Using Estonian Perfect and Pluperfect Tenses Correctly: Practice Exercises

Mastering the intricacies of the Estonian language can be both challenging and rewarding, particularly when it comes to the correct usage of perfect and pluperfect tenses. These tenses are essential for expressing actions that have been completed at a specific point in the past or actions that were completed before another past action. Understanding and using these tenses correctly can significantly enhance your fluency and comprehension in Estonian, allowing you to convey more precise meanings and timelines in your conversations and writings. In this section, we offer a series of carefully crafted exercises designed to help you practice and perfect your use of the Estonian perfect and pluperfect tenses. Through a variety of engaging activities, including sentence transformations, fill-in-the-blanks, and translation tasks, you'll gain the confidence to use these tenses accurately and effectively. Whether you're a beginner looking to solidify your foundational knowledge or an advanced learner aiming to polish your skills, these exercises will provide the practice you need to achieve proficiency in using Estonian perfect and pluperfect tenses.

Exercise 1

1. Ma *olen lugenud* seda raamatut juba kolm korda (to read, perfect tense).

2. Eile õhtul *oli ta söönud* kogu koogi ära, kui ma koju jõudsin (to eat, pluperfect tense).

3. Me *oleme õppinud* seda teemat juba kaks nädalat (to learn, perfect tense).

4. Kui ma sõbra juurde jõudsin, *oli ta juba lahkunud* (to leave, pluperfect tense).

5. Sa *oled kirjutanud* selle kirja ilusti (to write, perfect tense).

6. Enne kui vihma hakkas sadama, *oli ta juba pesta saanud* auto (to wash, pluperfect tense).

7. Nad *on reisinud* paljudes riikides (to travel, perfect tense).

8. Ta *oli lugenud* kõik raamatud läbi enne eksamit (to read, pluperfect tense).

9. Me *oleme mänginud* jalgpalli igal nädalavahetusel (to play, perfect tense).

10. Kui ma tööle jõudsin, *oli ta juba lõpetanud* oma ülesanded (to finish, pluperfect tense).

Exercise 2

1. Ma *olen lugenud* seda raamatut (perfect tense of "to read").

2. Ta *oli söönud* hommikusööki enne tööle minekut (pluperfect tense of "to eat").

3. Me *oleme külastanud* vanaema suvel (perfect tense of "to visit").

4. Nad *olid lõpetanud* projekti enne tähtaega (pluperfect tense of "to finish").

5. Ma *olen vaadanud* seda filmi mitu korda (perfect tense of "to watch").

6. Ta *oli kirjutanud* kirja enne posti viimist (pluperfect tense of "to write").

7. Me *oleme õppinud* palju uut selle kursuse jooksul (perfect tense of "to learn").

8. Nad *olid kolinud* uude korterisse eelmisel aastal (pluperfect tense of "to move").

9. Ma *olen kohtunud* temaga varem (perfect tense of "to meet").

10. Ta *oli ostnud* auto enne majja kolimist (pluperfect tense of "to buy").

Exercise 3

1. Ma *olen käinud* selles kinos palju kordi (verb to express past perfect experience).

2. Nad *ei olnud lõpetanud* oma tööd, kui ma saabusin (verb to express unfinished past action before another past action).

3. Ta *ei olnud veel söönud*, kui ma koju jõudsin (verb to express incomplete past action before another past action).

4. Me *oleme näinud* seda filmi juba mitu korda (verb to express repeated past action with present relevance).

5. Kui ma kontorisse jõudsin, siis nad *olid juba lahkunud* (verb to express completed action before another past action).

6. Ta *oli juba lõpetanud* oma raamatu lugemise, kui ma teda nägin (verb to express completed past action before another past action).

7. Me *ei ole veel otsustanud*, kuhu minna puhkusele (verb to express undecided action with present relevance).

8. Kas sa *oled kunagi reisinud* välismaale? (verb to express past experience).

9. Nad *on alles hiljuti kolinud* uude majja (verb to express recent past action with present relevance).

10. Enne kui ma magama läksin, ma *olin koristanud* oma toa (verb to express completed action before another past action).