THE PAST TENSES PAST SIMPLE AND PAST CONTINUOUS

SIMPLE PAST AFFIRMATIVE : subject + verb in the past I played He arrived We ate They came Verbs can be regular or irregular: Regular verbs form the past adding –ed Irregular verbs have special forms which are in the irregular verbs list

Verbs can be regular or irregular:

Regular verbs form the past adding –ed

Irregular verbs have special forms which

are in the irregular verbs list

SIMPLE PAST NEGATIVE: subject + didn’t + infinitive I didn’t play He didn’t arrive We didn’t eat They didn’t come INTERROGATIVE: did + subject + infinitive? Did I play? Did he arrive? Did we eat? Did they come?

Very important! The past of the verbs is used only in the affirmative form. She went to London The negative and interrogative forms take the infinitive. She didn’t go to London Did she go to London?

-ed endings Most verbs add –ed: started, obeyed, … Verbs which end in a consonant +e, add –d: lived, moved, … Verbs that have 1 syllable and end in a single vowel + a single consonant, double the consonant and add –ed: stopped Exceptions: Verbs ending in –w or –x, do not double the consonant: fixed, showed Verbs with 2 syllables, ending in a vowel + a consonant, with stress on the last syllable, double the final consonant: preferred Verbs with 2 syllables ending in l, double it: travelled Verbs ending in a consonant + y, change y to i and add –ed: worried Verbs in –ie, add –d: tied, died

Most verbs add –ed: started, obeyed, …

Verbs which end in a consonant +e, add –d:

lived, moved, …

Verbs that have 1 syllable and end in a single vowel + a single consonant, double the consonant and add –ed:

stopped

Exceptions:

Verbs ending in –w or –x, do not double the consonant: fixed, showed

Verbs with 2 syllables, ending in a vowel + a consonant, with stress on the last syllable, double the final consonant: preferred

Verbs with 2 syllables ending in l, double it: travelled

Verbs ending in a consonant + y, change y to i and add –ed: worried

Verbs in –ie, add –d: tied, died

Uses of the Simple Past To describe an action that happened at a definite time in the past I travelled to London in 2005 To talk about an action that interrupted another action that was in progress in the past I was studying when the phone rang With time expressions such as yesterday, last night, …, (two days) ago, in 2004, … I saw a great film last night

To describe an action that happened at a definite time in the past

I travelled to London in 2005

To talk about an action that interrupted another action that was in progress in the past

I was studying when the phone rang

With time expressions such as yesterday, last night, …, (two days) ago, in 2004, …

I saw a great film last night

PAST CONTINUOUS We form the past continuous with the past form of BE + verb + -ING I was watching TV They were having tea You weren’t sleeping He wasn’t dancing Was she driving? Were we listening?

REMEMBER ! I, HE, SHE, IT …..WAS/WASN’T WE, YOU, THEY….WERE/WEREN’T

Uses of the Past Continuous To describe an action that was in progress at a specific time in the past Lisa was studying at ten yesterday To talk about an action that was in progress when a second action happened I was studying when the phone rang With time expressions such as while, all morning, … I was working all day

To describe an action that was in progress at a specific time in the past

Lisa was studying at ten yesterday

To talk about an action that was in progress when a second action happened

I was studying when the phone rang

With time expressions such as while, all morning, …

I was working all day

PAST CONTRAST SIMPLE PAST Short action which interrupts another action in progress Used after WHEN PAST CONTINUOUS Action which was in progress (long action) when another action happened Used after WHILE Examples: When I arrived, my mother was watching TV. The phone rang while I was having lunch

For 3º and 4º ESO students by Ana Cruz Castro Mouriño