10/3/2016 Past Simple - EnglishTenses.

com

Past Simple
Basicform
Subject+Verb(pastform)

Quickexamples

Iwassleepy.
Hedidn'tlearnanyItalianwhenhewasinItalytwoyearago.
Iwenttothecinema,boughtpopcornandwatchedamovie.

WeusethePastSimpletotalkaboutactionsthathappenedataspecifictimeinthepast.Theactionscanbeshortor
long.Therecanbeafewactionshappeningoneofteranother.

Use

1.Eventsinthepastthatarenowfinished(#use1)
2.Situationinthepast(#use2)
3.Aseriesofactionsinthepast(#use3)

Use1:Pastactionsthatarenowfinished

ThefirstuseofthePastSimpletoexpressactionsthathappenedataspecifictimeinthepast.Theactionscanbe
shortorlong.

Johncuthisfingerlastweek.short
Iwenttocollege3yearsago.long
Heatethedinner1hourago.short
Isleptwelllastnight.long

Use2:Situationinthepast

Anotheruseofthistenseistalkaboutsituationsinthepast.

IlivedinNewYorkfor10years(Idon'tlivethereanymore).

Use3:Aseriesofactionsinthepast

ThePastSimplecanalsobeusedwithafewactionsinthepasthappeningoneafteranother.

Heenteredaroom,litacigaretteandsmiledattheguests.

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10/3/2016 Past Continuous - EnglishTenses.com

Past Continuous
Basicform
Subject+WAS/WERE+Verb(continuousform)

Quickexamples

Themanwassinging.
Iwasrestinginthegardenwhenitstartedtorain.

WeusuallyusethePastContinuoustotalkaboutactivitiesthatlastedforsometimeinthepast.Theactionscanbe
interrupedbysomethingorcanbehappeningatthesametime.

Use

1.Durationinthepast(#use1)
2.Interruptedactionsinprogress(#use2)
3.Actionsinprogressatthesametime(#use3)inthepast
4.Irritation(#use4)
5.Politequestion(#use5)

USE1:Durationinthepast

WeusethePastContinuoustotalkaboutactionsorsituationsthatlastedforsometimeinthepast,andwhose
durationtimeisunknownorunimportant.

IwaswatchingTVyesterdayintheevening.
Shewassleepingonthecouch.
Thedogwasbarking.

USE2:Interruptedactionsinprogress

ThePastContinuousisoftenusedwhenoneactioninprogressisinterrupedbyanotheractioninthepast.ThePast
simpleisusedinsuchsentences.Weusuallyusewhenorwhiletolinkthesetwosentences.

1.

SentenceinPastSimple
SentenceinPastContinuous WHEN
+ + (/tenses/past_simple)

e.g.Iwassinging e.g.mywifecamehome

2.

SentenceinPast SentenceinPastSimple

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10/3/2016 Past Continuous - EnglishTenses.com

WHEN/WHILE + Continuous + (/tenses/past_simple)

e.g.Iwassinging e.g.mywifecamehome

IwastalkingwithJameswhenthetelephonerang.
WhileAngelicawasplayingtennis,theplanecrashed.
WhenBobwaspaintingwindows,itstartedraining.

Tounderstandthisusebetter,watchthisinteractiveanimation:

WhenIwasjogging,someonestoppedmeandaskedwhattimeitwas.

Explanation
Inthiscartoon,youcanseeamanwhosays:"WhenIwasjoggingsomeonestoppedmeandaskedwhattimeitwas.".

WhyisthePastContinuoususedthisexample?Clickonthebuttonlabled"event1".Youcanseethattheman
isjogging.Thisisacontinuousaction.Suddenly,anothermanstopshimandaskswhattimeitis.Thisis"event
2".Noticethattheactionofjoggingisinterruptedbyevent2.ThisiswhytheuseofPastContinuousiscorrect
here.

USE3:Actionsinprogressatthesametime

Wealsousethistensetotalkabouttwoormoreactivitieshappeningatthesame.Weusuallyusewhenorwhileto
linkthetwosentences.

1.

SentenceinPastContinuous WHEN/WHILE SentenceinPastContinuous

+ +
e.g.Iwassinging e.g.Shewascooking

2.

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10/3/2016 Past Continuous - EnglishTenses.com

WHEN/WHILE SentenceinPastContinuous SentenceinPastContinuous

+ +
e.g.Iwassinging e.g.Shewascooking

IwaswatchingTVandBarbarawasreadingabook.
Thefamilywaseatingthedinnerandtalking.
WhenBobwaspaintingwindows,Marywasworkinginthekitchen.

USE4:Politequestions

Ifwewanttoaskapolitequestion,wecanusethePastContinuous.

Iwaswonderingifyoucouldopenthewindow.
Iwasthinkingyoumighthelpmewiththisproblem.

EventhoughthesentenceshaveaPastContinuousform,theyrefertothepresentmoment.Theirmeaningissimilar
tothe"couldyou"sentences,buttheyaremorepolite.

USE5:Irritation

Rememberthatyoucanalsoexpressirritationoversomebodyorsomethinginthepast.

Shewasalwayscominglatefordinner!

Form
ToformasentenceinthePastContinuous,youneed:

1.Theproperconjugationoftheauxiliaryverb"tobe"inthepastform
2.ThePresentParticipleofyourverb(verb+ing)

1.Auxiliaryverb"tobe"
Thepastformoftheauxiliaryverb"tobe"is:

1.Forthefirstandthirdpersonsingular:"was"
2.Forallothers:"were"

Shewasalwayscominglatefordinner!
Youwerealwayscominglatefordinner!

2.ThePresentParticiple
Thepresentparticipleisofaverbisaverbformthatappearswiththepresenttenses(/page/present_tenses.html).The
presentparticipleisformedbyaddingingtotheverb.

talk+ing=talking
be+ing=being

Thereareexceptions(/present_participle_exceptions).

DeclarativeSentences

Subject WAS/WERE Verb+ING

+ +
e.g.he,she,adog,etc. e.g.walking,going,taking,etc.

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10/3/2016 Past Perfect - EnglishTenses.com

Past Perfect
Basicform
Subject+HAD+Verb(pastparticipleform)

Quickexamples

Ihadwrittentheletterbeforeyoucamehome.
Ifshehadstudiedhard,shewouldhavepassedtheEnglishlanguageexam.
IwishIhadbeenbraveenough.
Marylookedasifshehadnotsleptfor48hours.

WeusethePastPerfecttensetoemphasizethatanactioninthepastfinishedbeforeanotheractioninthepast
started.Thistenseisalsousedinreportedspeech,thirdconditionalsentences,ortoshowdissatisfactionwiththe
past.

Use
1.Completedactionbeforeanotheractioninthepast(#use1)
2.Thirdconditional(#use2)sentences
3.Reportedspeech(#use3)
4.Dissatisfactionwiththepast(#use4)

Use1:Acompletedactionbeforeanotheractioninthepast

Thefirstuseofthistenseistoemphasizethatoneactioninthepasthappenedbeforeanotheractioninthepast.

IhadfinishedmyhomeworkbeforeIwentplayingfootball.
JohnhadneverbeentoLondonbeforewewenttherelastyear.

Goodtoknow
People(especiallynativespeakers)donotusethePastPerfectinabovesentencesveryoften.Forexample,they
willsay:

AfterIwashedmycar,Iwenttofillup.

Ratherthan:

AfterIhadwashedmycar,Iwenttofillup.

Thisisbecause"after"and"before"tellthelistenerwhichactionhappenedfirst.Still,keepinmindthatitisbetterto
usethePastPerfect,especiallyinwrittenEnglishorwhenwritingexams.

Tounderstandthisusebetter,watchthisinteractiveanimation:

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10/3/2016 Past Perfect - EnglishTenses.com

MysonJuliushadneverseenacamelbeforewewenttogethertothezooinsummer1990.

Explanation
Inthiscartoon,youcanseeamanwhosays:"Myson,Julius,hadneverseenacamel,beforewewenttogethertothe
Zooinsummer1990".

WhyisthePastPerfectusedinthisexample?Clickonthebuttonlabled"event1".Thefatheraskshisson,
Julius,thefollowingquestion:"Haveyoueverseenacamel?".Julisrepliesthathehasneverseenit.Inthenext
scene,theyareintheZoo,watchingtheanimal.Noticethattheevent1occuredbeforeevent2.Itmeansthatthe
useofPastPerfectiscorrecthere.

Use2:Thirdconditional

UsethePastPerfectwiththirdconditionalsentences.

Ifwehadgonebytaxi,wewouldn'thavebeenlate.
IfMaryhadstudiedharder,shewouldhavepassedtheexam.

Thisuseisthesocalledhypotheticalpast:wearetalkingaboutthingsthatneverhappened.

IwishIhadfixedmyumberella.(butIdidn't)
IfonlyIhadknowntheanswertothatquestion.(butIdidn't)

Use3:Reportedspeech

UsethePastPerfectwithsentencesinreportedspeech.

Marysaidshehadalreadyseenthisfilm.
HeaskedifIhadreadHarryPotter.

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10/3/2016 Past Perfect - EnglishTenses.com

Use4:DissatisfactionwiththePast
Verb PastParticiple Learnmore
PastParticiple

WeoftenusethePastPerfecttoshowourdissatisfactionwiththepast.Suchsentencestypicallystartwith"Iwish..."
or"Ifonly...".

IwishIhadtakenmorefood.I'mhungrynow.
IfonlyIhadtakenmorefood.I'mhungrynow.

ThePastPerfectisalsousedwithexpressionssuchas"asif"and"asthough":

Johnlookedasifhehaddonesomethingterrible.
Shelookedasthoughshehadn'tsleptallnight.

Form
ToformasentenceinthePastPerfect,whatyouneedis:

1.Theproperconjugationoftheauxiliaryverb"tohave"inthepastform.
2.ThePastParticipleofyourverb.

1.Auxiliaryverb"tohave"
Thepastformoftheauxiliaryverb"tohave"is"had":

MaryhadfinishedherhomeworkbeforeMikecamehome.
MaryhasfinishedherhomeworkbeforeMikecamehome.
MaryhadsfinishedherhomeworkbeforeMikecamehome.

2.ThePastParticiple
Thepastparticiple(/page/past_participle)ofaverbisaverbformthatappearswiththeperfecttenses
(/page/perfect_tenses.html).Thepastparticiplecanbeeitherregular(/page/regular_verbs)orirregular(/irregular_verbs).

Theregularverbsareformedbyadding"ed"totheverb:

Verb PastParticiple

talk talked
explain explained
use used
deliver delivered
include included
achieve achieved

Theformationoftheirregularverbsdoesnotfollowonerule.Therefore,theyshouldbememorized.

Verb PastParticiple Learnmore

be been be(/verb/be)

become become become(/verb/become)

see seen see(/verb/see)

go gone go(/verb/go)

eat eaten eat(/verb/eat)

grow grown grow(/verb/grow)

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10/3/2016 Past Perfect Continuous - EnglishTenses.com

Past Perfect Continuous

Basicform
Subject+HAD+BEEN+Verb(continuousform)

Quickexamples

Theboyshadbeenquarrelingforhalfanhourwhenwearrivedhome.
IhadbeendatingAngelinafor3yearsbeforewegotmarried.
Ifithadn'tbeenraining,wewouldhavegonetothepark.
Shetoldmethatshehadbeenworkingasateacherforover40years.

Use
ThePastPerfectContinuousisusedtotalkaboutactionsorsituationsthatwereinprogressbeforesomeother
actionsorsituations.Therearealsootheruses.

1.Durationofapastactionuptoacertainpointinthepast(#use1)
2.Showingcauseofanactionorsituation(#use2)
3.Thirdconditionalsentences(#use3)
4.Reportedspeech(#use4)

Use1:DurationofaPastAction

ThemainuseofthePastPerfectContinuousistoexpressactionsorsituationsthatwereinprogressbeforesome
otheractionsorsituations.

Theboyshadbeenquarrelingforhalfanhourwhenwearrivedhome.
IhadbeendatingAngelinafor3yearsbeforewegotmarried.

Use2:ShowingCause

Usethistensetoshowcauseofanactionorsituationinthepast.

Johnwasinadetentionbecausehehadbeenmisbehaving.
Theroadwaswetbecauseithadbeenraining.
IhadtogoonadietbecauseIhadbeeneatingtoomuchsugar.
Jessicagotsunburntbecauseshehadbeenlyinginthesuntoolong.

Use3:ThirdConditional

Rememberthatthistenseisalsousedinthirdconditional(/page/third_conditional)sentences.

Ifithadn'tbeenraining,wewouldhavegonetothepark.

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10/3/2016 Past Perfect Continuous - EnglishTenses.com

Use4:ReportedSpeech

ThistensealsoappearsinReportedspeech(/reported_speech).

ShesaidsheknewCharliehadbeenlyingtoher.

ReportedSpeech(#)

Form

PositiveSentences

Subject HAD BEEN Verb(continuousform)

+ + +
e.g.he,she,adog,etc. e.g.walking,going,taking,etc.

[Father:WhenIlookedatourdaughterKathyIknewshehadbeencrying.(Use1)]

EXAMPLES USE(CLICKTOREAD)

IhadbeenrunningforanhourbeforeItwistedmyangle. 1(#use1)

Itwaswetoutside:Ithadbeenraining. 2(#use2)

IfIhadknownit,Iwouldn'thaveboughtit. 3(#use3)

Marysaidshehadneverbeenswimmingsomuchinoneday. 4(#use4)

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