When Andrea arrived to work at 9,00 a.m. … 8,30 9,00 9,30 10,00 Her secretary opened the post. Her secretary was opening the post. Her secretary had opened the post.
FORM I / you / he /she / it / we / you / they finished left at 5,00 o’clock. five days ago. I / you / he /she / it /we / you / they did not (didn’t) finish did not (didn’t) leave at 5,00 o’clock. five days ago. DidI / you / he /she / it / we / you / they finish leave at 5,00 o’clock? five days ago? Did you finish at 5,00 o’clock?Yes, I did. No, I didn’t.
Usage: it expresses a finished action in the past e.g. We met in Tony left 10 minutes ago. it expresses actions that follow each other in a story e.g. She walked into the room, closed the door and turned on the TV. it expresses a past situation or a habit e.g. When I was a kid, we lived in a house by the sea. OR When I was a kid, we used to live in a house by the sea.
most verbs add –ed to the base form: worked, wanted, helped, washed if a verb ends in –e, add –d: liked, used, hated, cared in one-syllable verbs, with one vowel and one consonant, double the last consonant before –ed: stopped, planned, robbed the consonant is not doubled if it is –y or –w: played, showed the consonant is doubled in two-syllable verbs if the second syllable is stressed: preferred, admitted verbs ending in consonant + –y, change into –ied: carried, hurried, buried
I met him last night two days ago yesterday morning in 2001 in summer when I was young etc.
FORM I / he /she / it / we / you / they was working were watching in the garden. the news on TV. I / he /she / it /we / you / they was not (wasn’t) working were not (weren’t) watching in the garden. the news on TV. Was Were I / he /she / it / we / you / they working watching in the garden? the news on TV? Were you working in the garden?Yes, I was. No, I wasn’t.
Usage: often in sentences with the past simple to refer to longer, background activities, while the past simple refers to shorter, completed actions e.g. The children were playing in the garden when their parents arrived. to express activities in progress before, and probably after, a particular time in the past e.g. We were having a meeting last night at 7,30.
Usage: for descriptions e.g. She looked like a princess. She was wearing a long, silk dress and her eyes were shining. to express an interrupted past activity e.g. I was having a shower when the phone rang. to express an incomplete past activity - unlike the past simple which expresses completed actions e.g I was reading a book during the flight. (I didn’t finish it.) I read a book during the flight. (I finished it.)
past simple focuses on actions as simple facts; past continuous focuses more on duration e.g. I wrote my English term paper. (It is finished.) I was writing the term paper for three days. questions in past simple and past continuous refer to different periods of time: past simple asks what happened after, and the past continuous asks about the activities before e.g. What did he do when the war broke out? He joined the Army. What was he doing when the war broke out? He was studying.
the past simple refers to finished past e.g. Shakespeare wrote plays. (He’s dead.) Ante Tomić has written several books. (He’s alive.) there is no present result e.g. I hurt my back. (But it’s better now.) I’ve hurt my back. (And it still hurts.) it refers to definite past e.g. I saw him last night. - I’ve seen him recently. We met three years ago. - We haven’t met for a while. I was in London in I’ve been to London before.
FORM I / he /she / it / we / you / they had finished had seen work on time. him before. I / he /she / it /we / you / they had not (hadn’t) finished had not (hadn’t) seen work on time. him before. HadI / he /she / it / we / you / they finished seen work on time? him before? Had you seen him before?Yes, I had. No, I hadn’t.
Usage: to make clear that one action in the past happened before another action in the past e.g. When I got home, I found out that someone had broken into my house and had stolen my DVD player so I called the police. -> someone broke into my house and stole my DVD before I came home I didn’t want to go to the cinema with my friends because I had seen the film. -> I saw the film before my friends did
FORM I / he /she / it / we / you / they had been looking had been sleeping for a job for months. rough then. I / he /she / it /we / you / they had not (hadn’t) been looking had not (hadn’t) been sleeping for a job for months. rough then. HadI / he /she / it / we / you / they been looking been sleeping for a job for months? rough then? Had you been looking for a job?Yes, I had. No, I hadn’t.
just like past perfect simple, it expresses an action that happened before another past action however, it refers to longer actions or repeated activities e.g. He’d lost his job and his wife had left him. Since then he had been sleeping rough and he hadn’t been eating properly.
past perfect (both simple and continuous) can refer to definite or indefinite time in the past e.g. I knew his face immediately. I had first met him in July – definite time I knew his face immediately. I had seen him before. – indefinite time
verbs in the past simple tell the story in the chronological order e.g. Tony worked hard all day to prepare the party. Everyone had a good time. The food was tasty. Unfortunately, Ally upset Cathy, so she went home early. by using the past perfect, the story can be told in different order e.g. Tony sat and looked at the mess. It had been a great party and everyone had had a good time. The food had been tasty. Unfortunately, Ally had upset Cathy, so she went home early.
PAST SIMPLE PASSIVE WAS/WERE + PAST PARTICIPLE This bridge was built in The books were printed in France. PAST CONTINUOUS PASSIVE WAS/WERE BEING+ PAST PARTICIPLE The bomb was being defused when it exploded. People were being evacuated when the war started. PAST PERFECT PASSIVE HAD BEEN + PAST PARTICIPLE The letter didn’t arrive because it had been sent to the wrong address. He found a submarine that had been sunk in the WW2. by Irene, 2008