British English

Past Tenses
 In the lesson you’ll do the following:

revise the formation of Past Simple, Past Continuous and Past Perfect Tenses;

compare the usage of past tenses in different situations;

revise time expressions (markers);

use the past tenses in the given sentences and situations.

 Let’s consider the following 1.
James had a party yesterday evening.situations and define the past tenses
which were used in them.

Past Simple

(The party is over. The time is a complete action at a stated

stated – yesterday evening.) time in the past.
James was having a party when his parents 2.
came back home.

Past Continuous

(James was still having a good a past action which was in progress
time when his parents came.) when it was interrupted by another
action.
James had already seen off his guests when 3.
his parents came back home.

Past Perfect

(He saw off his guests first. And one past action happened before
his parents came afterwards.) another past action in the past.
 Past Simple
regu g ul a r
l ar irr e
V+ed V2
arriv ed have - had
visit ed come - came
did
?
I I
He/she/it did not
-
Did he/she/it visit ed ? visit ed .
we/you/they have We/you/they (didn’t) have
 Past Continuous to be + Ving
was were

?
I / He / She / It

Was I/he/she/it
You / We

I/he/she/it wasn’t
/ They
-
having a party? having a party.
Were we/you/they we/you/they weren’t
 Past Perfect
regu gula r
lar had ir r e
V+ed + V3
He had invited / seen off his guests.

? I I
Had he/she/it invited / seen off he/she/it had
-
not invited / seen off
we/you/they his guests? we/you/they (hadn’t) his guests.
 I painted my bedroom last Saturday.
Simple
a complete action at a stated
time in the past. stated time

past now

She was crying while watching TV.

Contin.

an action which was in progress

at a stated time in the past.
We don’t mention when it
started or finished. past now

I took the books back to the library

Perfect

one past action which happened

before another past action or when I had read them.
before a stated time in the past. Past Perfect Past Simple
past now
 A B
He knocked her down, grabbed her
Simple
the actions which happened one
C
after the other in the past. purse and ran off.

past A B C now

We were dancing when one of the

Contin.

an action which was in progress

when something else happened. neighbors came.
Past Continuous

past Past Simple now

He was tired because he had worked

Perfect

an action which finished in the

past and whose result was visible hard all day.
in the past. result

past Past Perfect now

 for past habits and states which He went / used to go scuba diving.
Simple
are now finished. In such cases
finish
we can also use used to.
past now

She was doing shopping while he

Contin.

two or more simultaneous past

actions. was reading papers.

past now
Perfect

The Past Perfect is the past There were no sandwiches left.

Past P. He had eaten them all.
equivalent of the Present
Perfect. There are no sandwiches left.
Present P. He has eaten them all.
Simple
to talk about the lives of people
who are no longer alive. Edison invented the light bulb.

He was walking down a quiet

Contin.

to describe the atmosphere,

weather or place before we country road. The birds were
describe the main event. singing, the butterflies were
flying.

P.Simple / P.Contin. / P.Perfect I hoped / was hoping /

think, hope, mean, expect, etc. had hoped her to call me,
for things we hoped to do but didn’t. but she didn’t.
 Time markers
Past Simple Past Continuous Past Perfect
yesterday while before
last night/week/month/year when after
two days/weeks/months ago as already
then all day/morning yesterday till / until
when at noon yesterday by the time
How long ago...? the whole night yesterday never / ever
in 1992/1845 from 5 to 6 yesterday for
since
just
 Read the sentences, identify the tenses, then
1. Mila opened a wardrobe, took
match them with the correct
a. two or more simultaneous past
description.
out a dress and put it on. actions.
2. Titanic was sailing across the b. an action which finished in the past
Atlantic when it hit an iceberg. and whose result was visible in the
past.
3. The film had finished by the
c. an action which was in progress when
time they got home.
something else happened.
4. He was happy because he had d. a complete action at a stated time in
found a new job. the past.
5. She went to Canada last year. e. the actions which happened one after
the other in the past.
6. Sue was lying in the sun while f. one past action which happened
the children were playing in the before another past action or before
pool. a stated time in the past.
1. I still
still/hadn’t
yet/ justChoose
hadn’t
done the correct
done
my homework time Mum
my homework
when expression.
when
cameMum
backcame
home.back
home.
2. He was cooking while
before/
shewhile/ as soon as she was sleeping.
was sleeping.

3. How long ago

ago/did
Howyoulong/
passUntil did youtest?
your driving pass your driving test?

4. He continued his journey after

before/ after/
he had yet the
filled he car.
had filled the car.

5. Our team had scored two goals by

till/the time
yet/ we arrived
by the time weatarrived
the at
stadium.
the stadium.
6. I haven’t been to Amsterdam for twoafter/
never/ years.for two years.
1.
Complete the sentences using Past Simple, Past Continuous or Past Perfect .
He (get)
got very wet because he had (forget)
forgotten
to take an umbrella.

2.
It was(snow)
snowing heavily all that day.

3.
I had
(never / see)
never seen an elephant until
I went
(go) to India.
4.
While she was(clean)
cleaning the floors the children
were(wash)
washing the windows.

5.
They studied
(study) Maths at the university.

6.
Dr. Thomas visited
(visit) some patients yesterday.

7.
cost much more a few years ago.
Computers (cost)
 Past Simple Past Continuous Past Perfect

Ved / V2 to be + Ving had + Ved / V3

a complete action at a stated time in an action which was in progress at one past action which happened
the past. a stated time in the past. before another past action or
before a stated time in the past.
an action which finished in the past
Practise your grammar skills,
the actions which happened one
after the other in the past.
an action which was in progress
when something else happened. and whose result was visible in the
past.
because
for past habits and states which are practice makes
two or more simultaneous past Past Perfect is the past

PERFECT!
now finished (used to). actions. equivalent of Present Perfect

to talk about the lives of people who to describe the atmosphere, weather
are no longer alive. or place before we describe the main
event.
yesterday, last night/week/month while, when, as, all day yesterday, at before, after, already, till/until, by
/year, two days/weeks ago, then, noon yesterday, the whole night the time, never/ever, for, since, just
when, How long ago...?, in 1992 yesterday, from 5 to 6 yesterday