PAST TENSES

Past Simple / Past Continuous

Past Perfect

THE PAST SIMPLEFORM:I/ you /he/ she / we / they/ worked* (regular verbs)

went (irregular verbs)

I/you/he/she/we/they didn’t work

didn’t go

Did I/you/he/she/we/they work/go?

Adding the -edThe general rule: work – workedSome changes:a) liked – used – baked (we dropped the final –e) When the verb finishes in consonant-stressed vowel-consonantb) stopped – planned – grabbed preferred – admitted However: entered – visited- listenedPay attention: travelled – programmedc) carry- carried bury- buried but play - played

USES:

1- We use the Past Simple to express an action which happened at a specific time in the past and is now finished.

I saw him last month/ last year/ two years ago/ yesterday morning / in 1999 / when I was young.

2- We use the Past Simple to tell a story:

There was once a man who lived in a small house in the country. One day he left his house and went into town. On the way he met….

THE PAST CONTINUOUSFORM: Subject + was/were + ---ing

I / he / she / it was going home

We / you / they were going home

I / he / she / it wasn’t working

We / you / they weren’t working

Where was I/ he / she / it going?

Where were you / we / they going?

Adding the -ing

General rule: listen – listeninging

A- smoking, coming, writing (we drop the “e”)

We double the last consonant we the verb finishes in:

B-consonant- stressed vowel- consonant

- running, stopping,

- permitting, beginning,

* travelling, programming

Be careful: studying, playing!!!!

USES OF THE PAST CONTINUOUS:

As with all continuous tenses, there is an idea of duration and activity in progress over a period of time:

Compare these TWO sentences:

a) At 10.00 I had a bath.

b) At 10.00 I was having a bath.

1) We use the Past Continuous to express an activity happening at a particular time in the past:

What were you doing at 8.00 last night?

I was watching television.

2) It is used to express an activity that is interrupted.

While I was having a bath, the phone rang.

I met Tim as I was walking to school

The students were working when the teacher walked in.

3) We can use two continuous tenses for two actions in progress at the same time.

Lisa was reading quietly while it was raining outside.

4) When we tell a story in the past :

We use the past continuous for description,

and the past simple for action.

I got up early and opened the window. The sun was shining, the birds were singing..

PAST PERFECT TENSE

FORM:

Subject + had + past participle

I had lost my job

I hadn’t seen her

Had you heard…?

1) The Past Perfect is used to express an action that happened before a definite time in the past:

Ann couldn’t hold back her tears any longer. She had had a terrible day. She had been late for work. She had lost her purse…

2) We use the past perfect to describe an action which happened before another action also in the past. For example,

I left home very late. When I arrived at the theatre, the concert had already started.

TIME CLAUSES WITH: when, till, until, as soon as, before, after.

- Two past simple tenses can be used if there is an idea that the second action happened immediately after the first.

When his flight was announced, he went to the check-in desk.

I sat outside until the sun went down.- If it is important to show that the first action was

completed before the second one began, the Past Perfect must be used for the action that happened first:

When I had finished my homework, I went to bed.He didn’t leave the house until he had checked that

all the windows were closed.

• I had finished all my homework before I went to bed.

• By the time I went to bed, I had finished all my homework.

• I didn’t go to bed until I had finished all my homework.

• After I had finished all my homework, I went to bed.