Trapassato remoto

Introduzione

Usiamo il past perfect per descrivere:

azioni che sono finite prima di un'altra azione o evento passati
fatti o esperienze che erano vere prima di un'azione o evento passati.

Esempi:

They had taken many French lessons by the time they moved to France.
Sono andati in Francia in passato. Prima d'allora avevano fatto lezioni di francese.
I hadn't eaten Mexican food before I went to Mexico last August.
Ho mangiato cibo messicano per la prima volta quando sono andato in Messico lo scorso anno in agosto.

Forma

Formiamo il past perfect con "had" + participio passato:

Positivo	I / You / We / They He / She / It	'd had	been	there before.
Negativo		hadn't had not

domanda

Had

I / you / we / they
he / she / it

been

there before?

Esempi

I had been to Thailand twice before I got a job there.
Ho avuto un lavoro in Tailandia in passato. Prima d'allora ero andato in Tailandia due volte.
He hadn’t heard Mozart’s music when he bought the tickets for the concert.
Non aveva sentito la musica di Mozart prima di aver comprato i biglietti per il concerto.
Had they read the book before they saw the film?
Hanno visto il film in passato. Avevano letto il libro prima d'allora?

Pratica

Completa le frasi con il past perfect positivo, negativo o interrogativo del verbo tra parentesi:

.

1)

I to see him at the party last night but he wasn’t there. (expect)

2)

They that it was raining when they left the house. (not realise)

3)

he the company before he went for the interview? (research)

4)

They didn’t receive my letter because I it to the wrong address. (send)

Ulteriore pratica

Completa le frasi con la risposta corretta tra a, b, c o d:
.

1)

We ____ to go to China for many years before we went last summer.

had wants

'd wanted

had want

has wanted

2)

She ____ him for many years before they got married.

had known

'd knew

had knew

'd know

3)

They didn’t buy a map because they ____ there many times before.

'd been

'd being

had being

has been

4)

____ the ending of the film before it finished?

Had guessed you

Had you guessed

You had guessed

You guessed had

5)

She hadn’t ____ any French before she went to France.

spoke

speaks

spoken

speak

6)

____ before the meeting started?

Had they prepared

They'd prepare

They had prepared

Had they prepare

Ulteriore punto di lingua

Usiamo il past perfect con "ever" / "never" per descrivere l'esperienza del soggetto in un momento del passato (usiamo il present perfect per descrivere l'esperienza del soggetto fino al presente):