Past Tenses: Clearing up the Confusion

All the essays you write this semester will include stories from your life and the lives of people you know. This means
you will use several past tenses. It will help to ask yourself these questions:

 Is the action continuous or quickly completed?

 Does one action interrupt the other?
 Are you comparing two past actions which happened at different times?
 Does the action affect the present?

Simple past describes an action or condition that began in the past and ended in the past. We are looking only at that
action without comparing it to any other action in the past, present, or future. The regular form of simple past adds an ed
to the base form of the verb, but there are lots of irregular verbs. There is an irregular verb chart in your grammar book.
Or use this link: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/grammar/british-grammar/table-of-irregular-verbs

The mechanic worked on the car for three days, but he was unable to fix it.
The police arrested the three men for robbing an ATM.
I decided to walk to work, since the weather was so beautiful.

Past Progressive also compares two events in the past. We use it to talk about 1) a continuous action and 2) a quicker
action that happens during the first action.
Note: we use when if the shorter action is most important. We use while if we are emphasizing the longer action.

I was taking a shower when the doorbell rang.

Anh and Van were driving to Las Vegas when their engine died.
Pyotr’s computer crashed while he was studying.

We also use present progressive to show two continuous past actions happening at the same time.
Why are you playing that loud music while I am trying to study?
He was mowing the lawn while I was cutting roses.

Present perfect describes an action that begins in the past but continues to the present.

I have run three marathons up to now. (I may run more marathons)

They have studied English since they were in elementary school. (They may continue to study)
Rashid has completed his work. (This implies he just finished it, or that the work is needed now.)
Francisco has met a new girl. He really likes her. (This is a new situation in his life.)
Remember, an adverb goes AFTER the auxiliary and BEFORE the participle.
The plane has just arrived.
I haven’t quite finished looking into that problem.
The rose bushes have already bloomed.

Present Perfect Continuous emphasizes the temporary nature of the action, condition, or emotion.
I have been living here since 2010. (But I may move soon.)
We’ve been talking about the concert all week. (But we’ll find a new subject soon.)
Lucie has been seeing that guy for a few weeks. (Is it serious? We aren’t sure.)
Your dog has been barking for three hours. Can’t you shut him up? (I want it to stop!)

Past Perfect is used when we talk about two actions in the past, making it clear that one action was completed before
the other. We use past perfect for the earlier action and simple past for the later action. Past perfect is formed by using
the auxiliary had with the past participle.

Veronica had already left when you arrived. (She left; then you arrived.)
Yoshi had decided to take the job, but then he changed his mind. (He decided; then he changed his mind.)
The housing market crashed just after my Aunt Judy had sold her house.

Past Perfect Continuous is used for a continuous action in the past that is ended by a second, quicker action—also in the
past. Notice the phrases that make it clear the action is temporary.

Harry had only been working there for a couple of months when he was promoted.
By the time the senate passed the law, the legislature had been discussing it for over a year.
The movers had been carrying furniture into the house all morning, and they were exhausted.

Final Note: As you use the past tenses, remember that there are many irregular verbs in English. They are many of our
most common verbs. Until you have them memorized, and using them comes naturally, make sure you check every verb
you are unsure about. Most irregular verbs are common words that are used every day.