Past Tenses Relationship of Past Events/Actions to Each Other

Past TensesPast Tenses

Relationship of Relationship of Past Events/Actions Past Events/Actions

to Each Otherto Each Other


__ Simple Past__ Simple Past 1) When I arrived, they 1) When I arrived, they were were talkingtalking

about me.about me.

__ Past Continuous__ Past Continuous 2) When I arrived, they 2) When I arrived, they had had been been

talkingtalking about me for an hour. about me for an hour.

__ Past Perfect__ Past Perfect 3) When I arrived, they 3) When I arrived, they talkedtalked about about

me.me.

__ Past Perfect __ Past Perfect

ContinuousContinuous4) When I arrived, they 4) When I arrived, they had had talkedtalked

about me.about me.

1

3

4

2

Past Tenses - Examples


Past Tenses - Formulas

__ Simple Past__ Simple Past 1) had been + present participle1) had been + present participle

__ Past __ Past ContinuousContinuous

2) was/were + present participle2) was/were + present participle

__ Past Perfect__ Past Perfect 3) verb + ed (*regular verbs)3) verb + ed (*regular verbs)

__ Past Perfect __ Past Perfect

ContinuousContinuous4) had + past participle4) had + past participle1

2

3

4


Past Tenses - Use

Action 1: I arrived.

Action 2: They talked about me.

Simple Past

► Action 2 occurring right after action 1.

When I arrived, they talked about me..

(First, I arrived. Then they started talking about me.)


Past Tenses - Use



Past Continuous► Action 2 continuing at the same time as action 1.

When I arrived, they were talking about me..(They started talking about me before I arrived. When I arrived, they were still talking about me.)


Past Tenses - Use



Past Perfect

► Action 2 occurring before action 1.

When I arrived, they had talked about me..

(They started and finished talking about me before I arrived. I didn’t see them talking about me.)


Past Tenses - Use



Past Perfect Continuous► Action 2 occurring during some time before action 1.

When I arrived, they had been talking about me for one hour..

(They were talking about me for one hour. Then I arrived. I didn’t see them talking about me for that first hour.)


COMPARESimple Past (verb + edverb + ed )


Past Continuous (was/were + present participlewas/were + present participle )

► Action 2 continuing at the same time as action 1.


When I arrived, they were talking about me..


(They started talking about me before I arrived. When I arrived, they were still talking about me.)


1) My mother _______________ (cook) something when I walked into the room. The smell of the food was wonderful.

was cooking

Complete the sentences with the simple past or the past continuous.

2) My mother _______________ (cook) something when I walked into the room. She said she was waiting for me to help her decide what she would make for dinner.

cooked

3) I _______________ (have, almost) a car accident last night. I _______________ (drive) down Washington Avenue when suddenly I _______________ (see) a car in my lane. It _______________ (come) right at my car. I _______________ (step) on the brakes and _______________ (swerve) to the right. The other car _______________ (miss, just) my car at about an inch.

almost had

stepped

sawwas coming

was driving

swervedjust

missed


COMPARESimple Past (verb + edverb + ed )


Past Perfect (had + past participle + past participle )







2) My mother _______________ (cook) something when I walked into the room. The food was waiting for me on the table.

had cooked

Complete the sentences with the simple past or the past perfect. 1) My mother _______________ (cook) something when I walked into the room. She said she was waiting for me to help her decide what she would make for dinner.

cooked

3) He _______________ (be) a newspaper reporter before he _______________ (become) a businessman.

had beenbecam

e

4) I _______________ (feel) a little better after I _______________ (take) the medicine.

felthad

takentook


COMPARE

Past Perfect Continuous (had been + present + present participleparticiple )

► Action 2 occurring during some time before action 1.

Past Perfect (had + past participle + past participle )




(They were talking about me for one hour. Then I arrived. I didn’t see them talking about me for that first hour.)



1) My mother _______________ (cook) something when I walked into the room. The food was waiting for me on the table.

had cooked

Complete the sentences with the past perfect or the past perfect continuous.

2) My mother _______________ (cook) something for more than one hour when I walked in the room. She was already exhausted, so I helped her finish preparing the food.

had been cooking

4) Michael _______________ (work) as a lawyer before he became a singer. In fact, he _______________ (work) in that company for more than 10 years.

had worked had been

working

had cooked

had worked

3) My mother _______________ (cook) something for more than one hour when I walked in the room. She was exhausted, but the dish looked wonderful!

had been cooking

had cooked


COMPARE ALL THE PAST TENSES

Past Perfect Continuous (had been + present + present participleparticiple ) ► Action 2 occurring during some time before action 1.

Past Perfect (had + past participle + past participle ) ► Action 2 occurring before action 1.



Simple Past (verb + edverb + ed ) ► Action 2 occurring right after action 1.

Past Continuous (was/were + present was/were + present participleparticiple ) ► Action 2 continuing at the same time as action 1.


When I arrived, they were talking about me..


Match the pictures with their corresponding sentences.

When Ellen arrived home, Mark cooked dinner.

When Ellen arrived home, Mark was cooking dinner.

When Ellen arrived home, Mark had cooked dinner.

a

b

c

c

a

b


1) I was late. The teacher ____________________ (already /give) a quiz when I ____________________ (get) to class.

Complete the sentences with the BEST past tense.

2) The kids ____________________ (still / sleep) when their father _______________ (call). And I didn’t want to wake them up, so they didn’t talk to him.

3) My mother ____________________ (sleep) when I ____________________ (arrive) home. She was always anxious about what could happen to me. As for my father, he didn’t seem to worry. When I arrived home from parties, he ____________________ (already / go) to bed.

slept

called

were still sleeping

arrived

had already givengo

t

had already gone

4) I ____________________ (study) English for almost 2 years when I first____________________ (travel) abroad.

had been studying

had studiedtraveled


The End !!!!!!

Documents

Past Tenses Relationship of Past Events/Actions to Each Other