2. In the 1950s, she attended a
private school in Bolivia.
Use the simple past to describe actions,
events, or states at a specific past time.
Simple Past
past
now
future
Isabel Allende grew up in
South America.
3. Past Progressive
Use the past progressive to express an action that
was in progress (not finished) in the past.
past
now
future
1962
Allende was working for the United Nations. . .
. . . when she married her first husband in 1962.
4. She has done numerous lecture tours
in America and Europe.
Isabel Allende has lived in Peru, Chile,
and Venezuela.
past
now
future
Use present perfect to express actions, events,
or states completed at an indefinite time in the
past.
Present Perfect
5. Isabel Allende has traveled all over
Europe.
In 1964, she traveled all over
Europe with her husband and daughter.
past
now
future
1964
Simple Past vs. Present Perfect
Present perfect: for events at an indefinite time in the past
Simple past: for events at a definite time in the past
6. Form sentences with
present perfect or
simple past.
Practice 1
past
now
future
(have) her
daughter in 1963
1. (work) for several
magazines
2. (move) to Venezuela
with her family in 1975
3. (marry) her second
husband in 1988
Example:
She had her
daughter in 1963.
4. (live) in the U.S. for
over 15 years
She has worked for
several magazines.
She moved to Venezuela
with her family in 1975.
She married her second
husband in 1988.
She has lived in the U.S.
for over 15 years.
7. Past with Used To
Use used to + base form to show habitual
events that were true in the past but not today.
past
now
future
She used to be on the editorial staff
of a Chilean magazine called Paula.
She used to write many humorous
and feminist articles for that magazine.
8. Past Perfect 1
past
now
future
before
past event
past
event
Use the past perfect to express events that
happened before a past event.
Allende had published many magazine articles . . .
. . . before she wrote her famous novel House of Spirits.
9. Past Perfect 2
The past perfect is often used with by or by the time.
The by clause may precede or follow the main clause.
past
now
future
1976 1991
fifteen years
By the time Isabel Allende returned to Chile in 1991 . . .
. . . fifteen years had gone by.
10. Form sentences with simple
past and past perfect using
before.
Practice 2
past
now
future
1. (be) a contributor
to Mampato
Magazine
Example:
(work) for the
United Nations
2. Isabel (publish)
several novels
(have) her
son Nicolas
(direct) the
magazine
(start) a
trilogy for
young adults
Isabel had published
several novels before she
started a trilogy for young
adults.
She had been a
contributor to
Mampato
magazine before
she directed the
magazine.
She had worked for
the United Nations
before she had her
son Nicolas.
11. Past with Was / Were Going To
Use was / were going to + base form to describe
events that were supposed to happen but did not.
past
now
future
Isabel Allende was going to stay in Chile, but after the
military coup in 1973, she had to leave the country.
In 1978, they were going to separate, but Allende
soon returned to her husband.
did not
happen
12. Form sentences with
was / were going to.Practice 3
Allende planned
to live in Chile.
Example:
1
2
She had to flee
the country.
Allende was going to live in Chile,
but she had to flee the country.
She planned to
write a letter.
The letter turned
into a novel.
She was going to write a letter,
but the letter turned into a novel.
They divorced in
1987.
They planned to
stay together.
They were going to stay together,
but they divorced in 1987.
