Past tenses - English

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Past tenses

Past tenses

The infinitive Present participle
Past participle
To + verb verb + ing
verb+ d or ed
Mind the irregular verbs

To close ,To walk Closing, Walking Closed ,Walked
To drink Drinking Drunk
To take Taking Taken
    The simple past
Simple past The rule Example
He was/he drank/he went/he played
Yesterday, last week, last month, last year, a month ago....
verb+d or ed

I visited New York City a month ago.

He ate chicken yesterday.


James smoked for most of his life.
(Maybe for 30 years)
Question
Did + verb
Did you find the answer?
Negation
Did not (didn't)+ verb
    I didn't find the answer.
I did not find the answer.
Short answer
Did
Did not (didn't)
Yes, I did.
No, I did not (didn't).
Past Continuous (Progressive) The rule Example
he was playing/he was eating
All night, all day, while, yesterday..)
Was+ were+ verb+ing

I was reading a novel yesterday evening.
(I spent the whole evening reading)
I was reading a novel, while he was playing.
(At the same time)

They were living in Moscow.
(Now, they live  in London)
Note
We can use the past simple and the past continuous in the same sentence.
I was reading a novel, when the phone rang.

We were playing games, when she arrived.
Past perfect The rule Example
He had played/he had gone

Had+past participle
I had finished my work by nine o’clock.
I had played games before I went to bed.
(Two actions: one action before the other one )
Past perfect continuous The rule Example
He had been playing
He had been going

Had+been+ present participle
Really, I was very tired! I had been revising all evening.
I had been waiting for James for thirty minutes when he finally arrived.
(James arrived after thirty minutes )

Exercise: Choose the right answer.

Beginners
English exercise "Past tenses" created by matrix_hamdi with The test builder
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We TV for two hours when my grandmother joined us.

When I , the telephone rang.

I the National Museum one week ago.

When I got to the bus station, the bus .

After he lunch, he went out to join his friends.

Sarah was singing while they .

Anna as a teacher for ten years. She is now retired.

In 2003, we in France.

Peter video games all day.

They lunch when I arrived.

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