Study the information about the past tenses. Remember them.
  
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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.
 
Examples:
 
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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