tenses

Past tenses

Let's review the past tenses

Victoire Lefevre-gostudent

Past simple/Preterit

The simple past tense is used to describe completed actions in the past. It is often used with specific time expressions.

Structure: - For regular verbs, the simple past tense is formed by adding "-ed" to the base form of the verb. - For irregular verbs, the past tense forms are unique and need to be memorized. Examples: I visited London last year. She cooked dinner for us yesterday. They studied English for three years.

Past Continuous

The past continuous tense is used to describe actions that were ongoing or in progress at a specific point in the past or during a specific time period.

Structure: Formed using "was" or "were" + the base form of the verb + "-ing." Examples: We were watching a movie when the power went out. She was studying all night for the exam. While I was cooking, my friend was playing the guitar.

Present Perfect

The present perfect tense is used to describe actions that happened at an unspecified time in the past or have a connection to the present.

Structure: Formed using "have" or "has" + the past participle of the main verb. Examples: I have visited Paris several times. They have never seen a live concert. She has studied Spanish, so she can communicate with the locals during her travels.

tips

- Use the simple past for actions that happened at a specific time in the past. - Use the past continuous for actions that were ongoing or in progress at a specific point in the past. - Use the present perfect to describe actions with a connection to the present, experiences, or actions at an unspecified time in the past.

Past Perfect

The past perfect tense is used to describe an action that happened before another action in the past. It helps establish the sequence of events.

Structure: Formed using "had" + the past participle of the main verb. Examples: I had already eaten dinner when she arrived. They had finished the project before the deadline. She had never visited that museum before.

Past Perfect continuous

The past perfect continuous tense is used to describe an ongoing action that started in the past and continued up until a certain point in the past.

Structure: Formed using "had been" + the base form of the verb + "-ing." Examples: They had been working on the project for hours before the meeting. She was tired because she had been studying all night. By the time I arrived, they had been waiting for over an hour.

Present Perfect continuous

The present perfect continuous tense is used to describe actions that started in the past and are still ongoing, or actions that have just been completed and have a connection to the present.

Structure: Formed using "have been" or "has been" + the base form of the verb + "-ing." Examples: He has been working at the company for five years. They have been playing soccer since morning.

tips

- Use the past perfect to show the sequence of events in the past, especially when you want to indicate that one action happened before another. - Use the past perfect continuous to describe an ongoing action that started in the past and continued up to a specific point in the past. - Use the present perfect continuous to describe ongoing actions that have a connection to the present or actions that have just been completed.

Practice : A Day at the Park

Story Elements: - Start with a brief introduction of the setting and the main characters (who is at the park and what they are doing). - Include various activities that happened throughout the day, some of which have a connection to the present (use present perfect or present perfect continuous for this). - Introduce a point where something had already happened before another event (use past perfect for this sequence of events). - Use past continuous to describe ongoing activities or actions interrupted by another event. - Conclude the story with a resolution or a reflection on the day.

Practice : A Day at the Park

Example prompts: - Start by describing the beautiful morning at the park. What were people doing? What was the weather like? - Did any exciting events occur during the day? What were they, and when did they happen? "- At what point did something happen before another event? Use the past perfect tense to convey this. - Were there any ongoing activities at the park? Use past continuous to describe them. - How did the day end? Did anyone feel tired? Were there any reflections on the day's activities?