Past tenses review

pAST TENSES REVIEW

Teacher Mony

Past Simple vs. Present Perfect Simple

Present Perfect Simple: Connects the past to the present. The time is unspecified or relevant now. Formula: Subject + have/has + Past Participle E.g.: "I have seen that movie three times." (It happened at unspecified times in my life, which continues to the present.) E.g.: "She has already finished her homework." (The important thing is the present result: her homework is done now.)

Past Simple: For actions fully in the past. The time is stated, known, or specific. Formula: Subject + V in past E.g.: "Shakespeare wrote Hamlet in the early 1600s." (The time is specific and finished.) E.g.: "I visited Paris last year." (The time is stated.)

PAST SIMPLE vs Present Perfect Simple

Signal Words: Past Simple: yesterday, last week, in 1999, ago, when I was young Present Perfect: ever, never, just, already, yet, for, since, so far

Past Simple vs. Past Perfect Simple The "Past before the Past"

Past Simple

Past Perfect Simple

Clarifies which action happened first. It's the earlier of two past actions. Formula: Subject + had + Past Participle E.g.: "When I arrived at the party, Sarah had already left." (Her leaving happened before my arriving. This is clear and logical.).

Describes the main action that happened in the past. E.g.: "When I arrived at the party, Sarah left." (This implies I arrived and then Sarah left at the same time. Often illogical.)

Think of it as a timeline:Use the Past Perfect to provide background context for a story told in the Past Simple. When I arrived at the party, Sarah had already left.

PAST PERFECT

PAST SIMPLE

PRESENT

FUTURE

SARAH LEFT

I ARRIVED

NOW...

LATER...

PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS

PAST CONTINUOUS

Emphasizes the duration of an action that was ongoing before another past action. It explains the cause of a past state or action. Subject + had been + verb-ing E.g.: "I had been waiting for the bus for 30 minutes when it finally arrived." (The waiting started before and led up to the moment the bus arrived.) "He was tired because he had been running." (The continuous running caused his tiredness.)

Describes an action in progress at a specific moment in the past. It sets the scene. Subject + was/were + verb-ing E.g.: "At 8 PM yesterday, I was watching a movie." (The action was ongoing at that specific time.)

WOULD

USED TO

PAST SIMPLE

Only describes repeated actions or habits in the past. It cannot be used for past states. Subject + would + base verb E.g.: "Every summer, we would go to the beach." (A repeated action)

Describes past habits or states that are no longer true. It emphasizes the contrast with the present. Subject + used to + base verb E.g. (Habit): "I used to play the piano." (But I don't anymore.) E.g. (State): "That building used to be a cinema." (But it isn't now.)

Can describe past habits, especially with adverbs of frequency (often, always, every day). E.g.: "I walked to school every day when I was a child."

THANK YOU

nombreapellido

Soy un subtítulo genial, ideal para dar más contexto sobre el tema que vas a tratar.

nombreapellido

Soy un subtítulo genial, ideal para dar más contexto sobre el tema que vas a tratar.

nombreapellido

Soy un subtítulo genial, ideal para dar más contexto sobre el tema que vas a tratar.

nombreapellido

Soy un subtítulo genial, ideal para dar más contexto sobre el tema que vas a tratar.