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Past simple Form Regular verbs Affirmative: (add -ed or –d to the base form of the verb) I worked, I played, I hoped etc. Negative: (add did not or didn't before the base form) I didn't work etc. Question: (add did plus subject before the base form) Did you work? etc. Irregular verbs There is only one simple past verb which has two forms according to person. That is the verb 'to be' which has the forms 'was' (used with I, he, she and it) and 'were' (used with you,weandthey). Forallotherverbstheformstaysthesameforallpersons. Past continuous International TEFL and TESOL Training© Where the world is your classroom Form Past tense of the auxiliary verb be (was/were) + the present participle (verb+'ing') Affirmative: (subject + was/were + verb+ing) Negative: (subject + was/were + not + verb+ing) Question: (was/were + subject + verb+ing) Usages Forinterruptedpastactions. WhileIwashavingabath,thephonerang. Used without a time expression, it can indicate gradual development that took place in the past. n Itwasgettingdarker. n Thewindswererising. It can express an action, which began before that time and probably continued after it. At eight he was having breakfast implies that he was in the middle of breakfast at eight, i.e. that he had started it before eight. He had breakfast at eight would imply that he started at eight. It can express an action, which began before that time and probably continued after it. At eight he was having breakfast implies that he was in the middle of breakfast at eight, i.e. that he had started it before eight. He had breakfast at eight would imply that he started at eight. We use the continuous tense in descriptions. Note the combination of description (past continuous)withnarrative(pastsimple). WhenIwokeup,thesunwasshiningandthebirds were singing. Note that the past continuous almost always requires some form of time reference. For example, I was playing tennis simply doesn't make sense, as we don't know when. One of the few occasions when it is possible to use the past continuous without a specific time reference is with the gradual development usage, as detailed above. Past perfect Form Usage The past equivalent of the present perfect, e.g. When I arrived the concert had started. So, which was first, my arrival or the start of the concert? And how do you know? Well, hopefully your answers to the two questions were: n Thestartoftheconcert. n BecauseIwrote'hadstarted'. Had started is an example of the Past Perfect. Now have a look at these 4 sentences: 1. When I got to the car park I realised that I had lost my keys. 2. She told me she had worked in France and Germany. 3. He arrived late; he hadn't realised the roads would be so icy. 4. She was upset because Paul hadn't telephoned. You should see that all of the past perfect verbs (in bold type) represent actions that occurred beforeotheractionsinthepast. Thuswecansaythepastperfectis'thepastinthepast',or the past viewed from another past viewpoint. Past perfect continuous Form Affirmative: (subject + had + been + verb+ing) Negative: (subject + had+ not + been + verb+ing) Question: (had + subject + been + verb+ing) Usage The past perfect continuous certainly isn't the most frequently used (or taught) tense in the English language but it does have one major use: To talk about longer actions or situations in the past that had been going on continuously up to the past moment that we are thinking about. We don't know or are not concerned with whether or not it continued after. E.g. Before eating lunch, she had been clipping her toenails for two hours.