Tenses

Part 2
 Sub + V2 form of the main verb + Object
• Regular verbs are formed by adding –ed or
–d to the root of the verb
Simple Danced, Lived
• Irregular verbs vary considerable in their
past simple past forms

tense Stand- stood

Drive- drove
Leave- left
Slay- slew
Uses of simple past tense
• For past actions done or completed at a particular time
• I danced enthusiastically yesterday.
• He left for the USA last month.
• For a habitual action in the past
• I chanted mantras for many hours every day.
• She always carried her sunglasses.
Worksheet

1. She -----------faster than her friend. (drive )

2. His parents ----------him for his mistakes.(forgive)
3. The tree ------bigger than the house. (grew)
4. He ----- his wallet. (find)
5. I ----------well. (not swim )
 Subject + was/were (Aux. verbs) + ‘ing’ form of verb + Object

Past was sleeping, were going, was attending

continuo • They were playing.

us tense • It was working.

• Past continuous or past progressive tense is used to express the
incidents of a continuous nature that have occurred in the past.
• It relates to an action of continuous nature i.e. action that has
continued for some time in past.
Uses of past continuous tense
• To describe the continuity of a past action
• It was raining in the afternoon.
• She was watching television all night.
• To convey the idea of a continuing action in the past when another
action took place
• As I was entering the room, the speech got over.
• The rock fell on him while he was sitting.
• When I saw him, he was playing badminton.
• To indicate two activities continuing at the same time
• He was reading while I was writing
Worksheet
• He -------on the road. (run)
• She --------- for the party. (cook)
• I ----------- for the exam. (study)
• Dog -----------loudly. (bark)
• They -----------in the field. (play)
• Birds ---------from the tap. (drink)
• They -----------at that time. (not drive)
Past subject + auxiliary verb (had) + third form of
verb (past participle) + object

perfect Had worked, had gone, had done

• She had lost her precious jewelry.

tense • The train had left when I reached the station

explains what had happened in the past

before something else happened in the
past
Uses of Past perfect tense
• Denotes an action taking place before a past action
• Often used in a clause along with another action in the simple past
• When I arrived at the party she had already gone home.
• The actions of the past should indicate chronology. The simple past is used to
indicate the later event and the past perfect is used to indicate the earlier
event.
• When I reached the bus stop, the bus had left.
• I had finished the work before he arrived.
• If I had received your letter, I would have replied.
Worksheet
1. She _________ her book to the library. (give)
2. They __________ for the exams. ( not study)
3. The Cow ___________ in the field before the dusk. (graze)
4. They ______ on time for the meeting. (arrive)
5. He _________to the market. (not go)
6. The flight ________ before they __________ at the airport. ( leave,
arrived)
7. Children _________ to school after the bus ___________. (go, arrive)
Past Subject + had been + -ing form of the verb + Object

perfect
continuo • She had been waiting
• They had been building
us tense
Uses of past perfect continuous tense
• Used to describe an action or event which had occurred in the past and had
continued for a specified time or period.

• He had been working here for two years.

• They had been waiting for you since morning.

• Denotes an action which started sometime in the past and continued without
break till a later point of time in the past when something else happened.
• I had been reading for hours before he came.
• The train had been passing over a bridge when it derailed.
• He had been undergoing training when I met him.
Worksheet
1. I ----------here for decades. (work)
2. They ------------for two hours. (Wait)
3. Dog ------------for two days. (roam)
4. He ----------a book for hours. (read)
5. They --------------the accounts for a week. (check)