Lesson 84 — Busy Schedule & Past Perfect

Busy Schedule & Past Perfect

In this lesson you describe a **busy day**, use **intensifiers** (unbelievably, really …), and practice the **past perfect**: **had + past participle**.

• Busy schedule: drop off / pick up / pack / return
• unbelievably > really > so > pretty + adjective
• Students take tests · teachers give tests
• had + V3 — action before another past action
• Before / when … had already … (order flexible)

**schedule** — UK: /ˈʃedjuːl/ · US: /ˈskedjuːl/

• At 8:00 drop off the laundry at Minute Wash.
• Pick up the laundry from Minute Wash.
• Take the cat to mom's house.
• Pack for the meeting / We need to pack up (for a trip).
• Lunch with Adam.
• Return the DVDs to Film Pix.
• See the dentist.

**drop off** = deliver / hand something over. When you leave a hotel, drop off the keys at reception.

• A: So how was your day?
• B: Unbelievably busy. By 9:00 I had taken the placement test, registered for class, and bought my books.
• A: That's a lot to do before 9:00.
• B: That was nothing! At 10:00 I had a meeting across town, but by 1:00 I had already arrived back at school for my class.
• A: What did you do about lunch?
• B: Well, when I got back to school, I hadn't eaten yet, so I just got a snack.
• A: Wow! I'll bet you're pretty hungry now.

Use adverbs before adjectives for emphasis — especially with negative adjectives (busy, crazy, stupid). Strongest → weakest:

• unbelievably / incredibly busy, crazy, nice, stupid
• really busy, crazy, nice, stupid
• so busy, crazy, nice, stupid
• pretty busy, crazy, nice, stupid (mild)

Opposite of Persian: **Students take tests.** · **Teachers give tests.**

• By 9:00 I had already taken the placement test.
• Teachers give tests. Students take tests.

**Past perfect** (ماضی بعید) = an action **before another action in the past**. Both actions are finished. Unlike **present perfect**, the result does not continue to now. **Subject + had + past participle** (V3)

• I had eaten before you arrived.
• I had read this book before you told me about it.
• Your father lent me money before I asked him. (lend → lent)
• I had borrowed money before you called me.
• Before I got married, I had studied marketing.
• When their friends called, they had eaten their lunch.
• I had read this book. (time not important)

• The meeting started at 10:00. We arrived at 11:00.
• → When we arrived, the meeting had already started.
• Before you texted me, I had done my homework.
• I had done my homework before you texted me. (order doesn't matter)
• Before she got to the meeting, she had reviewed the agenda.
• To get to the meeting · To review the agenda (دستور جلسه)