Past tenses

Simple past Past continuous Past perfect

• Actions finished in the past (single • To show that something
• To indicate that a longer action in the past
or repeated). was interrupted by a shorter action. happened before another
• Series of completed actions in the • When you use the past continuous with action in the past
past. two actions in the same sentence, it • To show that something
Use • Together with the past expresses the idea that both actions happened before a
continuous, the simple were happening at the same time. specific time in the past.
past interrupted an action which • To describe the atmosphere at a • To show dissatisfaction
was in progress in the past. particular time in the past with the past
• Make a reported speech
Subject + past simple (verb 2) Subject + was/were + verb-ing Subject + had + past participle
Affirmative
(verb 3)
Subject + did not + base form (verb 1) Subject + was/were not + verb-ing Subject + had not + past
Negative
participle (verb 3)
Did + subject + base form (verb 1) + Was/were + subject + verb-ing + ? Had + subject + past participle
Interrogative
? (verb 3)
• Yesterday, I walked to school • I was watching TV when she called. • She stayed up all night
• As a child, I sometimes walked to • Yesterday at this time, I was sitting at my because she had
school desk at work. received bad news.
• Did you have dinner last night? • I was studying while he was • She had established her
making dinner. company before 2008
Examples
• The usher asked if
we had purchased our
tickets.
• She wished she had
seen her friend.