Past Tenses

Past Simple Tense

With most verbs, the past tense is formed by
adding –ed:

called liked wanted

But there are a lot of irregular past tense forms
in English.
be-was/were begin-began break-broke
 We use the past tense to talk about:
• something that happened once in the past:
I met my wife in 1983.
something that happened several times in the past:
They always enjoyed visiting their friends.
something that was true for some time in the past:
He enjoyed being a student.
 Past simple questions and negatives

• We use did to make questions with the past

simple:
Did I play tennis?
Did you play tennis?
Did he/she it play tennis?
Did we/you/they play tennis?
• We lose –ed in question : Did he played? -
incorrect
 We use didn't (did not) to make negatives
with the past simple:
• I did not go to Spain.
• You did not go to Spain.
• He/She/It did not go to Spain.
• We/You/They did not go to Spain.
 Past Continuous Tense
• The past continuous is made from the past
tense of the verb be and the –ing form of a
verb:
• I was working
• You were working
• He/She/It/ was working
• We/you/they were working
We use the past continuous to talk about the
past:
• for something which happened before and after another action:
The children were doing their homework when I got home.
- or something that happened before and after a specific time:
It was eight o'clock. I was writing a letter.
to show that something continued for some time:
Everyone was shouting.
for something that happened again and again:
I was practising every day, three times a day.
Parallel Actions
While Ellen was reading, Tim was watching television.
 Past Perfect
• The past perfect is made from the verb had
and the past participle of a verb:

I had finished the work.

She had gone.
 We use the past perfect:
• for something that started in the past and
continued up to a given time in the past:
When George died, he and Anne had been married
for nearly fifty years.
She didn't want to move. She had lived in Liverpool all
her life.
For this use, we often use the past perfect continuous
She didn't want to move. She had been living in
Liverpool all her life.
• for something that happened several times before
a point in the past and continued after that point:
• He had written three books and he was working
on another one.

• when we are reporting our experience up to a

point in the past:
• My eighteenth birthday was the worst day I had
ever had.
• for something that happened in the past and is
important at a later time in the past:

• I couldn't get into the house. I had lost my keys.

• We often use expressions with for and since
with the past perfect:
• I was sorry when the factory closed. I had
worked there for ten years.
• Past simple, past continuous exercise 1
• 1. When I (do)_____________the washing-up, I (break) _____________ a plate.
• 2. While Tom (play) _____________the piano, his mother (do) _____________ the
washing-up.
• 3. He (drink) _____________some juice and then he (eat) _____________a few chips.
• 4. I (have) _____________dinner when I suddenly (hear) _____________a loud bang.
• 5. When my father (work) _____________in the garden, an old friend (pass)
_____________by to see him.
• 6. She (go) _____________to school, (take) _____________out her textbook and (begin)
_____________to read.
• 7. When it (start) _____________to rain, our dog (want) _____________to come inside.
• 8. When Jane (do) _____________a language course in Ireland, she (visit)
_____________Blarney Castle.
• 9. When I (be) _____________on my way home, I (see) _____________an accident.
• 10. I (not / understand) _____________what they (talk) _____________about.
• Past simple, past continuous exercise 2

• 1. When I (get) ____________ up yesterday, the sun (shine) ____________ .

• 2. It (is) ____________ a beautiful morning.
• 3. So I (decide) ____________ to cycle around a little.
• 4. I (go) ____________ to the shed and (take) ____________ out my bike.
• 5. While I (cycle) ____________ past some villages, I (see) ____________ some people in their
gardens.
• 6. One man (mow) ____________ the grass while his wife (pick) ____________ strawberries.
• 7. After one hour of cycling in sunshine, a big fat raincloud suddenly (appear) ____________
and it (start) ____________ to rain.
• 8. Luckily, a farmer (notice) ____________ me and (tell) ____________ me to come in.
• 9. While it (rain) ____________ outside, I (sit) ____________ in the farmer's house.
• 10. After a while, the sun (come) ____________ out again.
• 11. I (thank) ____________ the farmer for his hospitality and (move) ____________ on.
• 1. Mary ___________________ (give) me Tony's address before she left.
• 2. When the boys arrived at the cinema, the film ___________________ (already, start).
• 3. Before we reached the station we saw that we ___________________ (lose) our way.
• 4. All the tickets ___________________ (be) sold before the concert began.
• 5. They took a shower after they ___________________ (finish) the game.
• 6. I asked Mr Green how many books he ___________________ (read)
• 7. Mum asked me why I ___________________ (not tidy) up my room.
• 8. Bob was sorry that he ___________________ (told) me the story.
• 9. Alan watched TV after he ___________________ (have) lunch.
• 10. The sun ___________________ (shine) yesterday after it ___________________ (be)
cold for many
• weeks.
• 11. Uncle David ___________________ (go) to the doctor after he ___________________
(be) ill for a
• month.
• 12. Before the police ___________________ (catch) the thief, he ___________________ (steal) two
• more watches.
• 13. Mum once ___________________ (paint) a picture although she ___________________ (never,
• learn) it.
• 14. I ___________________ (not tell) my teacher that my mum ___________________ (help) me with
• my homework.
• 15. I ___________________ (be) very angry when I ___________________ (see) that my brother
• ___________________ (eat) my apple.
• 16. The bike ___________________ (be) much more expensive than he ___________________ (think)
• at first.
• 17. Dad ___________________ (drive) me home after I ___________________ (fall) into the water.
• 18. Marion ___________________ (ask) me what ___________________ (happen) to me last week.
• 19. We ___________________ (eat) two Big Macs before we ___________________ (go) home.
• 20. Paul ___________________ (not say) that he ___________________ (take) Albert's watch
• 1.- They _________ (write) their exams yesterday.
• 2.- They _________ (start) building their new house 18 months ago.
• 3.- I ________ (meet) the company manager two weeks ago.
• 4.- I ________ (be born) in 1964.
• 5.- That was the best concert I _____ ever _______ (see).
• 6.- I __________ (not eat) anything since breakfast.
• 7.- I _________ (study) English for 10 years.
• 8.- You ___________ (change) your address recently.
• 9.- When I was 15 I _________ (go) to Dublin.
• 10.- My students _________ (raise) a lot of money for
• charity.
• 11.- We _________ (not go) to the cinema last night.
• 12.- My uncle ________ (arrive) in Lisbon last night but
• he _________ (not call)
• 13.- We _________ (not see) Pedro Almodovar’s new film yet.
• 14.- _________ (you go) abroad this year?
• 15.- The shop is probably closed because they _______ (go) for
• lunch.
• 16.- When I ______ (be) at school I ______ (not like) Maths.
• 17.- What’s the matter with your brother? He ________ (lose) his
• mobile.
• 18.- Mark Spitz ________(win) seven Olympic gold medals in 1972.
• 19.- Why are you crying? Because I _______ (cut) my finger.
• 20.- When Mary was young she _______ (love) skiing.