This document discusses various ways to talk about past events and situations in English, including: 1) Using the past simple tense to talk about completed actions at a specific time or actions that continued over a period of time in the past. 2) Using "used to" or "would" to talk about repeated actions in the past. 3) Using the past continuous tense to describe actions that were ongoing before or during another past action. 4) Using the past perfect tense to talk about actions that occurred before another point in the past. 5) Using the present perfect tense to talk about the present results of past actions or actions that began in the past and continue. 6)

1. Unit 2

2.  Talking about past events and situations:
 We use the past simple:
 when we are talking about an event that happened at
a particular time in the past
 We arrived home before dark
The film started at seven thirty.
 when we are talking about something that continued for
some time in the past
 Everybody worked hard through the winter.
We stayed with our friends in London.

3.  When we are talking about something that
happened several times in the past we use
 the past simple:
 Most evenings we stayed at home and watched DVDs.
Sometimes they went out for a meal.
 … or used to
 Most evenings we used to stay at home and watch DVDs.
We used to go for a swim every morning.
 ... or would
 Most evenings he would take the dog for a walk.
They would often visit friends in Europe.
WARNING: We do not normally use would with stative
verbs.

4.  We use the past continuous:
 when we are talking about something which
happened before and after a given time in the past
 It was just after ten. I was watching the news on TV.
At half-time we were losing 1-0.
 when we are talking about something
happening before and after another action in the past:
 He broke his leg when he was playing rugby.
She saw Jim as he was driving away.

5.  The past in the past
 When we are looking back from a point in the past to
something earlier in the past we use the past perfect:
 Helen suddenly remembered she had left her keys in the car.
 When we had done all our shopping we caught the bus
home.
 They wanted to buy a new computer, but they hadn’t
saved enough money.
 They would have bought a new computer if they had
saved enough money.

6. The past and the present:
 We use the present perfect:
 when we are talking about the effects in the present of
something that happened in the past:
 I can’t open the door. I’ve left my keys in the car.
Jenny has found a new job. She works in a supermarket now.
 When we are talking about something that started in
the past and still goes on:
 We have lived here since 2007. (and we still live here)
I have been working at the university for over ten years.

7. The future in the past
 When we talk about the future from a time in the past we
use:
 would as the past tense of will
 He thought he would buy one the next day.
Everyone was excited. The party would be fun.
 was/were going to
 John was going to drive and Mary was going to follow on her
bicycle.
It was Friday. We were going to set off the next day.
 the past continuous:
 It was September. Mary was starting school the next week.
We were very busy. The shop was opening in two weeks time.

8.  The following structures can be used to talk about
events which were intended to take place, but which
did not happen.
 I was going to send you an email, but I had a few problems with my
computer.
 I was about to call the doctor, but then the pain suddenly
disappeared.
 She had been/was thinking of going to Iceland but changed her
mind and went to Norway, instead.
 The meeting, which was to have taken place last weekend was
unexpectedly cancelled.

9.  The following structures can be used to express how we
would like the past to have been different.
 Would like/love/prefer to + infinitive
 Would have liked/loved/prefer to + infinitive or perfect
infinitive
 We would like to have stayed longer but we had to catch the train.
 She would have loved to tell/to have told him what she thought of
him.
If the subject of would like etc is not the same as the subject of
the verb which follows, an appropriate noun or object pronoun
is inserted before the infinitive.
 She would have preferred him to say it to her face, rather than put it
in a letter.
 She would have loved to tell/to have told him what she thought of
him.

10.  The following structures can be used to express how we
would like the past to have been different. ( cont.)
 Would rather/sooner + perfect infinitive
 We stayed in a hotel but I’d sooner have slept in a tent.
If the subject of would rather/sooner is not the same as the
subject of the verb which follows, the past perfect is used.
 Would you rather I hadn’t said anything about it to Matt?
Extra information Coursebook pg. 216