the 4 past tenses

PRESENTATION

The 4 past tenses

past simplepast continuous present perfect present perfect continuous

START

verbs structure & use

SECTION 1

Past Simple:

Yesterday I visited my oncle.

II

I'm officer Mc Brian and I would like to know: What were you doing yesterday at 7 p.m.? Oh, I was watching TV at home.

(be)

Past Continuous:

was/were

-ing

I have never been to Paris (but I still can go there).

(have)

Present Perfect:

has/have

III

(have)

I have been learning English for 15 minutes now (from the beginning till now it has been 15 minutes, and I'm still doing it).

(be - III)

Present Perfect continous:

been

has/have

-ing

verbs structure & use

SECTION 1

"finished" Actions started and finished in the past.

Yesterday I visited my oncle

Past Simple:

I'm officer Mc Brian and I would like to know: What were you doing yesterday at 7 p.m.? Oh, I was watching TV at home.

"in-process in the past" Actions were in process at a specific moment in the past.

Past Continuous:

"open" Something has happened, but we can still change it, or it's still happening, it's still "present" for us.

I have never been to Paris (but I still can go there)

Present Perfect:

"open and in-process" Something has been happening in a specific moment in the past, but it can still change, or it's still happening

I have been learning English for 15 minutes now (from the beginning till now it has been 15 minutes, and I'm still doing it)

Present Perfect continous:

Past simple

SECTION 2

Regular verbs: VERB + ED I play - I played you look - you looked she cooks - she cooked he watches - he watched we turn - we turned you step - you stepped they lick - they licked

Past simple

SECTION 2

Negation: subject + DIDN'T +Verb I form I didn't like that pizza.

Question: DID + subject + Verb I form Did you study in Paris? Short answer: :) Yes, I did :( No, I didn't

Past simple: to be

SECTION 2

"TO BE" I was happy you were sad she was angry he was mad it was nice we were surprised you were hungry they were angry

"NOT TO BE" I wasn't happy you weren't sad she wasn't angry he wasn't mad it wasn't nice we weren't surprised you weren't hungry they weren't angry

Past simple: to be

SECTION 2

Question: WAS/WERE + subject + Verb-ing Were they at the party last week? Was she with them? Short answer: :) Yes, they were/yes, she was :( No, they weren't/no, she wasn't

Negation: subject + WASN'T/WEREN'T +Verb-ing I wasn't in the cinema last month. You weren't happy yesterday.

Past simple: irregular verbs

SECTION 2

? Did you buy milk yesterday? + I bought milk yesterday - I didn't buy milk yesterday.

Irregular verbs: I say - I said I cut - I cut I buy - I bought ...

Past simple: Use

SECTION 2

action 3

action 2

action 1

Now

I went swimming

I got up

I worked 6 hours

1. A sequence of actions. One succeeded after another. All finished in the past. 2. We usually focus on when the action took place: last week, when I was 5, yesterday, last week, last month, last Christmas What did you do yesterday? I got up at six, I worked 6 hours, I went swimming ...

Watch an example here and say what happened.

Past Simple examples

SECTION 2

Last Christmas I gave you my heart, but the very next day you gave it away.

We built this city on rock'n'roll

You can not see this now, but long time ago this city was build thanks to rock'n'roll.

It was last Christmas, it's over now.

Past Simple speaking: time markers

SECTION 2

• When was the last time that you went skiing?
• Did you go on your holidays last summer?
• What did you cook on the weekend?
• Where did you go last Friday?
• What was your first year in Austria like?
• What was the most difficult subject for you at school?

Past Simple speaking: closed periods

SECTION 2

CV

What is your expercience? I was a stage technician, I taught English, and I worked as an animator.

Past Continous

SECTION 3

No I wasn't running you weren't humming he wasn't bringing she wasn't singing it wasn't stinging we weren't swimming you weren't screaming they weren't making noise yesterday at 5!

Yes, I was watching you were playing he was dreaming she was saying it was crying we were dying you were baking they were taking photos yesterday at 5!

Past Continous - structure

SECTION 3

Question: WERE/WAS + subject + Verb -ing 1. Was she waiting for me that day? 2. Were they watching football at 9? 1. Short answer: 2. Short answer: :) Yes, she was :) Yes, they were :( No, she wasn't :( No, they weren't

Negation: subject + WEREN'T/ WASN'T + Verb -ing I wan't reading a book this afternoon. You weren't singing during our karaoke night!

Past Continous: use

SECTION 3

Birds were singing sun was shining I was listening to the music

I was doing groceries I was looking for a sofa

yesterday at 5 p.m.

Meteorite hit the Earth

Now

1. Usually one action, sometimes more which were "in process" in the past at a specific moment: at 5 p.m., in my lunch break, on the bus What were you doing yesterday at 5? I was doing groceries and looking for a new sofa. 2. when we speak about the circumstances of an action: The sun was shining, the birds were singing, I was listening to the music when the meteorite hit the Earth!

Circumstances at that moment:

Use 1: specific moment

SECTION 3

I was in the park. I was jogging.

Mrs Clarck, I' will have some questions.What were you doing yesterday at 5 p.m.?

Yes, there was a girlshe was ...

Can you remember what other people were doing?

Use 2: circumstances of an action

SECTION 3

Circumstances at that moment:

Action: She fell down

Use 2: circumstances of an action

SECTION 3

She fell down

Circumstances at that moment:the sunwas .................a man .............. a guitar three women ............... yoga a boy and a girl ................... some woman ................ icecream for her son when she fell down

Use 2: circumstances of an action

SECTION 3

She fell down

Circumstances at that moment:The sun was shining a man was paying a guitar three women were doing yoga a boy and a girl were talking. some woman was buying an icecream for her son when she fell down

Past Continuous speaking: closed periods

SECTION 3

CV

What were your responsabilities as a Teacher? (at that moment)I was organizing games, and creative activities for my students.

Present Perfect - structure

SECTION 4

Question: HAVE/HAS + subject + Verb III 1. Has she been to New York? 2. Have we checked in the room? 1. Short answer: 2. Short answer: :) Yes, she has :) Yes, we have :( No, she hasn't :( No, we haven't

Negation: subject + HASN'T/ HAVEN'T+ Verb III I haven't read this book. He hasn't learnt how to cook.

Present Perfect - use

SECTION 4

Ich habe erst gefrühstuckt

I have lived in Spain for two years now

Aerosmith live????

Aerosmith live

I have seen Aerosmith live

just a moment ago

I have eaten my breakfast

a year ago

Past

Future

Now

You have cut your hair!

went to the hairdresser

1. Started in the past and continues till NOW I have lived in Spain for two years now (and I still live here) 2. When we see the results of a past action: OMG you have cut your hair! 3. "ERST" Something has happened just a moment ago: I have eaten my breakfast (you can still see the plate on the table) 4. Life experience that can still be changed: I have seen Aerosmith live (I can still go to their concert again!)

Present Perfect - use 1

SECTION 4

Started in the past and continous till now.

1. How long have you been married?
2. Since when have you practiced yoga?
3. How long have you lived outside Hungary
4. Since when have you learnt English?
5. How long have you been under lockdown in Austria?
6. Since when have they started to vaccinate people against Covid?

now

2017

4 years

I have worked as an English teacher for 4 years.

now

2020

I moved to Spain

I m still in Spain

I have lived in Spain since 2020.

Present Perfect - use 2

SECTION 4

What has changed? Look at the results and say

Now she is slim

Now she is crying

Now she has no hair

She has cut her hair

introduction

she has cut her hair

write a title here

It's actually not about the past, but the present! she has cut her hair = Now she has no hair

Now he has his hand in plaster

Now he is a woman

Present Perfect - use 3

SECTION 4

What has just happened?

A cat has jumped on the table, and (has) spilt the milk

Present Perfect - use 4

SECTION 4

1. Have you ever dyed your hair pink?
2. Have you ever held or pettied a wild animal?
3. Have you ever done bungee-jumping or parachuting?
4. Have you ever met someone famous?
5. Have you ever fallen down the stairs?
6. Have you ever broken a law?
7. Have you ever been on the radio?
8. Have you ever eaten insects?
9. Have you ever eaten snails?
10. Have you ever driven over the speed limit?
11. Have you ever climbed the Eiffel Tower?
12. Have you ever bought a diamond ring?
13. Have you ever gotten tattoos?

Yes, I have.

No, I haven't.

Present Perfect continuous

SECTION 5

Yes, I have been watching TV you have been sending a CV he has been baking a pie she has been asking me why it has been creeping in my room we have been flying on the broom you have been jumping up the stairs they have been working in pairs for 5 minutes.

No, I haven't been drinking a coffee you haven't been eating toffee he hasn't been stealing a car she hasn't been opening a jar it hasn't been barking at you we haven't been watching youtube you haven't been dancing all night they haven't been doing it right I have only been dreaming it.

Present Perfect structure

SECTION 5

Question: HAVE/HAS + subject + been + Verb III 1. Has she been travelling to New York? 2. Have we been looking in the room? 1. Short answer: 2. Short answer: :) Yes, she has :) Yes, we have :( No, she hasn't :( No, we haven't

Negation: subject + HASN'T/ HAVEN'T+ been+ Verb III I haven't been reading this book. He hasn't been learning how to cook.

Present Perfect Continous- use

SECTION 4

moved to Seville

5 hours

I have been living in Seville for 5 years

you have been drinking coffee for 5 hours

you have been painting for 5 hours

Now

5 years

I have lived in Seville for 5 years

1.The action is still present and we focus on how long have we been doing it You have been drinking coffee for 5 hours 2. Something started in the past, but it's not finished and we are still doing it! You have been painting room for 5 hours 3. Something is still happening, it started in the past, but not so long ago according to your judgement!: I've been living in Seville for 5 years - I still live here, and I think it was not so long ago when I moved I've lived in Sevilla for 5 years - I still live here, and I think it was looooong time ago when I moved

Present Perfect Continous - use 1&2

SECTION 4

Look at these situations and say what these people have been doing?

6 hours

2 minutes

She has been working for 12 hours.

whole night

24 hours

Thanks!