past perfect tense to show that the selling occurred before the not having state.

9) I had finished my homework before my mom came.
Explanation: The action of finishing the homework happened before the action of the mom coming. Therefore, we use the past perfect tense to show that the finishing occurred before the coming.

10) Hardly Julie had entered the house when it started to rain.
Explanation: The action of starting to rain happened immediately after the action of entering the house. Therefore, we use the past perfect tense to show that the entering occurred just before the starting.

11) He had been away for several months before his first letter came.
Explanation: The action of the first letter coming happened after the state of being away for several months. Therefore, we use the past perfect tense to show that the being away occurred before the coming.

12) After the sun had set, we decided to return home.
Explanation: The action of deciding to return home happened after the state of the sun setting. Therefore, we use the past perfect tense to show that the setting occurred before the deciding.

13) I wanted to go to the cinema because I had seen the film.
Explanation: The action of seeing the film happened before the action of wanting to go to the cinema. Therefore, we use the past perfect tense to show that the seeing occurred before the wanting.

14) He didn't tell us that he had taken the money.
Explanation: The action of taking the money happened before the action of not telling us. Therefore, we use the past perfect tense to show that the taking occurred before the not telling.

15) The boy was in a bad mood because he had failed the exam.
Explanation: The action of failing the exam happened before the state of the boy being in a bad mood. Therefore, we use the past perfect tense to show that the failing occurred before the being in a bad mood state.

16) Mr. Black said that he had bought a new car.
Explanation: The action of buying a new car happened before the action of saying it. Therefore, we use the past perfect tense to show that the buying occurred before the saying.

17) Everybody understood that he had found out the truth.
Explanation: The action of finding out the truth happened before the action of everybody understanding it. Therefore, we use the past perfect tense to show that the finding occurred before the understanding.

18) I had been a teacher for ten years since I graduated from college; after that, I became a designer.
Explanation: The action of graduating from college happened before the state of being a teacher for ten years. Therefore, we use the past perfect tense to show that the graduating occurred before the being state. Later, the action of becoming a designer happened after the state of being a teacher. Therefore, we use the past simple tense to show that the becoming occurred after the being.

19) People knew that he had already lived there for five years.
Explanation: The action of living there for five years happened before the action of people knowing it. Therefore, we use the past perfect tense to show that the living occurred before the knowing.

20) Where had they lived before they moved to London?
Explanation: The action of living happened before the action of moving to London. Therefore, we use the past perfect tense to show that the living occurred before the moving.

21) I knew that my sister had gone to the party alone.
Explanation: The action of going to the party happened before the action of knowing it. Therefore, we use the past perfect tense to show that the going occurred before the knowing.

22) Who had broken the window before I returned home?
Explanation: The action of breaking the window happened before the action of returning home. Therefore, we use the past perfect tense to show that the breaking occurred before the returning.