The document discusses different past tenses in English - the past simple, past continuous, and used to. The past simple is used for finished past actions or states. The past continuous describes actions that were in progress in the past or interrupted by another past action. Used to expresses habits or repeated states that were true in the past but are no longer the case now. Signal words and examples are provided to illustrate the appropriate context and usage of each past tense form.

1. Past simple/continuous/used to
EF Intermediate +
3A

2. PASTSIMPLE
• Finished
past
actions or
states
PASTCONTINUOUS
• Actions in
progress in
the past
• A past
action
interrupted
by another
action
USEDTO
• Habits or
states in
the past

3. The Past Simple
• Signal words:
• Yesterday, last week, a month ago, in 2010 ….
• We use the past simple for finished past actions or
states when we say, ask, or know when they
happened.
When I was young I loved playing outside (I’m not young now)
Where did you go to school? (you don’t go to school now)
We didn’t live in a big city (but we do now)

4. The Past Continuous
• Signal words:
• When
• While
• We use the past continuous for actions in progress
in the past
What were you doing at 9.00 this morning?
While I was cooking, Thomas was watching TV
• or a past action which was interrupted by another
action (expressed in the past simple)
I was watching TV when you arrived

5. USED TO (/ju:st/
• We use used to for habits or states which were true
in the past for a significant period in the past. That
habit/state has now finished.
We used to live in Rome (but now we live in Naples)
I used to have long hair (but now I’m bald)
• We can also use the past simple with an adverb of
frequency
I often went to the cinema when I lived in London
I used to go to the cinema when I lived in London

6. USED TO (/ju:st/
• Do not use use to for habits or states in the present.
Use usually instead
We use to go to the cinema every weekend
We usually go to the cinema every weekend
• We can also use not any longer/not any more to
emphasize that the past habit/state has now
finished
I used to go to play tennis when I was younger, but I
don’t play any longer/more