0Uses of the Past Tense Simple Past
The simple past tense is used to express an action completed in the past. The verb is qualified by past time.
1. The ship sailed yesterday.
2. He played football yesterday.
3. She received a telegram a week ago.
4. The dog died last night.
Simple past is used to express an action that took place in the distant past.
1. My friend gave me this book.
2. I learnt English in London.
3. They went to America a long time ago.
4. The English defeated the French.
Simple past tense is used to express past habits. This is also expressed by the use of used to before the verb.
1. We used to work many hours everyday.
2. She used to carry a handbag.
3. He used to visit his teacher every week.
4. They used to go to London every year.
Past Continuous Tense The past continuous tense Is used to denote an action going on at the time of speaking in the past.
1. We were playing badminton all evening.
2. It was getting colder.
3. While she was cooking, the lights went out.
4. He was waiting for me in school.
Past Perfect Tense The past perfect tense is used to express an action completed in the immediate past in the past time.
1. He had been sick for a week.
2. They had seen Harry in the market.
3. Morgan had lived in France for two years.
4. I had played for my school team.
The past perfect tense is used to express the first of the two actions that happened in the past. The simple past tense is used for the second.
1. When she reached the station the train had started.
2. I had done my lesson when Norman came to see me.
3. George had written the letter before they came.
4. The patient had died before the doctor came.
● Past Perfect Continuous Tense
● The past perfect continuous tense is used for an action that began before a certain point in the past and continued up to that time.
1. He had been writing a book for four months.
2. Mr Matthews had been teaching at that school for ten years when he came.
3. The Masons had been working for six hours when the owner arrived.
4. The boys had been playing football for thirty minutes when the coach came.
