The past tense is a grammatical tense whose principal function is to place an action or situation in past time. Examples of verbs in the past tense include sang, went and cried.
There are four past tense forms in English: 1. Simple past: I worked 2. Past continuous: I was working. 3. Past perfect: I had worked. 4. Past perfect continuous: I had been working We use these forms to talk about the past: 1. He worked at McDonalds. He had worked there since July.. 2. He was working at McDonalds. He had been working since July.
Event
POSITIVE SENTENCES
SUBJECT I You We They He She It AUXILIARY VERB
-
NEGATIVE SENTENCES
SUBJECT I You We They He She It AUXILIARY VERB did did did did did did did VERB not not not not not not not listen listen listen listen listen listen listen
INTERROGATIVE SENTENCES
AUXILIARY VERB Did SUBJECT MAIN VERB
listen
Did
listen
Example : 1. My grandmother smoked heavily before she had a stroke 2. My father played golf very often before he fell ill.
2. Direct : Mother said , There are some biscuits in tin. Reported : Mother said there were some biscuits in the tin.
To refer to a present or future event using expressions like it s time or I wish or had better, etc.
Example : 1. Boys, its time you had a bath. 2. I wish I had studied harder.
POSITIVE SENTENCES
SUBJECT I You We They He She It AUXILIARY VERB
was were
were
were was was was
NEGATIVE SENTENCES
SUBJECT I You We They He She It AUXILIARY VERB was were were were was was was VERB not not not not not not not listening listening listening listening listening listening listening
INTERROGATIVE SENTENCES
AUXILIARY VERB Was SUBJECT MAIN VERB
listening listening
Were
Was
listening
To refer to two or more actions taking place at the same time in the past.
Example : 1. Mother was listening to music while the baby was sleeping.
To refer to a past action that was in progress when something else happend.
Example:
1. I was walking to my friend when the door bell rang. 2. The boys were playing in class when
2. Mrs Danny was looking after Tommy while his parents were overseas.
Earlier actoin
Later action
POSITIVE SENTENCES
SUBJECT I You We They He She It AUXILIARY VERB had had had had had had had MAIN VERB eaten eaten eaten eaten eaten eaten eaten
NEGATIVE SENTENCES
SUBJECT I You We They He She It AUXILIARY VERB had had had had had had had MAIN VERB eaten eaten eaten eaten eaten eaten eaten
INTERROGATIVE SENTENCES
AUXILIARY SUBJECT VERB Had I MAIN VERB
eaten eaten
Had
Had
eaten
To express a wish, a desire or regret about a past event . This is expressed with a conditional clause that contains if.
Example : 1. If we had trained hard , we would have won the game. 2. If the headmaster had spoken , the pupils would not have made so mush noise.
To show that one past action had Taken place before another past action took place.
Example : 1.After Mr. tan had watched television , he had his dinner.
2. After Pn. Zainon had marked her books , she went home.