Study the information about the past tenses. Remember them.
Tense
|
Affirmative/negative/ question
|
Use
|
Signal words
|
Past simple
|
Form: [verb+ed] or irregular verbs
A: He spoke
N: He did not speak. Q: Did he speak? |
• Actions in the past taking place once, never or several times. • Action taking place one after another. • Action taking place in the middle of another action. |
Yesterday,
2 minutes ago,
in 1990, the other day, last Friday, 'if-sentences' type II.
|
Past continuous
|
Form: [was/were + present participle]
A: He was speaking.
N: He was not speaking. Q: Was he speaking? |
• 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. |
When, while, as long as, from____to____yesterday,
the whole evening
|
Past perfect
|
Form: [had + past participle]
A: He had spoken.
N: He had not spoken. Q: Had he spoken? |
• Action taking place before a certain time in the past. • Sometimes interchangeable with the past perfect progressive. • Putting emphasis only on the fact (not the duration). |
Already, just, never, not yet, once, until that day, 'if-sentences' type III, by the time |
Past perfect continuous
|
Form: [had + been + present participle]
A: He had been speaking.
N: He had not been speaking. Q: Had he been speaking? |
• Action taking place before a certain time in the past. • Sometimes interchangeable with the past perfect. • Putting emphasis on the duration or course of an action. |
For, since, the whole day, all day, for 20 minutes, for 3 hours. |
There was a wonderful film on TV yesterday. (the past simple)
We were discussing many things from 5 to 6 yesterday. (the past continuous)
I had read this book by 4 pm yesterday. (the past perfect)
We were tired. We had been running for 2 hours. (the past perfect continuous)
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