This document provides an overview of key concepts for expressing past time and tense in English, including:
- The simple past tense is used to express actions or situations that began and ended completely in the past. Examples of its forms are given for regular and irregular verbs.
- The past progressive expresses actions that were ongoing or in progress at a specific time in the past. It uses the past tense of "be" plus the present participle verb form ending in "-ing."
- Time clauses beginning with words like "after," "before," "until," "as soon as," "while," and "when" can be used to express the sequence or timing of past events. The time clause is usually followed
2. Preview
2-1 Expressing past time: the simple past
2-2 Forms of the simple past: regular verbs
2-3 Forms of the simple past: be
2-4 Regular verbs: pronunciation of –ed endings
2-5 Spelling of –ing and –ed forms
2-6 The principal parts of a verb
2-7 Irregular verbs: a reference list
2-8 The simple past and the past progressive
2-9 Forms of the past progressive
2-10 Expressing past time: using time clauses
2-11 Expressing past habit: used to
CONTENTS
3. CHAPTER 2: PREVIEW
Alada rides the bus to work.
Yesterday it rained and her clothes got wet.
Today she is taking extra clothes to work.
4. CHAPTER 2: PREVIEW
Alada rides the bus to work.
Yesterday it rained and her clothes got wet.
Today she is taking extra clothes to work.
PRESENT TENSE
5. CHAPTER 2: PREVIEW
Alada rides the bus to work.
Yesterday it rained and her clothes got wet.
Today she is taking extra clothes to work.
PAST TENSE
PRESENT TENSE
7. 2-1 EXPRESSING PAST TIME: THE SIMPLE PAST
(a) Our family ate lunch outside yesterday.
(b) Adrianna studied English for six hours
last Wednesday.
THE SIMPLE PAST
8. activities or situations
SIMPLE PAST began and ended in past
(yesterday, last night, in 2007)
2-1 EXPRESSING PAST TIME: THE SIMPLE PAST
(a) Our family ate lunch outside yesterday.
(b) Adrianna studied English for six hours
last Wednesday.
THE SIMPLE PAST
9. watch
2-1 EXPRESSING PAST TIME: THE SIMPLE PAST
(c) They watched the movie last night.
(d) Alexandra answered the question yesterday.
THE SIMPLE PAST
+ed = watched
answer +ed = answered
10. 2-1 EXPRESSING PAST TIME: THE SIMPLE PAST
(e) We slept in tents at camp last summer.
THE SIMPLE PAST
11. 2-1 EXPRESSING PAST TIME: THE SIMPLE PAST
(e) We slept in tents at camp last summer.
(f) I understood most of the directions yesterday.
THE SIMPLE PAST
Irregular past:
sleep slept
understand understood
eat ate
12. Simple past forms of be was and were
2-1 EXPRESSING PAST TIME: THE SIMPLE PAST
(g) I was a lifeguard last summer.
(h) They were in Belgium last month.
THE SIMPLE PAST
13. We started school last week.
2-2 FORMS OF THE SIMPLE PAST: REGULAR VERBS
14. 2-2 FORMS OF THE SIMPLE PAST: REGULAR VERBS
STATEMENT I-You-She-He-It-We-They
started school last week.
15. 2-2 FORMS OF THE SIMPLE PAST: REGULAR VERBS
STATEMENT
NEGATIVE
I-You-She-He-It-We-They
started school last week.
I-You-She-He-It-We-They
did not start school last week.
16. 2-2 FORMS OF THE SIMPLE PAST: REGULAR VERBS
QUESTION
SHORT
ANSWER
I-you-she-he-it-we-they
start school last week?
Did
I-you-she-he-it-we-they did.Yes,
I-you-she-he-it-we-they didn’t.No,
17. 2-3 FORMS OF THE SIMPLE PAST: BE
She was sick last Monday.
18. STATEMENT
2-3 FORMS OF THE SIMPLE PAST: BE
I-She-He-It was home last week.
We-You-They were home last week.
19. STATEMENT
NEGATIVE I-She-He-It was not home last week.
2-3 FORMS OF THE SIMPLE PAST: BE
I-She-He-It was home last week.
We-You-They were home last week.
We-You-They were not home last
week.
20. QUESTION
I-she-he-it home last week?Was
2-3 FORMS OF THE SIMPLE PAST: BE
we-you-they home last week?Were
SHORT
ANSWER
I-she-he-it was.
we-you-they were.
Yes,
Yes,
I-she-he-it- wasn’t.
we-you-they weren’t.
No,
No,
21. They _______ at the movies last night at 8:00.
2-1, 2-2, 2-3 Let’s Practice
They ____ at the grocery store last night at 8:00.
weren’t
were
is
They were at the movies last
night at 8:00.?
ACCURATE, AFFIRMATIVE STATEMENT:
NEGATIVE STATEMENT:
22. 2-1, 2-2, 2-3 Let’s Practice
This airplane was made
in 1625.
This airplane ______ made in 1625.
This airplane ___ made in 1943.
wasn’t
was
?
1943 is
ACCURATE, AFFIRMATIVE STATEMENT:
NEGATIVE STATEMENT:
23. ACCURATE, AFFIRMATIVE STATEMENT:
2-1, 2-2, 2-3 Let’s Practice
Did Carla get a bad grade
on her test?
Carla ________ a bad grade on her test.
Carla ________ an excellent grade on her test.
didn’t get
got
NEGATIVE STATEMENT:
get
?
24. 2-4 REGULAR VERBS: PRONUNCIATION OF –ED
ENDINGS
talk/t/
She talked to me for an hour.
48. 2-6 THE PRINCIPAL PARTS OF A VERB
SIMPLE FORM
Regular Verbs Irregular Verbs
finish
hope
try
Simple Form
No final –s, –ed, or –ing
see
sing
go
49. 2-6 THE PRINCIPAL PARTS OF A VERB
SIMPLE PAST
Regular Verbs Irregular Verbs
finished
hoped
tried
Simple Past
–ed for regular verbs
saw
sang
went
50. 2-6 THE PRINCIPAL PARTS OF A VERB
PAST PARTICIPLE
Regular Verbs Irregular Verbs
finished
hoped
tried
Past Participle
–ed for regular verbs
seen
sung
gone
perfect tenses & passive
51. 2-6 THE PRINCIPAL PARTS OF A VERB
PRESENT PARTICIPLE
Regular Verbs Irregular Verbs
finishing
hoping
trying
Present Participle
–ing for all verbs
seeing
singing
going
used with progressive tenses
60. He ran to work yesterday.
He was running when the bus drove by.
2-8 THE SIMPLE PAST AND THE PAST PROGRESSIVE
61. 2-8 THE SIMPLE PAST AND THE PAST PROGRESSIVE
THE SIMPLE PAST
X
(a) Edgar ran to work yesterday.
(b) Pat drove to work this morning.
began and ended at particular
time in the past
62. 2-8 THE SIMPLE PAST AND THE PAST PROGRESSIVE
THE PAST PROGRESSIVE
(c) Edgar was running when the bus drove by.
(d) They were eating when I got home.
in progress
was/were + -ing
XX
63. 2-8 THE SIMPLE PAST AND THE PAST PROGRESSIVE
THE PAST PROGRESSIVE
(e) When the bus drove by, Edgar was running.
(f) The bus drove by while Edgar was running.
when = at that time
while = during that time
XX
65. was not talking.
wasn’t talking.
NEGATIVE
STATEMENT I-She-He-It
2-9 FORMS OF THE PAST PROGRESSIVE
was talking.
You-We-They were talking.
I-She-He-It
You-We-They were not talking.
weren’t talking.
68. 2-9 Let’s Practice
At 8:00, we began to work.
At 8:30, we ____________.
work
were working
69. 2-9 Let’s Practice
Spot __________ at Mac.
Mac _____________ at Spot.
was looking
look
wasn’t looking
SpotMac
70. 2-10 EXPRESSING PAST TIME: USING TIME CLAUSES
Our son called while we were using
the computer.
71. 2-10 EXPRESSING PAST TIME: USING TIME CLAUSES
(a) After I exercised, I took a shower.
(b) I took a shower after I exercised.
(a) time clause main clause
time clause main clause
time clausemain clause
72. 2-10 EXPRESSING PAST TIME: USING TIME CLAUSES
(a) After I exercised, I took a shower.
(b) I took a shower after I exercised.
(b) main clause time clause
time clause main clause
time clausemain clause
73. 2-10 EXPRESSING PAST TIME: USING TIME CLAUSES
(c) I took a shower after I exercised.
(d) Before I took a shower, I exercised.
after
before
until
as soon as
while
when
subject
and verb
a time
clause
+ =
74. 2-10 EXPRESSING PAST TIME: USING TIME CLAUSES
(e) I exercised I took a shower.
(f) I exercised, I took a shower.
until = to that time and no longer
as soon as = immediately after
until
As soon as
75. main clause + comma + time clause
When Mary came home, I was studying.
2-10 EXPRESSING PAST TIME: USING TIME CLAUSES
(g) Mary came home I was studying.
(h)
while
time clause + comma + main clause
76. 2-10 EXPRESSING PAST TIME: USING TIME CLAUSES
First: I rang the doorbell
Then: it played music
(i) When I rang the doorbell, it played music.
when allows simple past
in both clauses
77. two actions at the same time
past progressive okay in both
2-10 EXPRESSING PAST TIME: USING TIME CLAUSES
(j) She was learning to ski while he was
playing golf.
78. 2-10 Let’s Practice
While we ___________, our children
____________ school.
attend
work
were working
were attending
79. 2-10 Let’s Practice
Lynn _________ while she __________
a book.
fall asleep
was reading
read
fell asleep
80. 2-10 Let’s Practice
First: I went shopping.
Then: I put the food away.
After _____________, ________________.I went shopping I put the food away
________________ after ______________.I went shoppingI put the food away
81. 2-11 EXPRESSING PAST HABIT: USED TO
He used to be a baby, but now he is
man with a family.
82. 2-11 EXPRESSING PAST HABIT: USED TO
(a) I used to swim every afternoon.
Now I work in the afternoon.
(b) Fatima used to play piano, but now
she plays the violin.
(c) Jasmine used to laugh, but she
doesn’t anymore.
used to past situations
no longer exist
used to + simple form of a verb
83. 2-11 EXPRESSING PAST HABIT: USED TO
(d) Did you used to swim every afternoon?
(OR Did you use to swim every afternoon?)
did + subject + used to
(OR did + subject + use to)
84. 2-11 EXPRESSING PAST HABIT: USED TO
(e) I didn’t used to swim every day, but
now I swim every afternoon.
(f) Fatima never used to love school, but
now she loves it.
For negative ideas,
never is more common.