PAST TENSES REVIEW

Past Simple/ Past Continuous Progressive / Past Perfect

Tense Use Form Time expressions Examples Examples Examples
AFFIRMATIVE NEGATIVE INTERROGATIVE
Past Simple finished actions in  Affirmative:  yesterday I sg. I woke up yesterday I didn’t wake up Did I wake up at 8?
the past; S + V (infinitive form  last at 8 o’clock. at 8.
without to) – regular (ED) Sunday/week/month/ II sg. You woke up at 10 You didn’t wake Did you wake up at
repeated events in or irregular (2nd form) year o’clock. up at 10. 10?
the past;  four
 Negative: days/weeks/months/
S + did not/didn’t + V years ago III sg. He/She/It woke up 3 He/She/It didn’t Did he/she/it wake
(infinitive without to)  in 1999/2020 days ago. wake up at noon. up at 7?
 Interrogative:  in September
Did + S + V? (infinitive  the day before I pl. We woke up at 13 We didn’t wake Did we wake up at
without to)  when I/she/he was last week. up at 12. 9?
Short answers: born/ was a student II pl. You woke up at 12. You didn’t wake Did you wake up at
Yes, I/we/they did. / No,  when you/we/they up at 4. 12/
I/we/they didn’t. were young/students, III pl. They woke up at 9 They didn’t wake Did they wake up at
Yes, he/she/it did. / No, etc. last Sunday. up at 9. 5?
he/she/it didn’t.
Past actions happening  Affirmative: I sg I was listening to I wasn’t listening Was I listening to
Continuous/ at a time in the S + to be (was/were) + V-  WHEN music when you to music when music when you
Progressive past; ing  WHILE came. you came. came?
 Negative: II sg While you were You weren’t Were you listening
two actions which S+ to be (wasn’t/weren’t) listening to music, listening to music to music when your
were in progress + V-ing your mother arrived. when your mother mother arrived?
at the same time arrived.
in the past; III sg He/She was He/She wasn’t Was he/she listening
listening to music listening to music to music when the
to talk about when the plane when the plane plane crashed?
 Interrogative:
something that crashed. crashed.
 To be (was/were) + S + I pl We are listening to We aren’t Were we listening to
V-ing music yesterday at listening to music music yesterday at
Short answers: 10 o’clock. yesterday at 10 10 o’clock?
Yes, I was. / No, I o’clock.
wasn’t. II pl You are listening to You aren’t Were you listening
Yes, we/they were. / No, music while we listening to music to music while we
was in progress we/they weren’t. were cooking while we were were cooking
when an event Yes, she/he/it was. – No, dinner. cooking dinner. dinner?
took place; she/he/it wasn’t. III pl They are listening They aren’t Were they listening
to music while I listening to music to music while I was
was writing a letter. while I was doing making the bed?
homework.
Past Perfect to talk about two  Affirmative:  before I sg. I had arrived home I hadn’t arrived Had I arrived home
different actions S + had + Past  after before lunch was home when mom at 12?
in the past, one Participle/V -ed  already; over. called me for
completed before  just; lunch.
the other;  Negative:  for; You recognized You didn’t Did you recognize
S + had not/hadn’t + Past  since; Gina who had dyed recognize Gina Gina who had dyed
to express the first Participle/ V - ed II sg. who had dyed her her hair?
 until/till; her hair.
action(earlier), hair.
 when;
but to use the Past
Simple to express  by;
 Interrogative:  by the time; III sg He/She had He/She had Had he/she changed
the second (later) changed his/her never changed his/her number when
Had+ S + Past Participle/  never
action; phone number by his/her phone Tom called?
V- ed?
the time Tom number.
to talk about an called.
action that I pl. We had already We hadn’t Had we promised to
finished in the promised to keep promised to keep keep the secret?
past and whose the secret. the secret.
result was visible
II pl. You had failed the You hadn’t Had you failed the
in the past at a
exam and you were failed the exam; exam?
certain
very sad. still, you were
moment.
sad.
 III pl. When they arrived When they arrived at Had the train
at the station, the the station, the train already left when
train had already hadn’t left. they arrived at
left. the station?

Wh – questions with past tenses:

 Past Simple:
- What was the last movie you saw last week?
- Who was your favourite teacher in high school?
- Where did you go last week?
- Which part of the song did you like the most?
 Past Continuous:
- What were you doing when your classmates sent you the invitation?
- Who was reading the book while Matthew was taking notes?
- Where were you going when the storm started?
- Which part did you not understand when the teacher was teaching?