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If by the time you arrived, everyone had left the party, what would you do?

If by the time I arrived, everyone had left the party, I would call some of my friends to see if they were still around and if not, I would take the opportunity to explore the area and find something else to do.

When was the last time you didn’t go to the cinema with someone because you had already seen the film?

The last time I didn’t go to the cinema with someone because I had already seen the film was about a month ago. My friend wanted to watch a movie that I had already seen so I decided not to join them.

When was the last time you called someone to tell them that you would be late because you hadn’t finished doing the housework/homework by then?

The last time I called someone to tell them that I would be late because I hadn’t finished doing the housework/homework by then was about two weeks ago. My friend was waiting for me but I hadn’t finished my chores yet so I called them to let them know that it would take me a bit longer than expected.

Imagined I called you yesterday at 9 a.m.; had you just finished having breakfast?

If you had called me yesterday at 9 a.m., then yes, I had just finished having breakfast. Usually, my breakfast is around 8:30-9:00 a.m., so by 9 a.m., it would have been done already.

When was the last time your car broke down just after you had set off?

The last time my car broke down just after I had set off was about three months ago. It was an old car and it suddenly stopped working while on the way to work, so I had to call for help and get it towed away for repairs.

When was the last time you didn’t eat anything at a party because you had already eaten at home?

The last time I didn’t eat anything at a party because I had already eaten at home was about two weeks ago. My friends were having a small gathering but since I had already eaten before going there, there wasn’t really any need for me to eat again so soon afterwards.

Talk about a piece of news you had already heard about before you saw it on TV.

The last piece of news that I heard about before seeing it on TV was about an upcoming election in my country. A few days before it aired on TV, some of my friends were talking about it and they mentioned some of the candidates who were running in the election, which gave me an idea of what was going on even before seeing it on TV.

If I say “We had dinner when Maria arrived,” does it mean that Maria arrived and then we had dinner or we had dinner and then Maria arrived?

We had dinner when Maria arrived; meaning that Maria arrived and then we had dinner.

We had had dinner when Maria arrived.

We had dinner before Maria arrived.

If I say “I read the book after I’d seen the film,” does it mean that I saw the film and then I read the book or I read the book and then I saw the film?

I read the book after I’d seen the film, meaning that I saw the film and then I read the book.

If I say “By the time Mum came home, I’d gone to bed,” does it mean that I went to bed before Mum came home or I went to bed after Mum came home?

By the time Mum came home, I’d gone to bed, meaning that I went to bed before Mum came home.

If you hear someone say “My friend didn’t go to bed until her Dad had come home,” does it mean that my friend went to bed and then her Dad came home or her dad came home and then my friend went to bed?

My friend didn’t go to bed until her Dad had come home, meaning that her dad came home, and then my friend went to bed.

If someone says “Mr. Jones hadn’t arrived at the office by the time I got there,” does it mean that I arrived before Mr. Jones or Mr. Jones arrived before me?

Mr. Jones hadn’t arrived at the office by the time I got there, meaning that I arrived before Mr. Jones.

If you hear “They’d bought the plane tickets before they heard about the cheaper flight”, does it mean that they bought the plane tickets and later they heard about the cheaper flight or they heard about the cheaper flight and then they bought the plane ticket?

They’d bought the plane tickets before they heard about the cheaper flight, meaning that they bought the plane tickets and later they heard about the cheaper flight.

If I say “The girls had tidied the house when the visitors arrived,” does it mean that the visitors arrived and later the girls tidied the house or the girls tidied the house, and then the visitors arrived?

The girls had tidied the house when the visitors arrived, meaning that the visitors arrived and later the girls tidied the house.

When was the last time you had already heard the news about something when someone told you about it?

The last time I had already heard the news about something when someone told me about it was last week. A friend of mine had told me about a new restaurant opening up in town, and I had already heard about it from another friend.

When was the last time you had already thought of something before someone suggested it to you?

The last time I had already thought of something before someone suggested it to me was a few days ago. I was trying to think of a way to make my presentation more interesting, and then my colleague suggested the same idea that I had been thinking of.

When was the last time you turned on the TV to watch something but your programme had already started/finished?

The last time I turned on the TV to watch something but my programme had already started/finished was two weeks ago. I wanted to watch a movie, but when I turned on the TV, it was already halfway through

When was the last time you were really hungry because you hadn’t eaten anything all day?

The last time I was really hungry because I hadn’t eaten anything all day was yesterday. I had been so busy with work that by the time lunchtime rolled around, my stomach was growling!

Talk about someone who had already decided what they were going to become by the time they left school.

My brother is someone who had already decided what he was going to become by the time he left school. He knew he wanted to be an engineer and worked hard throughout his school years to make sure he achieved his goal. He graduated with honours and is now working as an engineer at a large company.

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When was the last time you were tired because you had been running?

The last time I was tired because I had been running was two weeks ago. I had gone for a jog around my neighbourhood and ended up running for about an hour. By the time I got back home, my legs were exhausted and I was completely out of breath.

When was the last time you were hot because you had been dancing?

The last time I was hot because I had been dancing was at a party last month. We were all dancing to some upbeat music and it felt like the temperature in the room kept rising as we kept going. After a few hours, we were all sweating and feeling the heat from all the movement.

When was the last time your area was flooded because it had been raining all night?

The last time my area was flooded because it had been raining all night was about two months ago. It had been raining heavily for several days and by the end of the night, there were several inches of water in some parts of town. It took a few days for the water to recede and for things to get back to normal.

Talk about someone who crashed their car because they had been driving too fast.

Someone crashed their car because they had been driving too fast just last week. They were speeding down a highway when they lost control of their vehicle and ended up crashing into another car on the side of the road. Thankfully, no one was seriously injured but it could have been much worse if they hadn’t been driving so recklessly.

When was the last time you arrived at a place where a person had been waiting for you for over half an hour/for some time?

The last time I arrived at a place where someone had been waiting for me for over half an hour/for some time was about three weeks ago when I went to meet up with a friend at a cafe downtown. They had arrived early but waited patiently until I showed up after being stuck in traffic for almost an hour.

When was the last time someone met you somewhere where you had been waiting for them for a long time?

The last time someone met me somewhere where I had been waiting for them for a long time was about four months ago when my brother came to visit me from out of town. He got delayed due to bad weather but eventually made it after waiting at the airport for almost three hours!

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When was the last time you had only been doing the housework for a few minutes when a family member came home and offered to help you finish it?

The last time I had only been doing the housework for a few minutes when a family member came home and offered to help me finish it was about two weeks ago. My brother had just come home from work and saw that I was struggling with the chores, so he offered to help me out. It was really nice of him and I was very grateful for his help.

Had you already given one of your parents their birthday gift on their last birthday before others gave them theirs?

Yes, I had already given one of my parents their birthday gift on their last birthday before others gave them theirs. It was my mom’s birthday and I had bought her a beautiful necklace as a present. She was really surprised and happy when she opened it, so it made me feel good that I had been the first one to give her something special on her special day.

When was the last time you didn’t get angry with a close friend for not helping you because they had told you that they couldn’t?

The last time I didn’t get angry with a close friend for not helping me because they had told me that they couldn’t was about two months ago. My friend had promised to help me with an assignment but then told me at the last minute that they couldn’t because of other commitments. Even though I was disappointed, I understood their situation and didn’t get angry with them.

When was the last time you saw someone realize that their tea/coffee had salt in it after they had been drinking it for several minutes?

The last time I saw someone realize that their tea/coffee had salt in it after they had been drinking it for several minutes was about a month ago. My friend had made some coffee but hadn’t realized that she had accidentally added salt instead of sugar until she took a few sips. She immediately spat out the coffee and we all laughed at her mistake!

When was the last time someone called to say that an event had been cancelled after you had been getting ready for it all day?

The last time someone called to say that an event had been cancelled after I had been getting ready for it all day was about three weeks ago. We were supposed to go to a concert but then got an unexpected call saying that it had been cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances. It was really disappointing but we understood why it happened so we just accepted it and moved on with our plans for the evening.

When was your first fantastic experience in the air because you had never flown in a plane?

My first fantastic experience in the air because I had never flown in a plane before was about five years ago when my family went on vacation to Hawaii. It felt amazing being up in the air and seeing all the beautiful views from above! Even though there were some bumps along the way, overall it was an incredible experience that will stay with me forever!

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How did you feel the last time you got your exam results after you had been expecting them for a long time?

The last time I got my exam results after expecting them for a long time, I felt a mix of emotions. I was anxious to see how I had done, but also excited to find out the results. I was also a bit nervous, as I wasn’t sure what to expect.

When was the last time you knew you had done quite well even before you got your exam results?

The last time I knew I had done quite well even before getting my exam results was when I had studied hard and felt confident in my knowledge of the material. This gave me a sense of assurance that whatever the outcome, I had done my best and could be proud of myself.

When was the last time you were nervous as you opened an envelope even before you had the chance to look at what was inside?

The last time I was nervous as I opened an envelope even before having the chance to look at what was inside was when I received an acceptance letter from a college that I had applied to. Even though it was likely that it would be good news, there was still some uncertainty and anticipation as to what the letter would say.

When was the last time someone read out your exam results and you realized that you had done really well in the exams?

The last time someone read out my exam results and I realized that I had done really well in the exams was when my teacher announced the grades in class. As soon as she said my name and grade, there were cheers from other students and a feeling of accomplishment washed over me.

When was the last time your parents shouted with joy because you had done something really good?

The last time my parents shouted with joy because I had done something really good was when they found out that I had been accepted into college. They were so proud of me for all of the hard work that went into getting accepted and their joy made me feel really special.

When was the last time you got really happy after you heard a piece of news you had been waiting for?

The last time I got really happy after hearing a piece of news that I had been waiting for was when one of my friends told me she got accepted into her dream school. She had worked so hard for this opportunity and it made me so happy to hear her good news!