How to use Past Tense Correctly

1. PAST TENSE
 PAST
SIMPLE
 PAST
CONTINUOUS
 PAST
PERFECT
 PAST
PERFECT CONTINUOUS

2. PAST SIMPLE
Formula
Subject + Second Form of Verb +Object
For Example
He went to Market.
Negative
Subject + Did not + BFV + Object
For Example
He did not go to Market.
Interrogative
Did + Subject + BFV + Object ?
For Example
Did he go to Market ?

3. PAST SIMPLE
The simple past is used for an action
completed at same time in the past.
For Example:
I phoned her yesterday.
 The simple past is also used for past
habits; as,
For Example:
He studied many hours everyday.
She always carried an umbrella.
umbrella


4. PAST CONTINUOUS
Formula
Subject +(was, were)+ BFV (ing) +Object
For Example
Children were eating ice cream.
Negative
Subject +(was, were) (not)+ BFV (ing) + Object
For Example
They were not swimming in the pool.
Interrogative
(Was, Were)+ Subject + BFV (ing) + Object ?
For Example
Was she using the internet?

5. PAST CONTINOUS
Past continuous is used to denote an action going on at some time
in the past. The time of the action may or may not be indicated.
For Example:
We were listening to the radio all evening.
When I saw him, he was playing chess.
 The past continuous and simple past are used together when a
new action happened in the middle of a longer action. The simple
past is used for the new action.
For Example:
The light went out while I was reading.
When I saw him, he was playing chess.
 This tense is also used with ‘always’ ‘continually’ etc. for
persistent habits in the past.
For Example:
He was always grumbling.


6. PAST PERFECT
Formula
Subject +(HAD)+ Past Participle +Object
For Example
He had studied really hard.
Negative
Subject + had not + past participle + Object
For Example
He had not gone to Market.
Interrogative
Had + Subject + past participle + Object ?
For Example
Had he paid his all bills ?

7. PAST PERFECT
The past perfect is used to describe an action completed
before a certain moment in the past; as,
For Example:
I met him in Kuala Lumpur in 2001.I had seen him last five
years before.
 If two actions happened in the past, it may be necessary to
show which action happened earlier than the other. The
past perfect is mainly used in such situations. The simple
past is used in one clause and the past perfect in the other;
as,
For Example:
When I reached the station the train had already left.
I had written the letter before he arrived.


8. PAST PERFECT CONTINUOS
Formula
Subject +(HAD BEEN)+ BFV (ing) +(Since/For) +Object
For Example
She had been waiting for me for three hours.
Girls had been sewing the dresses since morning till evening.
Negative
Subject + had not + been+ BFV (ing)+ (since/For)+ Object
For Example
He had not been watching the TV for five hours.
Interrogative
Had + Subject + Been+ BFV (ing)+ (Since/For)+ Object ?
For Example
Had they been talking since evening ?

9. PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS
The past perfect continuous is used for an
action that began before a certain point in
the past and continued up to that time ;
as,
For Example:
At that time he had been writing a novel for
two months.
When Mr. Wahab came to the university in
2002, Mr. Shakir had already been
teaching there for five years.


10. Prepared by:
 Mansor
Bin Esa
 English Language Teacher
 SK Padang Jawa, Shah Alam