PAST TENSES

A. Simple Past Tense

S + V2

We use the past tense to talk about:

1. Something that happened once in the past:
 I met my wife in 1983.
 We went to Spain for our holidays.
 They got home very late last night.
2. Something that happened several times in the past:
 When I was a boy, I walked a mile to school every day.
 We swam a lot while we were on holiday.
 They always enjoyed visiting their friends.
3. Something that was true for some time in the past:
 I lived abroad for ten years.
 He enjoyed being a student.
 She played a lot of tennis when she was younger.
4. We often use expressions with ago with the past simple:
 I met my wife a long time ago.
5. Use did to make questions with the past simple:
 Did she play tennis when she was younger?
 Did you live abroad?
 When did you meet your wife?
 Where did you go for your holidays?
6. Use didn't (did not) to make negatives with the past simple:
 They didn't go to Spain this year.
 We didn't get home until very late last night.
 I didn't see you yesterday.

B. Past Continuous Tense

S + was/were + V-ing
 The past continuous is made from the past tense of the verb be and the -ing form of a
verb:
I was
You were
He was working
She was playing
It was talking
We were living
You were etc.
They were

We use the past continuous to talk about the past:

1. for something which happened before and after another action:
Example: The children were doing their homework when I got home.
2. for something that happened before and after a specific time:
Example: It was eight o'clock. I was writing a letter.
3. to show that something continued for some time:
Example: My head was aching.
Everyone was shouting.
4. for something that happened again and again:
Example: I was practicing every day, three times a day.
They were meeting secretly after school.
They were always quarrelling.
5. With verbs which show change or growth:
Example: The children were growing up quickly.
Her English was improving.
My hair was going grey.
The town was changing quickly.

C. Past Perfect Tense

S + had + V3

The past perfect is made from the verb had and the past participle of a verb:
  I had finished the work.
 She had gone.
The past perfect continuous is made from had been and the -ing form of a verb:
 I had been working there for a year.
 They had been painting the bedroom.

We use the past perfect:

1. For something that started in the past and continued up to a given time in the past:
- When George died, he and Anne had been married for nearly fifty years.
- She didn't want to move. She had lived in Liverpool all her life.
2. For something that happened several times before a point in the
past and continued after that point:
- He was a wonderful guitarist. He had been playing ever since he was a teenager.
- He had written three books and he was working on another one.
3. When we are reporting our experience up to a point in the past:
- My eighteenth birthday was the worst day I had ever had.
- I was pleased to meet George. I hadn’t met him before, even though I had met his
wife several times.
4. For something that happened in the past and is important at a later time in the past:
- I couldn’t get into the house. I had lost my keys.
- Teresa wasn’t at home. She had gone shopping.
5. We often use expressions with for and since with the past perfect:
- I was sorry when the factory closed. I had worked there for ten years.
- I had been watching that program every week since it started, but I missed the last
episode.

D. Past Perfect Continuous Tense

S + had + been + V-ing

Past Perfect Continuous Tense has three functions, namely:

1. To tell events those have occurred and are on-going in the past to a certain point in
time in the past as well.
Example: When the kids came, their mom had been waiting for three hours.
2. As a type 3 conditional sentence
Example: If it had been raining, I would have stayed in the office until midnight.
3. Indirect speech
Example: Direct speech: “He was playing piano”
Indirect speech: He said that he had been playing piano.
EXERCISE
Direction: Change the verb bellow into correct form of verb!
1. Yesterday at seventh o’clock, James _____ (play) football.
2. Zulaikha said that she _____ (see) you in the market yesterday.
3. While I _____ (drive), I _____ (have) an accident.
4. He _____ (take) a shower when the telephone _____ (ring).
5. What _____ (you/do) when I _____ (call) you last night?
6. When I _____ (leave) the house, it _____ (snow).
7. He _____ (study, not) last night.
8. What _____ (they/do) at 11pm last night; it was really noisy?
9. They _____ (be) at the bookstore last night.
10. Why _____ (be) you late?
Direction: Please change a regular verb into past tense form!
1. Wait – waited
2. Die – ……..
3. Cancel – ……..
4. Knock – ……..
5. Cook – ……..
6. Rain – ……..
7. Pray – ……..
8. Accompany – ……..
9. Call – ……..
10. Try – ……..
Direction: Please change the verb bellow into irregular verb!
1. Go – went
2. Keep – ……..
3. Ride – ……..
4. Play – ……..
5. Sing – ……..
6. Take – ……..
7. Sweep – ……..
8. Smell – ……..
9. Wake – ……..
10. Sit – ……..