Past Perfect - Exercises

show special characters
display incorrect answers

Free Exercise

Should we use haben or sein? Choose the correct form.

  1. Wir die E-Mail schon gelesen, als der Rechner abstürzte.[We had already read the e-mail when the computer crashed.]|Verbs with accusative objects (die E-Mail) form the past perfect with haben.
  2. Ich ein Stück gelaufen, als mir plötzlich das Bein weh tat.[I had run for a bit when my leg suddenly started hurting.]|Verbs of motion (laufen) form the past perfect with sein.
  3. ihr für die Arbeit gelernt?[Had you studied for the project?]|Intransitive verbs that do not express motion form the past perfect with haben.
  4. du zuvor schon dort gewesen?[Had you ever been there before?]|The verbs sein, werden and bleiben form the past perfect with sein.
  5. Als sie ankam, sie noch nicht gefrühstückt.[When she arrived, she had not yet had breakfast.]|Intransitive verbs that do not express motion form the past perfect with haben.

Complete the sentences. Use the past perfect. (weak verbs)

  1. Nachdem er (stürzen) , tat ihm das linke Bein weh.[After he had fallen, his left leg hurt.]|Verbs that express motion or a change of location form the past perfect with sein.|weak verbs: ge…t
  2. Vor zwei Jahren zogen Klaus und Petra in den Ort, in dem die beiden vorher (studieren) .[Two years ago, Klaus and Petra moved to the place where they had both previously studied.]|Intransitive verbs that do not express a change of location form the past perfect with haben.|weak verbs ending in ieren: …t (without ge)
  3. Zur Party kamen viel mehr Leute, als ich (erwarten) .[Many more people came to the party than I had expected.]|transitive verbs (verbs with an accusative object – Whom had I expect?) form the past perfect with haben.|weak verbs: ge…t
  4. Als das Eis (tauen) , konnten die Kinder nicht mehr Schlittschuhlaufen.[When the ice had melted, the children could not go ice-skating anymore.]|Verbs that express a change in condition form the past perfect with sein.|weak verbs: ge…t
  5. Uns fielen die Vokabeln nicht mehr ein, die wir so fleißig (lernen) .[We no longer remembered the vocabulary words that we had so diligently learned.]|transitive verbs (verbs with an accusative object – Whom/what had we learned?) form the past perfect with haben.|weak verbs: ge…t

Write sentences in the past perfect. (strong/mixed verbs)

  1. Ich erhielt erst gestern den Brief, den du mir aus dem Urlaub (schreiben) .[I only yesterday received the letter that you had written me while on holiday.]|transitive verbs (verbs with an accusative object – Whom/what had you written?) form the past perfect with haben.|strong verb: schreiben–schrieb–geschrieben
  2. Als die Party richtig losging, (wir/schon/gehen) .[When the party really got started, we had already left.]|Verbs that express a change of location form the past perfect with sein.|strong verb: gehen–ging–gegangen
  3. Wir übernachteten in dem Hotel, das Bernd uns (empfehlen) .[We spent the night in the hotel that Bernd had recommended to us.]|transitive verbs (verbs with an accusative object – Whom/what had Bernd recommended to us?) form the past perfect with haben.|strong verb: empfehlen–empfahl–empfohlen
  4. Wir machten ein Foto vom Biergarten, in dem wir zuvor (sitzen) .[We took a photo of the pub garden that we’d been sitting in earlier.]|intransitive verbs that do not express a change of location form the past perfect with haben.|strong verb: sitzen–saß–gesessen
  5. Nachdem ich ein paar Schritte (rennen) , bekam ich plötzlich keine Luft mehr und musste stehenbleiben.[After I had run a few paces, I suddenly couldn’t breathe and had to stop.]|Verbs that express a change of location form the past perfect with sein.|mixed verb: rennen–rannte–gerannt