Past Tenses

Past Simple

Uses:

completed action at a specific time in the past. Can be stated or implied.

The plane landed at 10.30.

I bought this coat in Paris.

activity or situation that continued for a period of time in the past. The period finished in the past.

I lived in New York for six months when I was a student.

past habit or regular action in the past.

On our holiday we had dinner every evening at 10 o’clock.

series of consecutive actions in the past.

I got up, had breakfast and left the house.

Past Continuous

Uses:

activity or situation that was in progress at a particular moment in the past.

This time yesterday I was travelling to Rome.

activity or situation that was already in progress when another event occurred. May or not have continued after the other event occurred.

When Peter phoned me I was watching a film.

activities or situations occurring at the same time.

My brother was doing his homework while I was reading.

background events in a story.

The sun was shining in the park. Office workers were eating their lunchtime sandwiches and…

Past Perfect Simple

Uses:

to refer to an activity or situation that happened before another activity or situation in the past.

I saw Paul last month. He had just started a new job.

with time linkers when/after/before/by the time/as soon as/until to emphasise the order of events in the past.

I emailed Sara after I’d downloaded the file.

to talk about an activity or situation that continued for a period of time leading up to another point in time in the past. Often involves stative verbs.

I saw the doctor on Friday. I’d had a headache for four days. → Había tenido

Past Perfect Continuous

Used to describe and focus on the duration of an activity before and continuing up to a point of time in the past. May have stopped at that point or continued after it.

It was three o’clock. I’d been waiting for Joe for an hour and he still wasn’t there.

When Dave got here he was very tired. He’d been driving for twelve hours.

Used to and would

1.

Used to + infinitive → regular actions or situations in the past that have now changed.

I used to take the train to work but now I go by car.

My sister used to hate eating vegetables but now she loves them.

2.

Used to (Negatives & Questions).

We didn’t use to go on holidays abroad very often. Now I go every year.

Did you use to go Middleton School? I think I recognise you.

3.

Used to only can be used for talking about the past, not the present. Regular actions or situations in the present → adverb usually, normally… + present simple.

I don’t usually watch the news on television.

4.

Would + infinitive without to → regular actions in the past. NOT used with stative verbs to talk about permanent states in the past. Often describes typical behaviour and can be used with always/usually/never/often.

My gran would always give me a piece of cherry cake after school.

Our teacher would never let us use a dictionary during te

sts!

5.

Possible but not common to use would in negative and questions form.