Types of past tense/past tense sentences examples
Past Tense:- Definition, Structure, and Examples
what is past simple tense
Past simple Tense is also known as the ‘ Indefinite Past tense. But the question is,, what is the definite of Past Indefinite Tense? The definition is very simple.
When we indicate a complete action in the past or a past habit, it’s called Past Indefinite Tense. For example:
sentences with past
- I did my duty correctly.
- He retired from his job.
- She controlled her weight.
- Lopa completed her homework.
- They missed their childhood.
- Did you miss your friend?
- We enjoyed the party last night.
- They watched a horror movie.
- I forgot to participate in the program.
- I improved my English skills slowly.
- You did not catch the fish.
past tense formula
Structure: Subject+Verb(past form)+Object
Affirmative | Interrogative | Negative | Negative Interrogative |
I forgot to send the file. | Did I forget to send the file? | I did not forget to send the file. | Did I not forget to send the file? |
I missed my old days. | Did I miss my old days? | I did not miss my old days. | Did I not miss my old days? |
He joined the conversation. | Did he join the conversation? | He did not join the conversation. | Did he not join the conversation? |
We arranged a farewell program. | Did we arrange a farewell program? | We did not arrange a farewell program. | Did we not arrange a farewell program? |
You failed in English. | Did you fail in English? | You did not fail in English. | Did you not fail in English? |
Past continuous tense/what is past continuous tense
The past continuous describes actions or events in a time before now, which began in the past and were still going on when another event occurred.
The past continuous is made from the past tense of the verb be and the –ing form of a verb:
I was You were He was She was It was We were You were They were |
working etc. |
past continuous tense examples
- They were waiting for the bus when the accident happened.
- Caroline was skiing when she broke her leg.
- When we arrived he was having a bath.
- When the fire started I was watching television.
Note: with verbs not normally used in the continuous form, the simple past is used.
past continuous tense formula
The past continuous of any verb is composed of two parts: the past tense of the verb “to be” (was/were), and the base of the main verb +ing.
Subject | +was/were | +base + ing |
---|---|---|
They | were | watching |
Affirmative | ||
She | was | reading |
Negative | ||
She | wasn’t | reading |
Interrogative | ||
Was | she | reading? |
Interrogative negative | ||
Wasn’t | she | reading? |
To play, past continuous
Affirmative | Negative | Interrogative |
---|---|---|
I was playing | I was not playing | Was I playing? |
You were playing | You were not playing | Were you playing? |
He was playing | He wasn’t playing | Was he playing? |
We were playing | We weren’t playing | Were we playing? |
They were playing | They weren’t playing | Were they playing? |
what is past perfect tense / Past Perfect Tense
The past perfect tense describes a completed activity in the past. It is used to emphasize that an action was completed before another action took place.
what is past perfect tense examples
-
- I had called the police before I investigated the noise in the garden.
(First: I called the police. Next: I investigated the noise.)
-
- The weather changed, but the team had planned its next move.
(First: The team planned. Next: The weather changed.)
Past perfect tense can also be used to show dissatisfaction with the past. Examples of this use include:
- We wished we had purchased the winning ticket.
- I wished I had told the truth.
- She wished she had seen her friend.
- The boy wished he had asked another question.
Past perfect tense formula
The past perfect tense is formed:
subject + had + past participle
Affirmative | His sister had talked to the principal. |
---|---|
Negative | His sister had not talked to the principal. |
Contraction | His sister hadn’t talked to the principal. |
Yes/no question | Had his sister talked to the principal? |
Wh-question | Who had talked to the principal? |
Structure of the Past Perfect Tense
Positive | Negative | Interrogative |
Negative Interrogative |
Subject + had + past participle + the rest of the sentence | Subject + had + not + past participle + the rest of the sentence | Had + subject + past participle + the rest of the sentence | Had + subject + not + past participle + the rest of the sentence
(or) Hadn’t + subject + past participle + the rest of the sentence |
Examples:
|
Exercise:
|
Exercise:
|
Examples:
|
Past perfect continuous tense
Past perfect continuous
Past Perfect Continuous Tense represents an ongoing action that started and continued for some time in the past. To indicate time reference
“for” and “since” are used and it describes when the action started and how long it continued in the past.
Past perfect continuous examples
- I had been writing articles on various topics for three hours.
- He had been reading different kinds of books since morning.
- They had been playing football on that field before it started to rain.
- Jane had been gossiping in the coffee shop for two hours.
Usages of ‘since’ and ‘for’
Usages of ‘for’:
If the time is period of time or indefinite, you have to use ‘for’ in structure.
For an example
I had been planning on the project for 3 days.
(Here, the time ‘3 days’ is not definite that which 3 days of a week are. So, here, ‘for’ has been used)
Usages of ‘since’:
If the time is point of time or definite, you have to use ‘since’ in structure.
For an example
I had been planning on the project since Sunday.
(Here, the time ‘Sunday’ is the definite and particular name of a day in a week. So, here, ‘since’ has been used)
past perfect continuous formula
Subject + had + been + present participle (verb+ing) + the rest of the sentence |
Positive |
Negative | Interrogative |
Negative Interrogative |
Subject + had + been + present participle + the rest of the sentence | Subject + had + not + been + present participle + the rest of the sentence | Had + subject + been + present participle + the rest of the sentence | Had + subject + not + been + present participle + the rest of the sentence
(or) Hadn’t + subject + been + present participle + the rest of the sentence |
Examples:
|
Example:
|
Example:
|
Examples:
|
verbs in English
irregular verbs English
This is a list of some irregular verbs in English. Of course, there are many others, but these are the more common irregular verbs
V1 Base Form |
V2 Past Simple |
V3 Past Participle |
---|---|---|
awake | awoke | awoken |
be | was, were | been |
beat | beat | beaten |
become | became | become |
begin | began | begun |
bend | bent | bent |
bet | bet | bet |
bid | bid | bid |
bite | bit | bitten |
blow | blew | blown |
break | broke | broken |
bring | brought | brought |
broadcast | broadcast | broadcast |
build | built | built |
burn |
burned or burnt |
burned or burnt |
buy | bought | bought |
catch | caught | caught |
choose | chose | chosen |
come | came | come |
cost | cost | cost |
cut | cut | cut |
dig | dug | dug |
do | did | done |
draw | drew | drawn |
dream | dreamed or dreamt | dreamed or dreamt |
drive | drove | driven |
drink | drank | drunk |
eat | ate | eaten |
fall | fell | fallen |
feel | felt | felt |
fight | fought | fought |
find | found | found |
fly | flew | flown |
forget | forgot | forgotten |
forgive |
forgave |
forgiven |
freeze | froze | frozen |
get | got | got (sometimes gotten) |
give | gave | given |
go | went | gone |
grow | grew | grown |
hang | hung | hung |
have | had | had |
hear | heard | heard |
hide | hid | hidden |
hit | hit | hit |
hold | held | held |
hurt | hurt | hurt |
keep | kept | kept |
know | knew | known |
lay | laid | laid |
lead | led | led |
learn | learned or learnt | learned or learnt |
leave | left | left |
lend | lent | lent |
let | let | let |
lie | lay | lain |
lose | lost | lost |
make | made | made |
mean | meant | meant |
meet | met | met |
pay | paid | paid |
put | put | put |
read | read | read |
ride | rode | ridden |
ring | rang | rung |
rise | rose | risen |
run | ran | run |
say | said | said |
see | saw | seen |
sell | sold | sold |
send | sent | sent |
show | showed | showed or shown |
shut | shut | shut |
sing | sang | sung |
sink | sank | sunk |
sit | sat | sat |
sleep | slept | slept |
speak | spoke | spoken |
spend |
spent |
spent |
stand | stood | stood |
stink | stank | stunk |
swim | swam | swum |
take | took | taken |
teach | taught | taught |
tear | tore | torn |
tell | told | told |
think | thought | thought |
throw | threw | thrown |
understand | understood | understood |
wake | woke | woken |
wear | wore | worn |
win | won | won |
write | wrote | written |
Thank you for your patience