❓The past simple and past perfect tenses - English Learners' Questions

Learn the difference between the past simple and the past perfect as Dan answers this BBC Learning English learner's question. Niki from Hungary wants to know when to use 'eat' and 'ate'.

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Transcript

Hi guys! Dan here for BBC Learning English with this week's Learner Question. Find out what it is after this.

OK! This week's learner question comes from Niki from Hungary, who writes: The following sentence has been giving me a headache for weeks now. Could you please give me the correct answer and justify it? When was the last time you had eaten / ate in this restaurant? Two weeks ago. Ok, Niki, are you ready? Here we go.

So, in your example it has to be the past simple. When was the last time you ate in this restaurant? Two weeks ago. Now the past simple refers to finished periods of time or moments of time. It refers to a definite past. So, it’s often used with time adverbials such as: last night, some time ago, in 1985, earlier today, at six o clock this morning, the last time, the first time, etc. And don’t forget that the auxiliary verb is did. For example: The first time I ever rode a horse was on my 7th birthday. And the last time was 6 months ago.

The past simple can also be used to refer to repeated past events and past habits and past states. For example: When I was small, we lived in a cottage by the sea and I played every day on the beach.

Now, the past perfect is formed using had + a past participle verb. And, we use it when we are already discussing the past and wish to refer back to an event that happened before this point. For example: When I got to the cinema, the film had already started.

Now, the past perfect can also be used with words like after, as soon as, when and once, but usually only to emphasise that one action is quite separate and independent and has finished before another one. Remember, everything’s in the past. So, compare these sentences: When I got out of the car, I bought a parking ticket. These two are connected. One follows the other. However, when I had got out of the car, a dog ran over to me. These two events are unconnected and separate.

I hope that answers your question Niki. Thank you very much for writing to us. If anybody else out there has a question for Learners’ Questions, you can email us on: [email protected]. Please remember to put Learners’ Questions in the subject box and your name and where you’re writing from. We get a lot of emails, guys, and we can’t answer every single one, but we do read them all. And for more information, go to our website bbclearningenglish.com. That’s it for this week’s Learners’ Questions. I’ll see you next time. Bye!

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