Past tenses
3 6 1 - 10 3 En g l i sh G r a m m ar
Si a m Te c h n olo gy C o l l e g e
W ern er Swa r t
St u d e nt I D : 6 1 5 0 3 6411 26
2 0 - 0 9-2 021
Grammar
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Definition - The collection of principles defining how to put
together a sentence
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G r a m ma r - G r e e k γ ρ α μ μ α τι κ ὴ τ έ χ νη ( g r a mm a t i k ḕ t é c h n ē ) > A r t o f
letters
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F u n d amen t a l e l e m e n ts o f G r a mm a r
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Word Order
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Punctuation
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Te n s e s
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D e t e r mi n e r s
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Connectors
Past
simple
Past
continuous
Past
perfect
Past
perfect
continuous
Main Past
Tenses
Past Simple
• Used to refer to actions that w ere completed in a
time period before the present time.
• Focus on the action that w as performed, not the
process of performing.
• Regular verbs > -d or –ed. (Solve – Solved)
• Irregular verbs > variety of endings. (go – w ent)
• Not accompanied by helping verbs. (am, are, w as,
w ere….)
Examples – Past Simple
Ac t i o n s C o m p l e t e d:
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I saw her in the building.
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T h e y d i d n ’ t a g r e e wi t h m e .
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S h e l i ve d i n C a l i f o r n i a f o r s e ve n ye a r s .
P e r i od o f t i m e :
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S h e l i ve d i n C a l i f o r n i a f o r s e ve n ye a r s .
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J o e l i ve d i n B o s t o n f o r t e n ye a r s .
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F r o m 1 9 8 1 t o 1 9 8 4 , h e wo r k e d f o r a l a r g e m u l t i n a t i o n a l c o m p a n y.
Past Perfect
• Verb tense used to talk about actions that were
completed before some point in the past.
• To show the order of two events.
• To make it clear that one event happened before
another in the past.
• Common to use adverbs ‘already, just, never,
previously’.
Examples – Past perfect
• Harold had known about it for a while.
• I didn't say anything until she had finished talking.
• After she had moved out, I found her notes.
• Before I knew it, she had run out the door.
Past Continuous
• Refers to a continuing action or state that was happening at some
point in the past.
• Is formed by combining the past tense of to be(i.e., was/were)
with the verb's present participle ( -ing word).
Examples – Past Continuous
To describe conditions that existed in the past
• The sun was shining every day that summer.
• As I spoke, the children were laughing at my cleverness.
Something that w as happening continuously in the past w hen another action
interrupted it.
• The audience was applauding until he fell off the stage.
• I was making dinner when she arrived.
Can also refer to a habitual action in the past
• They were constantly arguing about money.
• I used to go out with my friends a lot more when I was at university.
Past perfect Continuous
• Shows that an action that started in the past
continued up until another time in the past.
• Puts emphasis on the idea of duration.
• constructed using had been + the verb's
present participle (root + -ing).
Examples – Past Perfect
Continuous
• He had been studying since morning.
• Had he been reading a newspaper?
• My brother had been eating a lot of fruits.
• We had been walking near the bridge.
• The shopkeeper had been selling clothes for two
years.
Thank you.