The document provides examples and explanations for the proper uses of various verb tenses and structures in the past tense in English, including the simple past, past progressive, present perfect, used to, would, past perfect, and past perfect progressive. It explains that the simple past is used for specific past actions or events, the past progressive for ongoing past actions, the present perfect for indefinite past actions, used to for past habitual actions, would for repeated past actions, the past perfect for past actions before other past times, and the past perfect progressive for past ongoing actions before other past events. Examples are given for each.

1. CHAPTER
TWO
PAGES 18-19
GRAMMAR NOTES

2. Use the simple past to express an
action, event or state occurring at
a specific time in the past.
1.

3. Examples:
Runze wanted to get married.
(general)
She filled out an application
form several days before the
wedding. (specific)
1.

4. Use the past progressive (past
continuous) to express an action
that was in progress (not finished)
at a time in the past.
2.

5. Example:
Runze was studying pharmacy at
the University when she decided
to get married.
2.

6. Use the present perfect without
“for” or “since” to express an
action, state or event occurring at
an indefinite time in the past.
3.

7. Example:
How many Americans have ever
considered an arranged
marriage?
3.

8. BE CAREFUL!!
The present perfect does not
express past time, finished in the
past, if used with a time
expression that gives a specific
time in the past:
3.

9. Incorrect:
**Weinlick has gotten married a
few years ago.
Correct: Weinlick got married a
few years go.
3.

10. Incorrect:
**I have come to the U.S. in
2008.
Correct: I came to the U.S. in
2008.
3.

11. They have already met. (Present perfect
for an indefinite time in the past.)
The two met on June 8, 1998. (Simple
past for a definite time in the past.)
3.

12. Remember that with for or since,
the present perfect connects the
past and the present:
3.

13. For example:
I have attended many weddings
since then.
I have known my best friend for
more than fifty years.
3.

14. Use used to + base form to show
a habitual action, event or state
that was true in the past but is no
longer true.
4.

15. For example:
Kayoto used to play tennis a lot
(but doesn’t play tennis any
more).
4.

16. You can also use would + base
form to express actions or events
that occurred regularly during a
period in the past.
4.

17. For example:
When we were children, we
would spend every summer in
Maine.
4.

18. BE CAREFUL!!
Used to and would are similar in
meaning when they express
repeated past actions.
4.

19. For example:
When we were children, we
would spend every summer in
Maine.
OR
When we were children, we used
to spend every summer in Maine.
4.

20. But don’t use “would” for a situation
or condition that continued for a
period in the past:
I used to live in Chicago. (location)
Incorrect:
**I would live in Chicago.
4.

21. Mia used to be a nurse.
(occupation)
Incorrect:
**Mia would be a nurse.
4.

22. We used to have a summer
home. (possession)
Incorrect:
**We would have a summer
home.
4.

23. Use the past perfect to show an
action, event or state of being that
happened before a certain time in
the past.
5.

24. For example:
By June 13, the family had
interviewed dozens of candidates.
5.

25. Use the past perfect with the
simple past to show which of two
past actions, events or states
happened first.
5.

26. For example:
Weinlick and Runze had known
each other for five days when
they got married.
5.

27. The past perfect is usually used
when we begin a sentence by
talking about the later event:
5.

28. For example:
By the time the wedding day
arrived, Weinlick had prepared
everything.
5.

29. The past perfect is not often used
in sentences with before or after.
The simple past is generally used
to describe both events.
5.

30. For example:
Weinlick started advertising for a bride
after he graduated from college.
(= He graduated from college before he
started advertising for a bride.)
5.

31. Use the past perfect progressive
(= past perfect continuous) to
express an action that was in
progress before another past
event, and continued up until that
time.
6.

32. For example:
She had been working (for five
years) when she got married.
6.

33. Use was/were going to or
would + base form
for an action that was planned or
expected in the past.
7.

34. For example:
Weinlick knew that he was going to get
married on June 13, 1998.
He knew where the wedding would be.
Note: You can also think of these as examples of
indirect speech.
7.