Review of Past Tenses

PAST SIMPLE
El "simple past" se utiliza para hablar de una acción que concluyó en un tiempo anterior al actual. La duración no es relevante. El tiempo en que se sitúa la acción puede ser el pasado reciente o un pasado lejano.


EJEMPLOS:
  • John Cabot sailed to America in 1498.
  • My father died last year.
  • He lived in Fiji in 1976.
  • We crossed the Channel yesterday.
Simple Past
Affirmative
I cried.
Negative
I did not cry
Interrogative
Did I cry?
Form
Regular verbs: Verb + ed | Irregular verbs: forms differ and should be learned by heart. This is a list of irregular verbs
Uses
  • action in the past taking place once, never or several times
  • actions taking place one after another

Ejercicios
Escribe los verbos en past simple.
1.    William (visit) ______________ his grandparents last weekend.
2.    Jane (arrive) _____________an hour ago.
3.    We (go) ____________ to Bob's birthday party yesterday.
4.    I (be) ___________on holiday last week.
5.    She (see) __________fire.
Transforma las frases siguientes en negativas.
1.    I phoned Lucy last night. → I ___________ Lucy last night.
2.    You tidied up your room. → You ____________up your room.
3.    Olivia became an actress. → Olivia ___________an actress.
4.    We found the treasure. → We ____________the treasure.
5.    He spoke Spanish. → He ___________Spanish.
Forma frases interrogativas en past simple.
1.    (you/dance) __________at the party last night?
2.    (she/do) ______________her homework?
3.    (Robert/work) ___________at the post office?
4.    (they/help) ____________ you with the washing-up?
5.    When (I/say) ____________ that?

PAST PERFECT
The past perfect, also called the pluperfect, is a verb tense used to talk about actions that were completed before some point in the past.
  • We were shocked to discover that someone had graffitied “Tootles was here” on our front door. We were relieved that Tootles had used washable paint.


The past perfect tense is for talking about something that happened before something else. Imagine waking up one morning and stepping outside to grab the newspaper. On your way back in, you notice a mysterious message scrawled across your front door: Tootles was here. When you’re telling this story to your friends later, how would you describe this moment? You might say something like:
  • I turned back to the house and saw that some someone named Tootles had defaced my front door!
Past Perfect Simple
Affirmative
She had won.
Negative
She had not won.
Interrogative
Had she won?
Form
had + past participle (past participle of regular verbs: verb + ed | Past participle of irregular verbs: forms differ and should be learned by heart. This is a list of irregular verbs)
Uses
  • action taking place before a certain time in the past
  • sometimes interchangeable with past perfect progressive
  • putting emphasis only on the fact (not the duration)
EJERCICIOS
Change the verb into the correct form:


1. I ____________(study) Japanese before.
2. She _____________ (bake) a lot before she _______________ (open) her shop.
3. We _________ (have) a lot of trouble because we __________ (lose) our passports.
4. Brian __________ (know) many people at the club because he _________ (be) there many times.
5. They ______________ (study) English before they ___________ (move) to Canada.
6. You ______________ (enjoy) the movie because you ______________ (read) the book.
7. She really ___________ (like) him because he ____________ (help) her.
8. Amy ____________ (study) a lot before she ___________ (take) the test.
9. We ___________ (get) into the restaurant only because we ___________ (reserve) our places.
10. I _____________ (be) to India before 1986.
11. They ___________ (have) a lot of trouble before they finally __________ (succeed).
12. Chris ___________ (own) that car for 5 years before he ______________(sell) it.
13. Sharon __________ (be) very sick until she ____________ (stop) eating junk food.
14. I ____________ (be) in Greece for 7 months before I ___________ (move) to Spain.
15. You ____________ (cook) a lot, because you ____________ (be) so hungry

PAST PROGRESSIVE

The PAST PROGRESSIVE TENSE indicates continuing action, something that was happening, going on, at some point in the past. This tense is formed with the helping "to be" verb, in the past tense, plus the present participle of the verb (with an -ing ending):

  • I was riding my bike all day yesterday.
  • Joel was being a terrible role model for his younger brother


The past progressive indicates a limited duration of time and is thus a convenient way to indicate that something took place (in the simple past) while something else was happening:
  • Carlos lost his watch while he was running.

The past progressive can express incomplete action.
  • I was sleeping on the couch when Bertie smashed through the door.
(as opposed to the simple past, which suggests a completed action:
  • I slept on the couch last night.
The past progressive is also used to poke fun at or criticize an action that is sporadic but habitual in nature:
  • Tashonda was always handing in late papers.
  • My father was always lecturing my brother.
Generally, progressive forms occur only with what are called dynamic verbs and not with stative verbs. If you wish to review that concept now.}
Past Progressive
Affirmative
He was driving.
Negative
He was not driving.
Interrogative
Was he driving?
Form
to be (in the simple past) + verb + ing
Uses
  • action going on at a certain time in the past
  • actions taking place at the same time
  • action in the past that is interrupted by another action












Change the verb into the correct form:

1. Yesterday at 5 o'clock I _____________(eat).
2. Last night, at 10 o'clock she ______________ (dance).
3. Tim _______________ (cook) while Susan _____________ (watch) TV.
4. Barbara ___________ (paint), and Joe ______________ (sleep).
5. While you _____________ (rest), I ____________ (clean) the house.
6. While we _______________ (swim), the other team ____________ (run).
7. Jim ______________ (always come) late to work.
8. Dorothy ________________ (always smoke) in the room.
9. Jack and Bob ___________________ (always fight) about something.
10. These two _________________ (constantly chat). 
11. James _________________ (read) and Emily ________________ (listen) to music.
12. While the singer ________________ (sing), the crowd _____________ (jump).
13. The teacher _________________ (sleep), and the students ______________ (laugh).
14. An hour ago I _______________ (jog).
15. They __________________ (always drink) too much at parties.



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