Past Tense

Grammar S2

English lecture S2 #3

By Chaouli Mohamed

For 1st year ST students

Djelfa University –2020/2021

1. Introduction

The past tense describes a past event or a state of being. For example:

•I jumped in the lake. (past event)

•I was happy. (past state of being)

The tense of a verb is determined by when the action took place. The three main

tenses are:

•past tense

•present tense

•future tense

The past tense is categorized further depending on whether the action was in

progress or has been completed. 2

1- Simple Past Tense

The simple past tense is used to describe a completed activity that started in the past and ended

in the past.

I studied English I lost my keys

2. Types of Past Tenses (1)

Simple Past Tense Examples

I played when I was younger.

I said nothing.

Every man is guilty of all the good he did not do. (French

writer Voltaire)

My fake plants died because I did not pretend to

water them.

2. Types of Past Tenses (1)

2- Past Progressive Tense

The past progressive (continuous) tense is used to describe an ongoing activity in the past. Often, it

is used to set the scene for another action.

2. Types of Past Tenses (2)

Past Progressive Tense Examples

I was playing for an hour.

I was falling asleep when the phone rang.

We were preparing a picnic, and then it started to rain.

I feel like I sort of missed the eighties. At the time, we didn't

know we were having fun, which is probably the way it

always is. (Novelist Tama Janowitz)

2. Types of Past Tenses (2)

3- Past Perfect Tense

The past perfect tense is used to emphasize that an action was completed before another took

place.

2. Types of Past Tenses (3)

Ali had started working before I arrived

I had considered changing the room before You arrived

Past Perfect Tense Examples

I had played already.

I phoned Saad to tell him I had stopped by his house. He

said He was at mine.

I had always seen myself as a technician; I wanted to be an

engineer.

What a wonderful friend I've had! I only wish I'd realized it

sooner.

2. Types of Past Tenses (3)

3- Past Perfect Progressive

The past perfect progressive tense is used to show that an ongoing action in the past has ended.

2. Types of Past Tenses (4)

Past Perfect Progressive Examples

I had been playing since I was ten.

I had been working on my project for weeks, I barely scratched the

surface

I had been drawing since I was in eighth grade, because I loved it.

Even though I had been boxing for three years, I had no idea that I

could beat somebody in the ring.

2. Types of Past Tenses (4)

2. Types of Past Tenses (5)

The 4 Past Tenses Examples Uses

Simple past tense



I went.



The Martians landed near the

aqueduct.

The simple past tense is used to describe a

completed activity that started in the past

and ended in the past.

Past progressive

tense



I was going.



He was painting the door when a

bird struck the window.

The past progressive tense is used to describe

an ongoing activity in the past. Often, it is

used to set the scene for another action.

Past perfect tense



I had gone.



He had painted the door just

before it fell down.

The past perfect tense is used to emphasize

that an action was completed before another

took place.

Past perfect

progressive



I had been going.



She had been painting the door

before the cat scratched it.

The past perfect progressive tense is used to

show that an ongoing action in the past has

ended.

Thank you