Past Tenses: uses, rules and time expressions with examples

1. Tenses in the English Language
The Past Time Tenses
Prepared & Presented by:
ELBAIDA OTTMAN

2. The PAST TENSES
• Past Tenses in English are very tricky ; mastering uses, rule(s) & time
expressions / Adverbs of each tense can help you to improve your fluency in
English. The Past tenses are: The simple past, past continuous, past perfect and
past perfect continuous.
The Simple PAST TENSE
• Uses:
We use the simple past to express
- 1- an action or series of action that took place ( happened ) in the past
time
- 2- wishes / regrets in the present time
-
Examples:
1- Today, I woke up early,but I got up late. After I had taken a bath, I went to work.
2 - I wish I had some exercises for you.
- If only I had my own laptop.
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3. Rules of SIMPLE PAST
•Affirmative Use:
1- If the verb is regular, at the end of the verb YOU MUST ADD [ed] [ied] [ed]
‘to like, to hate…-(e) ------> add [d]
‘ to cry, to study … -Consonant ₊ Y -> change y into i and add ed [ ied]
‘ to play, to listen…. -Any other verb-> add [ed]
This Rule is applied only in all subject PRONOUS :
2- If the verb is an IRREGULAR, it depends on the verb itself ( i.e., some verbs change their
forms, other verbs either change pronunciation, slightly change or do not change AT ALL)
• Negative Form:
To form negative of any verb in simple past ( a verb ₊ not), you use:
Did not ₊ base form
( didn’t<- a form used in SPEAKING)
•Yes-No Questions Use
did₊ Subject ₊ base form ₊ Complement?
-Yes, I did / Yes, she did/ yes we did ----- AFFIRMATIVE RESPONSE
-No, I didn’t /No, he didn’t/ no we didn’t  Negative Response
N.B.: the rules of negative and question forms are applied to all verbs
but a verb. What is this VERB?
IT IS ……. ( THE VERB TO BE ! : ) )
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4. Time Expressions/ Adverbs
• When we use the Simple past, these expressions are
usually used :
- Last Monday/week/ year/ class/ time/ second/ hour/ month/
…….
- On Monday/ On the 12th of……./ On or at weekend/
- In morning, in afternoon, in evening, in July, in summer,
….At night/ at 5:55/ ….
- First……..Then, ………..After then, ……Next, …….after that,
……… Finally, ………….
- I wish / she wishes/ if only ……
- If ( simple past)…..
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5. Pronunciation of the suffixes [ed]
and [d]
• Pronunciation of [ed] and [ied]
1- [Ed] or [d] is pronounced /t/ after regular verbs
that end in: Sh, ch, p, k, f, ss,
To watch: watched/ to cook: cooked/ to hope->
hoped / to help-> helped / to miss: missed
2- [ed] or [d] is pronounced /id/ after verbs that
end in : t or d
To start: started/ to defend: defended
3- If it is a verb that doesn’t belong to the first or
second rule, it is pronounced as /d/
Played-cried-listened
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6. The Past Continuous
• Uses:
We use the Past Continuous to talk about:
- Actions that were happening in the past; that is to say, to express
an action that started in the past and continued for a while.
Examples:
At that moment, I was typing this presentation as a way to help
you understand the present tense.
This morning, The boys were playing football at 6:OO morning!
I had taught you Last week. While I was teaching you, you were
listening to my teachings.
Last night, I was not traveling at all when you call. I was
studying Spanish extra hours at 7.00.
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7. Rules of Past Continuous
• Affirmative Use:
Auxiliary ‘ to be’ in Simple Past
was- were₊ base form₊ ing
This Rule is applied to all verbs in English, except the STATIVE
VRBS
Negative Form:
was not/ were not ₊ base form ₊ ing
( wasn’t / weren’t<- these are shorts forms used in SPEAKING)
• Yes-No Questions Use
Was/were ₊ Subject ₊ base form ₊ ing ₊ Complement?
Yes, I was ./ Yes, he was/ Yes, we were ….*
No, I wasn’t. / No, you were not ( weren’t in speaking)./ No, he
wasn’t.
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8. Time Expressions / Adverbs
- At that moment,
- Last night / last week at 7:OO,…..
- While ( past continuous) ₊ ( Past continuous)
- When ( SIMPLE PAST), PAST CONTINUOUS
- PAST CONTINUOUS when ( SIMPLE PAST)
- While PAST CONTINUOUS, SIMPLE PAST
- Last weekend/yesteryears/ at that
evening ...
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9. The Past Perfect Simple
Uses:
The Past Perfect Simple is used to :
- Talk about an action that started and
completed in the past before another
action/time
- Show Past regrets or express Past
wishes
- Express hypothesis ( Conditional
TYPE 3)
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10. Rules of the Past Perfect
• Affirmative:
Auxiliary to have in Simple Present
Had₊ Past Participle form of the Verb
( I’d----- short forms)
Negative:
Had not ₊ P.P. Form
(hadn’t<- Short forms)
Questions:
had₊ Subject ₊ P.P. Form ₊ Comp.?
Yes, I had/ Yes, he had/…..
No, I hadn’t/ no, he hadn’t/…………….
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