PAST TENSES

Past Simple Past Continuous Past Perfect simple Past Perfect Continuous
S + V2 + Cs ( +) S+ was /were+ V-ing (+) S + had + V3 / (-ed) (+) S + had + been +Ving (+)
Did + S+ V1 ( ? ) Was / Were + S + Ving ? Had + S + V3 …? (?) Had + S + been + Ving …?
S +didn’t + V1 ( - ) S+ wasn’t / weren’t + Ving S + hadn’t + V3 ( - ) S + had been + Ving ( - )

 To talk about completed actions
in the past , at a stated time in the
past.
Ex: Yesterday I saw my friends
 For past actions which
happened one after the other.
When I arrived home, I
switched on the heater.
Ago
Last year/ week/ night…
Yesterday
In 1995 / Then /Suddenly
+ She swam yesterday
- She didn’t swim yesterday.
? Did she swim yesterday?
Yes, she did.
No, she didn’t.
 To talk about past actions in
progress at a specific time
Ex: At 9:00 I was watching TV.
 Past actions in progress which
are interrupted by other actions.
Ex: He was having a shower
when they called him
For two simultaneous past
actions
Ex: She was studying while I
was doing my homework
At 8 o’clock yesterday
While / as / when
As soon as
+ Ann was swimming at ten.
- She wasn’t swimming at ten.
? Was she swimming at ten?
Yes, she was.
No, she wasn’t
 To talk about an action which
happened before another past
action.
Ex : When we arrived home,
they had already had dinner.
By the time
Before / after
Already / yet / just /ever
For / since /Always / never
+ It had just started
- She hadn’t started yet.
? Had it started yet?
Yes, she had.
No, she hadn’t.
 For an action which lasted for some time in the
past whose result was visible in the past.
Ex: She had been working hard all day
 To put emphasis on the duration of an action
which started and finished in the past before
another past action( with since and for)
Ex: They had been skating together for 5 years
before they entered the competition.
For / since
+ Her hair was wet! She had been swimming for
an hour/since 6 p.m
- She hadn’t been swimming for an hour/since 6
p.m.
? Had she been swimming for an hour/since 6
p.m.?
Yes, she had.
No, she hadn’t.

I. Fill in the blanks with the Past simple, Past continuous, or

Past perfect simple or continuous of the verbs in brackets!

1.I ………………………………… (walk) along the street when suddenly I

……………………………(hear) footsteps behind me. Somebody
…………………………………………………(follow) me.
2. When he………………………………(drive) back home, he…………………
(see) a crowd that …………………………….(block) the street. It …………(be)
a demonstration. As he………………….(have) to drive slowly he
……………………….(arrive) home much later than his wife ……
………………………(expect). She………………..(be) very worried because
she………………………………. (not/can) contact him. He ……………………………
…………… (leave) his mobile phone in the office.
3. They ………………………………………(not be) to the zoo until their teacher
III. Put each verb in brackets into a suitable past tense.
………………………………………… (take) them in one of their science lessons.
THE SEARCH FOR THE LOST CITY
4. While we ……………………………………(look) at a shop window a car
…………………………………….(crash) into a street lamp. The police
When Professor Mallory, the famous archaeologist , (1) ………………………
………………………………….(arrive) immediately and an ambulance…………….
(invite) me to take part in his expedition to find the Lost City of the
…………………(take) the driver to hospital
Himalayas, I (2) …………………………………………. (not hesitate) to accept his
5. He …………………………………(look) for a job for over two months till my
invitation. Mallory (3) ………………………………………….(discover) an ancient
father……………………………(offer) him the post of accountant in his factory.
map showing the position of the city, although no European (4)
6.When I ……………………………… (get) off the plane it……………………
………………………………………….(ever go) to the area before. In fact, most of
………………………(rain) and a man ………………………. (comment)
Mallory’s colleagues in Oxford either (5) ……………………………………… (believe)
it…………………………………….. (rain) since the beginning of the week.
that the city (6) ……………………………………………(never exist) or (7)………………
Fortunately, the next day it………………………….. (stop) and the
……………… (feel) that it (8) ……………………….(vanish) long ago and simple
sun……………………………………… (shine) till the day of my return.
(9) ……………………………………(become) a legend.
7. When Elisabeth………………………………….…………….. (switch) on the TV
According to the Professor, the builders of the city (10) ……………………….
set, her favourite series ………………………………………… (already/ start).
………….. (hide) it among the mountains in order to protect its immense
When it…………………….. (finish), she………………………. (call) her friend
riches..
Sue to ask how the episode…………………………….…. (begin) that day.
So when we (11) ………………………………… (set off) on a cool May morning
8. My dad……………………(tell) me that before I…………………(be) born they
towards the distant mountains, each of us (12) ……………………………………
………………………………………(go) camping most weekends.
………………………..(look forward) to exciting discoveries. For a week or more
9.She. …………………………… (turn) the light back on, ……………………………
we (13) ……………………………………………(climb) higher and higher, following
(lie) on the sofa and……………………… (take) the book she ……………
the map, which Mallory (14)………………………………………………(study) from
…………………(read).
time to time. Then one afternoon, while we (15) ……………………………………
10. It………………… (be) near midnight when they …………………………………
(rest) at the top of the valley, we (16) ………………………………………… (notice)
(come) in from dinner, still laughing at something Bill…………………………
that a rider on a horse (17) …………………………………………….(wave) at us
(say) in the dining room.
from the other side of the valley. A rider whose clothes (18) …………………
……………………(shine) like gold!
II. Use the notes to make sentences. Use the past simple, past
continuous or past perfect.