Past Tense
                                  Past Simple
                                Past Progressive




Mark Foley & Diane Hall Longman Advanced Learner’s Grammar
Past Simple
•Add -ed to the base form
•Same form for all subject
 •Watch - i/you/we/they/he/she/it
   watched.
•Ending with a consonant & y
 •Change y to i
 •Copy - copied
Past Simple
•Some irregular verbs
 •Be - was/were
 •Go - went
 •Sing - sang
•Question and negative, use
 •Did [not] + infinitive
  •Did you see any thing suspicious?
  •No, I did not see anything.
Past Simple
Past Simple
1. Single completed action in the past
 •Emma passed her exam last year
 •We went to the theater on Friday
Past Simple
1. Single completed action in the past
 •Emma passed her exam last year
 •We went to the theater on Friday
2. Repeated actions
 •Jill applied for the visa three time
    before she got one.
 •We tried to contact him all morning.
3. Sequences of action

 3.1. One action after another

   3.1.1.Spiderman jumped off the roof,
     chased a bad guy, and ran off into the
     night.

 3.2.One action causing a result

   3.2.1. The investment was lost because
     the stock market crashed.
4. States in the past

 4.1.We lived in the suburb but we did not
   have a car.

 4.2. Instant noodles were in short supply
   during the flood.

 • Stative Verbs
   • Be, believe, consist of, depend on,
      deserve, exist, hate, know, like, love,
      mean, own, need, prefer, seem,
      understand
Past Progressive


Was/were + present participle [Ving]
Past Progressive
Past Progressive
1. Action in progress at a point in the past
 1.1.We were driving home.
 1.2. A strange blue light was flashing on
   the road ahead.
Past Progressive
1. Action in progress at a point in the past
 1.1.We were driving home.
 1.2. A strange blue light was flashing on
   the road ahead.
2. Temporary action
 2.1. During my internship, I was earning a
   lot less than having a part-time job.
 2.2. The country was going through a
   tough time.
3. Request, suggestion, question

 3.1. We were wondering if you would like
   to join us. [= Would you like to join us?]

 3.2.Were you planning on going
   somewhere else later? [= Do you have
   any plans?]
Past Simple VS Progressive
Past Simple VS Progressive


•Ongoing action & single event that
  interrupted
 •While Laura was sitting in the garden, it
   suddenly began to rain.
 •As we were driving down the hill, a
   strange object appeared in the sky.
Past Simple VS Progressive
Past Simple VS Progressive
•Past Simple
 •Actions in a
   story

   •We arrived at
    the beach.

   •The aliens
    landed quietly.
Past Simple VS Progressive
•Past Simple
 •Actions in a
   story

   •We arrived at
    the beach.

   •The aliens
    landed quietly.
Past Simple VS Progressive
•Past Simple          •Past Progressive
 •Actions in a         •Describe
   story                 background

   •We arrived at        •The sun was
    the beach.            shining.

   •The aliens           •The stars
    landed quietly.       were
                          twinkling.
Past Simple VS Progressive
Past Simple VS Progressive
•Past Simple
 •quality
  Permanent


  •sociable a
   Claire was

    person.

  •polite was a
   Jack
          person.
Past Simple VS Progressive
•Past Simple        •Past Progressive
 •quality
  Permanent          •quality
                      Temporary


  •sociable a
   Claire was          •being sociable
                        Clark was

    person.             this afternoon.

  •polite was a
   Jack
          person.
                       •polite in being
                        Jill was
                                  the
                        meeting .
Past Simple VS Progressive
Past Simple VS Progressive

•Use Past Simple for repeated action in the
  past
 •A patient came to see the doctor every
   week.
Past Simple VS Progressive

•Use Past Simple for repeated action in the
  past
 •A patient came to see the doctor every
   week.
•Use Past Progressive for repeated action
  over a limited period of time
 •A patient was coming to see the doctor
   every week for six months.

W past simple progressive

  • 1.
    Past Tense Past Simple Past Progressive Mark Foley & Diane Hall Longman Advanced Learner’s Grammar
  • 2.
    Past Simple •Add -edto the base form •Same form for all subject •Watch - i/you/we/they/he/she/it watched. •Ending with a consonant & y •Change y to i •Copy - copied
  • 3.
    Past Simple •Some irregularverbs •Be - was/were •Go - went •Sing - sang •Question and negative, use •Did [not] + infinitive •Did you see any thing suspicious? •No, I did not see anything.
  • 4.
  • 5.
    Past Simple 1. Singlecompleted action in the past •Emma passed her exam last year •We went to the theater on Friday
  • 6.
    Past Simple 1. Singlecompleted action in the past •Emma passed her exam last year •We went to the theater on Friday 2. Repeated actions •Jill applied for the visa three time before she got one. •We tried to contact him all morning.
  • 8.
    3. Sequences ofaction 3.1. One action after another 3.1.1.Spiderman jumped off the roof, chased a bad guy, and ran off into the night. 3.2.One action causing a result 3.2.1. The investment was lost because the stock market crashed.
  • 10.
    4. States inthe past 4.1.We lived in the suburb but we did not have a car. 4.2. Instant noodles were in short supply during the flood. • Stative Verbs • Be, believe, consist of, depend on, deserve, exist, hate, know, like, love, mean, own, need, prefer, seem, understand
  • 11.
    Past Progressive Was/were +present participle [Ving]
  • 12.
  • 13.
    Past Progressive 1. Actionin progress at a point in the past 1.1.We were driving home. 1.2. A strange blue light was flashing on the road ahead.
  • 14.
    Past Progressive 1. Actionin progress at a point in the past 1.1.We were driving home. 1.2. A strange blue light was flashing on the road ahead. 2. Temporary action 2.1. During my internship, I was earning a lot less than having a part-time job. 2.2. The country was going through a tough time.
  • 16.
    3. Request, suggestion,question 3.1. We were wondering if you would like to join us. [= Would you like to join us?] 3.2.Were you planning on going somewhere else later? [= Do you have any plans?]
  • 17.
    Past Simple VSProgressive
  • 18.
    Past Simple VSProgressive •Ongoing action & single event that interrupted •While Laura was sitting in the garden, it suddenly began to rain. •As we were driving down the hill, a strange object appeared in the sky.
  • 19.
    Past Simple VSProgressive
  • 20.
    Past Simple VSProgressive •Past Simple •Actions in a story •We arrived at the beach. •The aliens landed quietly.
  • 21.
    Past Simple VSProgressive •Past Simple •Actions in a story •We arrived at the beach. •The aliens landed quietly.
  • 22.
    Past Simple VSProgressive •Past Simple •Past Progressive •Actions in a •Describe story background •We arrived at •The sun was the beach. shining. •The aliens •The stars landed quietly. were twinkling.
  • 23.
    Past Simple VSProgressive
  • 24.
    Past Simple VSProgressive •Past Simple •quality Permanent •sociable a Claire was person. •polite was a Jack person.
  • 25.
    Past Simple VSProgressive •Past Simple •Past Progressive •quality Permanent •quality Temporary •sociable a Claire was •being sociable Clark was person. this afternoon. •polite was a Jack person. •polite in being Jill was the meeting .
  • 26.
    Past Simple VSProgressive
  • 27.
    Past Simple VSProgressive •Use Past Simple for repeated action in the past •A patient came to see the doctor every week.
  • 28.
    Past Simple VSProgressive •Use Past Simple for repeated action in the past •A patient came to see the doctor every week. •Use Past Progressive for repeated action over a limited period of time •A patient was coming to see the doctor every week for six months.