Simple Past

FORM
[VERB+ed] or irregular verbs
Examples:

• You called Debbie.

• Did you call Debbie?

• You did not call Debbie.

Complete List of Simple Past Forms

USE 1 Completed Action in the Past

Use the Simple Past to express the idea that an action started and finished at a specific
time in the past. Sometimes, the speaker may not actually mention the specific time, but
they do have one specific time in mind.
Examples:

• I saw a movie yesterday.

• I didn't see a play yesterday.

• Last year, I traveled to Japan.

• Last year, I didn't travel to Korea.

• Did you have dinner last night?

• She washed her car.

• He didn't wash his car.

USE 2 A Series of Completed Actions

We use the Simple Past to list a series of completed actions in the past. These actions
happen 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and so on.
Examples:

• I finished work, walked to the beach, and found a nice place to swim.

• He arrived from the airport at 8:00, checked into the hotel at 9:00, and met the
others at 10:00.

• Did you add flour, pour in the milk, and then add the eggs?

USE 3 Duration in Past

The Simple Past can be used with a duration which starts and stops in the past. A duration
is a longer action often indicated by expressions such as: for two years, for five minutes,
all day, all year, etc.
Examples:

• I lived in Brazil for two years.

• Shauna studied Japanese for five years.

• They sat at the beach all day.

• They did not stay at the party the entire time.

• We talked on the phone for thirty minutes.

• A: How long did you wait for them?

B: We waited for one hour.

USE 4 Habits in the Past

The Simple Past can also be used to describe a habit which stopped in the past. It can
have the same meaning as "used to." To make it clear that we are talking about a habit,
we often add expressions such as: always, often, usually, never, when I was a child, when
I was younger, etc.
Examples:

• I studied French when I was a child.

• He played the violin.

 • He didn't play the piano.

• Did you play a musical instrument when you were a kid?

• She worked at the movie theater after school.

• They never went to school, they always skipped class.

USE 5 Past Facts or Generalizations

The Simple Past can also be used to describe past facts or generalizations which are no
longer true. As in USE 4 above, this use of the Simple Past is quite similar to the
expression "used to."
Examples:

• She was shy as a child, but now she is very outgoing.

• He didn't like tomatoes before.

• Did you live in Texas when you were a kid?

• People paid much more to make cell phone calls in the past.

IMPORTANT When-Clauses Happen First

Clauses are groups of words which have meaning but are often not complete sentences.
Some clauses begin with the word "when" such as "when I dropped my pen..." or "when
class began..." These clauses are called when-clauses, and they are very important. The
examples below contain when-clauses.
Examples:

• When I paid her one dollar, she answered my question.

• She answered my question when I paid her one dollar.

When-clauses are important because they always happen first when both clauses are in
the Simple Past. Both of the examples above mean the same thing: first, I paid her one
dollar, and then, she answered my question. It is not important whether "when I paid her
one dollar" is at the beginning of the sentence or at the end of the sentence. However, the
example below has a different meaning. First, she answered my question, and then, I paid
her one dollar.
Example:

• I paid her one dollar when she answered my question.

ADVERB PLACEMENT
The examples below show the placement for grammar adverbs such as: always, only,
never, ever, still, just, etc.
Examples:

• You just called Debbie.

• Did you just call Debbie?

ACTIVE / PASSIVE
Examples:

• Tom repaired the car. Active

• The car was repaired by Tom. Passive

Past Continuous
FORM
[was/were + present participle]
Examples:

• You were studying when she called.

• Were you studying when she called?

• You were not studying when she called.

Complete List of Past Continuous Forms

USE 1 Interrupted Action in the Past

Use the Past Continuous to indicate that a longer action in the past was interrupted. The
interruption is usually a shorter action in the Simple Past. Remember this can be a real
interruption or just an interruption in time.
Examples:
 • I was watching TV when she called.

• When the phone rang, she was writing a letter.

• While we were having the picnic, it started to rain.

• What were you doing when the earthquake started?

• I was listening to my iPod, so I didn't hear the fire alarm.

• You were not listening to me when I told you to turn the oven off.

• While John was sleeping last night, someone stole his car.

• Sammy was waiting for us when we got off the plane.

• While I was writing the email, the computer suddenly went off.

• A: What were you doing when you broke your leg?

B: I was snowboarding.

USE 2 Specific Time as an Interruption

In USE 1, described above, the Past Continuous is interrupted by a shorter action in the
Simple Past. However, you can also use a specific time as an interruption.
Examples:

• Last night at 6 PM, I was eating dinner.

• At midnight, we were still driving through the desert.

• Yesterday at this time, I was sitting at my desk at work.

IMPORTANT
In the Simple Past, a specific time is used to show when an action began or finished. In
the Past Continuous, a specific time only interrupts the action.
Examples:

• Last night at 6 PM, I ate dinner.

I started eating at 6 PM.

• Last night at 6 PM, I was eating dinner.

I started earlier; and at 6 PM, I was in the process of eating dinner.
USE 3 Parallel Actions

When you use the Past Continuous with two actions in the same sentence, it expresses the
idea that both actions were happening at the same time. The actions are parallel.
Examples:

• I was studying while he was making dinner.

• While Ellen was reading, Tim was watching television.

• Were you listening while he was talking?

• I wasn't paying attention while I was writing the letter, so I made several
mistakes.

• What were you doing while you were waiting?

• Thomas wasn't working, and I wasn't working either.

• They were eating dinner, discussing their plans, and having a good time.

USE 4 Atmosphere
In English, we often use a series of parallel actions to describe the atmosphere at a
particular time in the past.
Example:

• When I walked into the office, several people were busily typing, some were
talking on the phones, the boss was yelling directions, and customers were
waiting to be helped. One customer was yelling at a secretary and waving his
hands. Others were complaining to each other about the bad service.

USE 5 Repetition and Irritation with "Always"

The Past Continuous with words such as "always" or "constantly" expresses the idea that
something irritating or shocking often happened in the past. The concept is very similar
to the expression "used to" but with negative emotion. Remember to put the words
"always" or "constantly" between "be" and "verb+ing."
Examples:
 • She was always coming to class late.

• He was constantly talking. He annoyed everyone.

• I didn't like them because they were always complaining.

While vs. When

Clauses are groups of words which have meaning, but are often not complete sentences.
Some clauses begin with the word "when" such as "when she called" or "when it bit me."
Other clauses begin with "while" such as "while she was sleeping" and "while he was
surfing." When you talk about things in the past, "when" is most often followed by the
verb tense Simple Past, whereas "while" is usually followed by Past Continuous. "While"
expresses the idea of "during that time." Study the examples below. They have similar
meanings, but they emphasize different parts of the sentence.
Examples:

• I was studying when she called.

• While I was studying, she called.

REMEMBER Non-Continuous Verbs / Mixed Verbs

It is important to remember that Non-Continuous Verbs cannot be used in any continuous
tenses. Also, certain non-continuous meanings for Mixed Verbs cannot be used in
continuous tenses. Instead of using Past Continuous with these verbs, you must use
Simple Past.
Examples:

• Jane was being at my house when you arrived. Not Correct

• Jane was at my house when you arrived. Correct

ADVERB PLACEMENT
The examples below show the placement for grammar adverbs such as: always, only,
never, ever, still, just, etc.
Examples:

• You were just studying when she called.

• Were you just studying when she called?

ACTIVE / PASSIVE
Examples:
 • The salesman was helping the customer when the thief came into the store.
Active

• The customer was being helped by the salesman when the thief came into the
store. Passive

Past Perfect
FORM
[had + past participle]
Examples:

• You had studied English before you moved to New York.

• Had you studied English before you moved to New York?

• You had not studied English before you moved to New York.
Complete List of Past Perfect Forms

USE 1 Completed Action Before Something in the Past

The Past Perfect expresses the idea that something occurred before another action in the
past. It can also show that something happened before a specific time in the past.
Examples:

• I had never seen such a beautiful beach before I went to Kauai.

• I did not have any money because I had lost my wallet.

• Tony knew Istanbul so well because he had visited the city several times.

• Had Susan ever studied Thai before she moved to Thailand?

• She only understood the movie because she had read the book.

• Kristine had never been to an opera before last night.

• We were not able to get a hotel room because we had not booked in advance.
 • A: Had you ever visited the U.S. before your trip in 2006?
B: Yes, I had been to the U.S. once before.

USE 2 Duration Before Something in the Past (Non-Continuous Verbs)

With Non-Continuous Verbs and some non-continuous uses of Mixed Verbs, we use the
Past Perfect to show that something started in the past and continued up until another
action in the past.
Examples:

• We had had that car for ten years before it broke down.

• By the time Alex finished his studies, he had been in London for over eight
years.

• They felt bad about selling the house because they had owned it for more than
forty years.
Although the above use of Past Perfect is normally limited to Non-Continuous Verbs and
non-continuous uses of Mixed Verbs, the words "live," "work," "teach," and "study" are
sometimes used in this way even though they are NOT Non-Continuous Verbs.

IMPORTANT Specific Times with the Past Perfect

Unlike with the Present Perfect, it is possible to use specific time words or phrases with
the Past Perfect. Although this is possible, it is usually not necessary.
Example:

• She had visited her Japanese relatives once in 1993 before she moved in with
them in 1996.
MOREOVER
If the Past Perfect action did occur at a specific time, the Simple Past can be used instead
of the Past Perfect when "before" or "after" is used in the sentence. The words "before"
and "after" actually tell you what happens first, so the Past Perfect is optional. For this
reason, both sentences below are correct.
Examples:

• She had visited her Japanese relatives once in 1993 before she moved in with
 them in 1996.

• She visited her Japanese relatives once in 1993 before she moved in with them in
1996.
HOWEVER

If the Past Perfect is not referring to an action at a specific time, Past Perfect is not
optional. Compare the examples below. Here Past Perfect is referring to a lack of
experience rather than an action at a specific time. For this reason, Simple Past cannot be
used.
Examples:

• She never saw a bear before she moved to Alaska. Not Correct

• She had never seen a bear before she moved to Alaska. Correct

ADVERB PLACEMENT
The examples below show the placement for grammar adverbs such as: always, only,
never, ever, still, just, etc.
Examples:

• You had previously studied English before you moved to New York.

• Had you previously studied English before you moved to New York?

ACTIVE / PASSIVE
Examples:

• George had repaired many cars before he received his mechanic's license. Active

• Many cars had been repaired by George before he received his mechanic's
license. Passive

Past Perfect Continuous

FORM
[had been + present participle]
Examples:

• You had been waiting there for more than two hours when she finally arrived.

• Had you been waiting there for more than two hours when she finally arrived?

• You had not been waiting there for more than two hours when she finally
arrived.
Complete List of Past Perfect Continuous Forms

USE 1 Duration Before Something in the Past

We use the Past Perfect Continuous to show that something started in the past and
continued up until another time in the past. "For five minutes" and "for two weeks" are
both durations which can be used with the Past Perfect Continuous. Notice that this is
related to the Present Perfect Continuous; however, the duration does not continue until
now, it stops before something else in the past.
Examples:

• They had been talking for over an hour before Tony arrived.

• She had been working at that company for three years when it went out of
business.

• How long had you been waiting to get on the bus?

• Mike wanted to sit down because he had been standing all day at work.

• James had been teaching at the university for more than a year before he left for
Asia.

• A: How long had you been studying Turkish before you moved to Ankara?
B: I had not been studying Turkish very long.

USE 2 Cause of Something in the Past

Using the Past Perfect Continuous before another action in the past is a good way to show
cause and effect.
Examples:
 • Jason was tired because he had been jogging.

• Sam gained weight because he had been overeating.

• Betty failed the final test because she had not been attending class.

Past Continuous vs. Past Perfect Continuous

If you do not include a duration such as "for five minutes," "for two weeks" or "since
Friday," many English speakers choose to use the Past Continuous rather than the Past
Perfect Continuous. Be careful because this can change the meaning of the sentence. Past
Continuous emphasizes interrupted actions, whereas Past Perfect Continuous emphasizes
a duration of time before something in the past. Study the examples below to understand
the difference.
Examples:

• He was tired because he was exercising so hard.

This sentence emphasizes that he was tired because he was exercising at that
exact moment.

• He was tired because he had been exercising so hard.

This sentence emphasizes that he was tired because he had been exercising over a
period of time. It is possible that he was still exercising at that moment OR that he
had just finished.

REMEMBER Non-Continuous Verbs / Mixed Verbs

It is important to remember that Non-Continuous Verbs cannot be used in any continuous
tenses. Also, certain non-continuous meanings for Mixed Verbs cannot be used in
continuous tenses. Instead of using Past Perfect Continuous with these verbs, you must
use Past Perfect.
Examples:

• The motorcycle had been belonging to George for years before Tina bought it.
Not Correct

• The motorcycle had belonged to George for years before Tina bought it. Correct

ADVERB PLACEMENT
The examples below show the placement for grammar adverbs such as: always, only,
never, ever, still, just, etc.
Examples:

• You had only been waiting there for a few minutes when she arrived.

• Had you only been waiting there for a few minutes when she arrived?
ACTIVE / PASSIVE
Examples:

• Chef Jones had been preparing the restaurant's fantastic dinners for two years
before he moved to Paris. Active

• The restaurant's fantastic dinners had been being prepared by Chef Jones for
two years before he moved to Paris. Passive
NOTE: Passive forms of the Past Perfect Continuous are not common.

The past simple verb tense is used when:

The action happened in the past
The action/event is completed /finished at the time of speaking.
The time or/and place is stated or understood.
The length of the event/action is not important.
Examples:

• I went to the school.

• We did not not to the English class today.

• They did eat lunch at school.

Note:In English, following phrases are often used with the Past Simple Tense to define
time:
yesterday last year
last night two years
last month ago
many years ago a long time ago
What is the past continuous verb tense?
The past continuous verb tense, which is also know as the past progressive tense. The
past continuous verb tense is one of four tenses that are used in the past. The past
continuous verb tense is used in the following situations:
the action happened at a specific time.
We were studying English yesterday at 10:00.

• the action happened at a specific time - "10:00"

there was an interruption while performing the action.
I was eating dinner when the phone rang.

• "eating" is the action was being performed

• "the phone rang" is the action that interrupted.

• two actions were happening at the same time.

• to state a change in a situation.

Pa Pre Fut
-
st sent ure
I was eating dinner when the phone the action happened at a specific
x - -
rang. time - "when eating dinner".
We were studying English yesterday at
x - - -
10:00.
The dogs were not playing in the yard
x - - -
when something ate your flowers.
Were you sleeping when I called last
x - - -
night?
Was your mother cooking all night?

When is the simple past perfect verb tense used?

The simple past perfect verb tense is used:

• to state "how many"

• to clarify the order of two past non-continuous events

 • to state a past action was completed before an other action

• interchangeably with the past perfect continuous verb tense

• with the exact time or an unexpected time can be stated (unlike when using the
simple present prefect verb tense)
The simple past perfect verb tense is used to to clarify the order of two past actions.
The first action uses the simple past perfect verb tense
The second action uses that past simple verb tense.
Examples:

• I wasn't hungry when I came home from school. I had eaten on my way home
from school.

• We had already left for school, when I found out that the my English class was
cancelled.
The simple past perfect verb tense be used to state an action that occurred in the past was
completed, before a 2nd action in the past started.

• I was very tired when my friends came to pick me up. I had worked all day.

• We slept only a few hours, when we had to wake up to go to school.

The simple past perfect tense can be used to answer the question "how many".
Examples:

• I had lived in in Europe, so many years ago.

• We had visited so many different places, before we came home.

There are many cases where the past perfect continuous verb tense can be
interchangeable with the simple past perfect tense.
Examples:

• I had slept all night. - past perfect simple tense

• I had been sleeping all night. - past perfect continuous verb tense

• I have lived in this house many years. - past perfect simple tense
I have been living in this house for many years. - past perfect continuous verb tense
How is the past perfect continuous verb tense used?
The past perfect continuous verb tense is a one of four past tenses in English. The past
perfect continuous verb tense is used to:

• represent the "past in the past"

• repeated actions

• clarify the order of 2 past actions

• answers the question "how long"

• clarifies the order of two past actions

• states that an action was in progress, when a second action stared

• represents the conclusion of an event action

• states the duration of an event, before a past action

The past perfect continuous verb tense can be used to state that an action was still in
progress when the 2nd action started.
When is the past perfect continuous verb tense used?
There are 6 ways the past prefect continuous verb tense is used:
The past perfect continuous verb tense is used to state the first action had been happening
over a period of time, when more then one or more actions occurred.
When 2 actions happened in the past, the past perfect continuous verb tense is used to
clarify which action happened first.

• The first action is clarified by using the past perfect continuous verb tense.

• The second action is clarified by using the past simple verb tense.
Examples:

• Mary looked tired. I could see that she had been studying for her English test
recently.

• The children were soaking wet. I knew they had been swimming in the lake.
The past perfect continuous verb tense is used to state actions happen repeatedly.
Examples:

• The bus has been coming late everyday this week.

• The teacher has been giving us exams every week for the past few weeks.
The past perfect continuous verb tense is used to make conclusions.
Examples:

• There was a leak in the pipes, that is why the water bill had been getting higher
and higher each month.

• The teacher looks very tired. She has been marking test all day.
The past perfect continuous verb tense is also used to state a past action that occurred
over a period of time.
Example:

• I have been playing the violin, since I was a child.

• We have been working in the university for many years.

There are many cases where the past perfect continuous verb tense can be
interchangeable with the simple past perfect verb tense.
Examples:

• I had slept all night. - past perfect simple verb tense

• I had been sleeping all night. - past perfect continuous verb tense

• I have lived in this house many years. - - past perfect simple verb tense

• I have been living in this house for many years. - past perfect continuous verb
tense
The past perfect continuous verb tense can be used to answer the question "how long".
Examples:

• How long had you been waiting for the bus to come?

• How many year had you been studying to be a teacher?

Tips:
The past perfect continuous verb tense is also known as "past perfect progressive tense".
The past perfect continuous verb tense is used in English is used to emphasize:

• the action/activity

• the length of time

Past Continuous Tense ("I was doing")
There are three main uses of this tense:
1. To talk about what was happening at a particular time in the past and to give
descriptions and background information.
2. To talk about temporary situations in the past.
3. To make polite requests.
1. Talking about what was happening at a particular time in the past.
"This time yesterday, I was reading a book."
We often use the Past Continuous tense with the Past Simple tense. The Past
Continuous gives the background to an event in the Past Simple:
"When he got home, the children were playing in the garden." (The children started
playing in the garden before he got home.)
"I was eating dinner when there was a knock on the door." (The knock on the door came
in the middle of my meal.)
We can use the Past Continuous to give descriptions.
"The girl was wearing a yellow dress. She was eating ice-cream and was watching
television."
2. Talking about temporary situations in the past.
"When I was living in London, I often went to the theatre." (Living in London was
temporary – perhaps I only lived there for a short while.)
Compare with: "When I was a child I lived in the countryside." Living in the countryside
was a longer event – I was a child for more than a couple of years. For more permanent
situations, we use the Past Simple tense.
3. Making polite requests.
If we want to make polite requests, we can use the Past Continuous tense. This is
because we put a distance between ourselves and the person we are asking.
"I was wondering if you had time to see me."
"I was hoping we could discuss a pay raise."
We use this tense in English to talk about events or situations that are finished. Normally
we use a time reference.
For example:
"Last year I went to Spain."
"In 1997, he changed his job."
"She called an hour ago."
We also use the Past Simple tense in English to talk about long-lasting events or
situations in the past.
"When I was a child, I lived in the countryside."
To talk about repeated activites in the past, we also use the Past Simple.
"I often went to the beach as a child."

Grammar notes: past tenses

Past simple

The past simple is used:

to talk about completed actions in the past:

My brother got a new job in Madrid last week.

What did he say when you told him?
Shakespeare died in 1616.

to talk about habits in the past:

We always had roast beef on Sundays when I was a boy.

We never went abroad for our holidays until the 1970s.
I travelled by bus until I passed my driving test.

to talk about events that happened one after the other:

He jumped out of bed, ran into the bathroom and slammed the door.
I came, I saw, I conquered.

Past continuous

The past continuous is used:

to talk about an activity in progress at a particular time in the past:

What were you doing at 9 o'clock on the night of the murder?

At 9 o'clock I was getting the dinner ready.
At 2 o'clock everyone was having lunch.

to describe a situation or activity:

Cars were speeding past and people were hurrying towards the station.
It was raining so hard that everyone was sheltering in doorways.
He was wearing his best suit.

when a past action is interrupted by a shorter action:

I was walking along the road when it started to rain.

Someone knocked on the door as I was getting dressed.
I was wondering what to do when the phone rang.

when a past action takes place during another, longer past action or state:

She was living in Madrid when she met her husband.

I decided to give up smoking while I was working in the hospital.
I was learning Arabic when I got the chance to visit Egypt.

Past simple and past continuous

As far as Spanish speakers are concerned, the main thing that you should remember is that you
have more verb tenses in Spanish than we have in English.

trabajé I worked

trabajaba -----

estaba trabajando I was working

estuve trabajando -----

Even though it might sound strange to you, you need to use the correct English tense according
to the rules. Look at the following examples which could help:

When we arrived she made some tea. (One action followed another)
When we arrived she was making some tea. (She was in the middle of making it)

I painted the living room yesterday. (I finished it)

I was painting the living room yesterday, (I did part of it)

He drowned. (He's dead)

He was drowning. (I jumped in and saved him)

He hit his brother. (Single action)

He was hitting his brother. (Repeated activity)

The old pub stood by the river near the bridge. (Permanent)
He was standing outside the pub waiting for it to open. (Temporary)
Past perfect simple and continuous

The past perfect simple expresses an action that happened before a definite time in the past:

I got to his house at 10 o'clock, but he had already left.

She started to cry because she had had such a terrible day.
I asked him if he wanted a coffee but he had already had one.

The continuous is used for longer activities that had been going on up to a definite time in the
past:

He was a wreck. He hadn't been sleeping well because he'd been worrying so much
about his money problems.

The continuous is used for repeated or continuous activities, while the simple is used for
completed or single actions:

He was drunk. He had been drinking all day. (Repeated activity)

He was drunk. He had drunk a whole bottle of whisky. (Completed action)

Past perfect and past simple

The past simple can tell a story in chronological order:

She was all alone in the world. Her parents got divorced when she was a girl, her sister
got married and went to live in Canada, and her boyfriend left her after five years of
living together.

The past perfect can be used for dramatic effect, looking from one point in the past to another
point even further in the past:

She was all alone in the world. Her parents had got divorced when she was a girl, her
sister had got married and gone to live in Canada, and her boyfriend had left her after
five years of living together.

The past simple can be used when one action follows another and it's obvious that it happened
afterwards:

When the doorbell rang I got up to answer it.

I heard the milkman and went to order an extra carton of milk.

If it's important to show that the second action started after the first one was completed, the
first action must be in the past perfect:

When I had finished reading the paper, I threw it away.

I didn't leave the house until I had made sure that all the windows were closed.

(1) I see my first baseball game when I live in New York.

(2) How many pints of beer he/drink before he leave the pub?

(3) It rain so we decide to stay at home all afternoon.

(4) By the time I leave university I be to France fifteen times.

(5) What you/do at the time the murder was committed?

(6) When we get home we saw that someone break in to steal the DVD recorder.

(7) He send/passive to prison four times before he decide that it would be better to
go straight.

(8) I didn't realise I lose my credit cards until I try to pay for dinner at the
restaurant.

(9) I write an email to my sister when she ring me.

(10) She was so upset by the news that she drop her tea and start crying.

saw,was living

had he drunk,left

was raining,decided

left,had been

were you doing

got,had broken

had been sent,decided

had lost,tried

was writing,rang

ed,ed

Grammar notes: past tenses

Past simple
The past simple is used:
to talk about completed actions in the past:
My brother got a new job in Madrid last week.
What did he say when you told him?
Shakespeare died in 1616.
to talk about habits in the past:
We always had roast beef on Sundays when I was a boy.
We never went abroad for our holidays until the 1970s.
I travelled by bus until I passed my driving test.
to talk about events that happened one after the other:
He jumped out of bed, ran into the bathroom and slammed the door.
I came, I saw, I conquered.
Past continuous
The past continuous is used:
to talk about an activity in progress at a particular time in the past:
What were you doing at 9 o'clock on the night of the murder?
At 9 o'clock I was getting the dinner ready.
At 2 o'clock everyone was having lunch.
to describe a situation or activity:
Cars were speeding past and people were hurrying towards the station.
It was raining so hard that everyone was sheltering in doorways.
He was wearing his best suit.
when a past action is interrupted by a shorter action:
I was walking along the road when it started to rain.
Someone knocked on the door as I was getting dressed.
I was wondering what to do when the phone rang.
when a past action takes place during another, longer past action or state:
She was living in Madrid when she met her husband.
I decided to give up smoking while I was working in the hospital.
I was learning Arabic when I got the chance to visit Egypt.
Past simple and past continuous
Even though it might sound strange to you, you need to use the correct English tense according to the
rules. Look at
the following examples which could help:
When we arrived she made some tea. (One action followed another)
When we arrived she was making some tea. (She was in the middle of making it)
I painted the living room yesterday. (I finished it)
I was painting the living room yesterday, (I did part of it)
He drowned. (He's dead)
He was drowning. (I jumped in and saved him)
He hit his brother. (Single action)
He was hitting his brother. (Repeated activity)
The old pub stood by the river near the bridge. (Permanent)
He was standing outside the pub waiting for it to open. (Temporary)
Past perfect simple and continuous
The past perfect simple expresses an action that happened before a definite time in the past:
I got to his house at 10 o'clock, but he had already left.
She started to cry because she had had such a terrible day.
I asked him if he wanted a coffee but he had already had one.
The continuous is used for longer activities that had been going on up to a definite time in the past:
He was a wreck. He hadn't been sleeping well because he'd been worrying so much about his problems.
The continuous is used for repeated or continuous activities, while the simple is used for completed or
single actions:
He was drunk. He had been drinking all day. (Repeated activity)
He was drunk. He had drunk a whole bottle of whisky. (Completed action)
Past perfect and past simple
The past simple can tell a story in chronological order:
She was all alone in the world. Her parents got divorced when she was a girl, her sister got married and
went
to live in Canada, and her boyfriend left her after five years of living together.
The past perfect can be used for dramatic effect, looking from one point in the past to another point even
further in
the past:
She was all alone in the world. Her parents had got divorced when she was a girl, her sister had got
married
and gone to live in Canada, and her boyfriend had left her after five years of living together.
The past simple can be used when one action follows another and it's obvious that it happened
afterwards:
When the doorbell rang I got up to answer it.
I heard the milkman and went to order an extra carton of milk.
If it's important to show that the second action started after the first one was completed, the first action
must be in
the past perfect:
When I had finished reading the paper, I threw it away.
I didn't leave the house until I had made sure that all the windows were closed.
Fill in each blank by putting the verb in (brackets) into the correct past tense.
1 I _________________________(see) my first baseball game when I
_________________________(live) in
New York.
2 How many pints of beer _________________________(he/drink) before he
_________________________
(leave) the pub?
3 It _________________________(rain) so we _________________________(decide) to stay at home
all
afternoon.
4 By the time I _________________________(leave) university I _________________________(be) to
France fifteen times.
5 What _________________________(you/do) at the time the murder was committed?
6 When we _________________________(get) home we saw that someone
_________________________
(break) in to steal the DVD recorder.
7 He _________________________(send/passive) to prison four times before he
_______________________
(decide) that it would be better to go straight.
8 I didn't realise I _________________________(lose) my credit cards until I
_________________________
(try) to pay for dinner at the restaurant.
9 I _________________________(write) an email to my sister when she
_________________________(ring)
me.
10 She was so upset by the news that she _________________________(drop) her tea and
_________________________(start) crying.