De voltooid verleden tijd wordt gecombineerd met de onvoltooid verleden tijd om twee acties in het verleden te beschrijven, waarbij de ene handeling al voltooid was voordat de andere begon.
(The past perfect is combined with the simple past to describe two actions in the past, where one action had already been completed before the other began.)
- Often used with time expressions such as 'voordat' (before), 'nadat' (after), or 'terwijl' (while).
- Combining these two tenses helps make the context and the time relationship between two actions clear.
| Onvoltooid verleden tijd (Simple past) | Voltooid verleden tijd (Past perfect) | Voorbeeld (Example) |
|---|---|---|
| gaan → ging (to go → went) | zijn + geüpdatet (to have (aux.) + updated) | Voordat hij ging solliciteren, had hij zijn cv geüpdatet. (Before he went to apply, he had updated his CV.) |
| ontmoeten → ontmoette (to meet → met) | had + afgerond (had + completed) | Toen ik hem ontmoette, had ik mijn stage afgerond. (When I met him, I had completed my internship.) |
| hebben → had (to have → had) | had + geschreven (had + written) | Voordat ze het sollicitatiegesprek had, had zij de referentiebrief geschreven. (Before she had the job interview, she had written the reference letter.) |
| beginnen → begon (to start → started) | had + voltooid (had + completed) | Voordat ze haar baan begon, had ze de technische opleiding voltooid. (Before she started her job, she had completed the technical training.) |
| aankomen → aankwam (to arrive → arrived) | had + afgemaakt (had + finished) | Toen ze bij de werkplek aankwam, had zij haar motivatiebrief afgemaakt. (When she arrived at the workplace, she had finished her cover letter.) |
Exercise 1: Multiple choice
Instruction: Choose the correct answer
1. Voordat ik naar het uitzendbureau ging, ____ ik mijn cv bijgewerkt.
Before I went to the temp agency, ____ I had updated my CV.2. Toen ik bij het sollicitatiegesprek aankwam, ____ ik de motivatiebrief al geprint.
When I arrived at the job interview, ____ I had already printed the cover letter.3. Nadat ik mijn stage ____, schreef ik mijn eerste cv in het Nederlands.
After I ____, I wrote my first CV in Dutch.4. Voordat mijn oude baas mij aanbeval, ____ hij mijn prestaties met HR besproken.
Before my old boss recommended me, ____ he had discussed my performance with HR.Exercise 2: Rewrite the phrases
Instruction: Rewrite every two short sentences into one sentence using 'before' or 'when'. Use the past simple + past perfect (had/been + past participle).
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⇒ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ExampleVoordat hij ging solliciteren, had hij zijn cv geüpdatet.(Before he went to apply for a job, he had updated his CV.)
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⇒ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ExampleToen ik mijn nieuwe collega ontmoette, had ik mijn stage afgerond.(When I met my new colleague, I had completed my internship.)
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⇒ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ExampleVoordat ze het sollicitatiegesprek had, had ze de referentiebrief geschreven.(Before she had the job interview, she had written the reference letter.)
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⇒ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ExampleVoordat ze met haar baan begon, had ze de technische opleiding voltooid.(Before she started her job, she had completed the technical training.)
Exercise 3: Grammar in action
Instruction: Perform a role-play and describe what had already been completed before each event.
- Welke opleiding en specialisatie had je al afgerond voordat je solliciteerde? (Which education and specialization had you already completed before you applied?)
- Wat had je aan je cv en motivatiebrief aangepast voordat je het verstuurde? (vaardigheden, werkervaring) (What had you adjusted on your CV and cover letter before you sent it? (skills, work experience))
- Voordat ik ging solliciteren, had ik mijn cv bijgewerkt. (Before I started applying, I had updated my CV.)
- Toen ik het sollicitatiegesprek had, had ik mijn motivatiebrief al afgemaakt. (When I had the job interview, I had already finished my cover letter.)
- Nadat ik mijn stage had afgerond, had ik al werkervaring opgebouwd. (After I had completed my internship, I had already gained work experience.)
- Voordat + OVT, had + voltooid deelwoord (Before + past tense, had + past participle)
- Toen + OVT, had + voltooid deelwoord (When + past tense, had + past participle)
