Past Tense

PAST TENSE  PAST

SIMPLE

 PAST

CONTINUOUS

 PAST

PERFECT

 PAST

PERFECT CONTINUOUS

PAST SIMPLE Formula Subject + Second Form of Verb +Object For Example He went to Market. Negative Subject + Did not + BFV + Object For Example He did not go to Market. Interrogative Did + Subject + BFV + Object ? For Example Did he go to Market ?

PAST SIMPLE The simple past is used for an action completed at same time in the past. For Example: I phoned her yesterday.  The simple past is also used for past habits; as, For Example: He studied many hours everyday. She always carried an umbrella. umbrella 

PAST CONTINUOUS Formula Subject +(was, were)+ BFV (ing) +Object For Example Children were eating ice cream. Negative Subject +(was, were) (not)+ BFV (ing) + Object For Example They were not swimming in the pool. Interrogative (Was, Were)+ Subject + BFV (ing) + Object ? For Example Was she using the internet?

PAST CONTINOUS Past continuous is used to denote an action going on at some time in the past. The time of the action may or may not be indicated. For Example: We were listening to the radio all evening. When I saw him, he was playing chess.  The past continuous and simple past are used together when a new action happened in the middle of a longer action. The simple past is used for the new action. For Example: The light went out while I was reading. When I saw him, he was playing chess.  This tense is also used with ‘always’ ‘continually’ etc. for persistent habits in the past. For Example: He was always grumbling. 

PAST PERFECT Formula Subject +(HAD)+ Past Participle +Object For Example He had studied really hard. Negative Subject + had not + past participle + Object For Example He had not gone to Market. Interrogative Had + Subject + past participle + Object ? For Example Had he paid his all bills ?

PAST PERFECT The past perfect is used to describe an action completed before a certain moment in the past; as, For Example: I met him in New York in 2001.I had seen him last five years before.  If two actions happened in the past, it may be necessary to show which action happened earlier than the other. The past perfect is mainly used in such situations. The simple past is used in one clause and the past perfect in the other; as, For Example: When I reached the station the train had already left. I had written the letter before he arrived. 

PAST PERFECT CONTINUOS Formula Subject +(HAD BEEN)+ BFV (ing) +(Since/For) +Object For Example She had been waiting for me for three hours. Girls had been sewing the dresses since morning till evening. Negative Subject + had not + been+ BFV (ing)+ (since/For)+ Object For Example He had not been watching the TV for five hours. Interrogative Had + Subject + Been+ BFV (ing)+ (Since/For)+ Object ? For Example Had they been talking since evening ?

PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS The past perfect continuous is used for an action that began before a certain point in the past and continued up to that time ; as, For Example: At that time he had been writing a novel for two months. When Mr. Wahab came to the university in 2002, Mr. Shakir had already been teaching there for five years. 