Page 858 - Wordsmith A Guide to College Writing

Notice in the following example that if the sequence of events is
clearly shown in other ways, the past perfect tense is not needed:

Carl made coffee before Jill woke up.

Practice 21-3 Making Necessary Tense

Shifts

In the following sentences, provide the necessary shift to the past

perfect tense by using had + the past participle (the -ed or -en form of

the verb). Some of the verbs in the sentences below are irregular and

do not form their past participle by adding -ed. (If you are uncertain of

the past participle of irregular verbs, consult the list in Chapter 12 .)

1. I was stranded on a lonely road, and I left my cell phone at

home.

2. When the landlady called about the rent, I told her I mailed it.

3. When Vijay asked his daughter if she had homework, she told
him she finished it.

4. When someone asked Michael for a cigarette, he said he quit

smoking.

5. The dog ate as if no one fed him for days.