Past Tense Simple, Perfect, Continuous, Perfect Continuous
What is Past tense?
Past tenses are among the most Important tenses in English. We use this tense so often to talk all kind of things in daily life. we can use past tense to tell someone what you did yesterday and in story telling, whatever you’re trying to describe that happened before.
For example you can use this tense to tell someone what you did yesterday and also what happened in the world 200 years ago 500 years ago whatever you are trying to describe that happened before now you can use the past tense.
Types of tenses
There are four types of past tenses in English :
• Simple Past Tense Indefinite Tense
• Past Perfect Tense
• Past Continuous Tense / Past Progressive Tense
• Past Perfect Continuous Tense / Past Perfect Progressive Tense
Simple Past Tense / Indefinite Tense
The Simple past tense is used to describe an action that has already happened in past. Simple past tense is a verb tense We use the simple past tense for finished past action.
when we talk about the past simple tense we’re talking about a time that is before now.
Past simple tense specifically talks about something that happened in the past or its finished
Structure of past simple tense: [ Sub + Verb in the past form ]
simple past tense Examples :
– He arrived late for office.
– I ate my lunch.
– She saw me.
– I walked to work.
– I watched a movie yesterday.
– I was busy last week
Note: Irregular verbs have different past forms. for example : drive becomes drove and driven, drink becomes drank and drunk. there are many different types of irregular verbs so make sure you know past forms.
Regular verbs: we use the ( verb + -ed) to form the simple past tense for example:-
Watch – watched
Walk – walked
Play – played
Study – studied
Irregular verbs: in irregular verbs the verb changes into a different form to form the simple past tense for example:-
Do – did
Drink – drank
Go – went
Have – had
Sit – sat
The verb form is the same for all subjects for example the simple past form of the verb
Eat – ate
I eat pizza
You ate pizza
He ate pizza
She ate pizza
We ate pizza
They ate pizza
The students ate pizza
Be in simple past tense
B is the only one simple past work that changes form for different subjects
The two simple past forms of the verb be are:
1. Was
I was cold yesterday evening
My cat was hungry
2. Were
My jewellery were cheap.
My new book were stolen.
When we use the Past simple tense?
• With time expression
I watched this movie last week
• Without time expression
I baked a cake
• Recent past
I watched movie yesterday
• Distant past
I lived in Paris a long time ago.
• One action
He talked to her.
• Many action
I invited their parents for ordered food and watched the movie tonight.
Past Perfect Tense
Past Perfect Tense will actually allow you to talk about things have happened in past and in much more interesting way. We use a past perfect tense to talk about but not any just situation in the past we use the past perfect tense when we are talking about to events that happened in the past and when one event happened before the other event.
it helps you to order the actions in your story past perfect is help us to create the timeline.
the past perfect tense is sometimes called the past of the past. and the past perfect tense is describe an action that was finished before another past action.
Structure of past perfect tense: [ Sub + Had + Verb Past Participle ]
Past perfect tense Examples:
– I had finished my homework.
– The class had started.
– She didn’t want to move.
– He was a magician.
– I couldn’t go out for party.
Note: When we’re talking about two or more things we use the Past Perfect Tense.
In past perfect answer learning to correctly use contractions is going to help much more better
Had = auxiliary verb
Positive Contractions example
I’d = I had
You’d = you had
He’d = he had
She’d = she had
We’d = we had
They’d = they had
It’d = it had
Negative contractions example
She hadn’t, he hadn’t, they hadn’t, it hadn’t
When we use the Past Perfect Tense
Short time ago – Before my friends arrived we had cleaned the room, we had ordered food and we had baked a cake together.
Long time ago – By the time my sister moved to Paris she had learned French, She had Graduated and she had worked.
Mixed time – When the president came to power, the poverty had decreased, the currency had strengthen and the economy had improved.
Past Continuous Tense / Past Progressive Tense
Past continuous tense is used to describe a past action that was ongoing. Past continuous tense is used to quite often in English. This action may have been interrupted or another actions also occurred.
Structure of Past Continuous Tense: [ Sub + Was/Were + Verb (-ing) ]
Past Continuous Tense Examples:
– I was eating all day.
– I was working all day.
– We were working all day
– He was waiting
Note: She/he/it – Was
Was/they/you – Were
When we use the Past Continuous Tense?
Continuing during period: I was studying
Continuing during moment: at 8:00 pm, I was sleeping.
Continuing when interrupted: They were talking when I arrived
Planned action: I was planning to go there but I didn’t have time
Polite request: I was thinking if you could go with me.
Note: Stative verbs with many of the stative verbs cannot use Continuous Tense.
What is Stative Verb?
Stative Verb describes condition, some kind of mental state, an emotional state or something else.
| Incorrect | Correct |
|---|---|
| I was knowing him for many years | I knew him for many years |
| I was hating rats | I hated rats |
| I was wanting a big house | I owned a big house |
| I was wanting to go with you | I wanted to go with you |