2 Complete the sentences. Use the past simple or the past perfect form of the verbs in brackets.
1 My uncle and aunt
(already / get
engaged) before they
(emigrate) to
Australia.
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(not/can) buy anything because I
(forget) my wallet.
3 Robert
(be) upset because he
(split up) with his girlfriend.
4 Kelly
(start) her first business before she
(leave) university
5 As soon as Sara
(inherit) the money from
her grandmother, she
(buy) a car.
6 By the time Joe
(retire), he
(become) a grandfather.
7 After Fred
(settle down) in London, he
(decide) to have a change of career.
8 We
(spend) the weekend moving house,
So we
(go) to bed very early on Sunday.
Explanation: The past perfect form "had already gotten engaged" is used to indicate that the engagement happened before the action of emigrating to Australia. This shows the sequence of events.
2. I couldn't buy anything because I had forgotten my wallet.
Explanation: The past perfect form "had forgotten" is used to show that forgetting the wallet happened before the action of not being able to buy anything.
3. Robert was upset because he had split up with his girlfriend.
Explanation: The past perfect form "had split up" is used to indicate that the breakup happened before the feeling of being upset.
4. Kelly had started her first business before she left university.
Explanation: The past perfect form "had started" is used to show that starting the business happened before the action of leaving university.
5. As soon as Sara inherited the money from her grandmother, she bought a car.
Explanation: The past simple form "inherited" is used to indicate a specific event that happened at a particular point in time. The past simple form "bought" is used to show the action that followed immediately after inheriting the money.
6. By the time Joe retires, he will have become a grandfather.
Explanation: The future simple form "will have become" is used to show the completion of an action (becoming a grandfather) before a future point in time (Joe retiring).
7. After Fred settled down in London, he decided to have a change of career.
Explanation: The past simple form "settled down" is used to indicate that settling down in London happened before the decision to change careers.
8. We spent the weekend moving house, so we went to bed very early on Sunday.
Explanation: The past simple form "spent" is used to indicate the action of spending the weekend moving house. The past simple form "went" is used to show the action that followed after spending the weekend moving house.