English grammar. Past

Made by Bogomaz

Natalya and Inozemtzev

DenisLB1-11-40

Aspects of past tense• Past simple• Past progressive• Past perfect• Past perfect progressive

Forming of the past simple

Affirmation Negation Question

RegularSubject +

VedI loved.

Subject + didn’t* +

V1I didn’t love.

I didn’t feel.

Did + subject +

V1Did you love?

Did you feel?

IrregularSubject +

V2I felt.

* didn’t = did not

Main: V2

Using of the past simple• For actions which happened:• At a definite or stated time in the past.

They graduated four years ago.• Repeatedly in the past but don’t happen any

more.He often played football with his dad when he was five.

• Immediately one after the other in the past.I left the hotel, took a taxi and drove to the station.

• To talk about people who are no longer alive.Princess Diana visited a lot of schools.

Using of used to• Habits or things that do not happen any more.

Peter used to eat a lot of sweets.• In some cases use used to instead of past

simple with no difference in meaning (for example: actions which happened repeatedly in the past but don’t happen any more).He often played football with his dad when he was five.He used to play football with his dad when he was five.

Forming of the past progressive

Affirmation Negation Question

singularsSubject + was

+ VingI was

studying.

Subject + wasn’t* + Ving

I wasn’t studying.

Was + subject + Ving

Was he studying?

PluralsSubject + were

+ VingWe were studying.

Subject + weren’t* + VingWe weren’t studying.

Were + subject + Ving

Were we studying?

* wasn’t = was not* weren’t = were not

Main: was Ving

Using of the past progressive• In progress at a stated time in the past.

Yesterday afternoon they were washing the dog.

• Were in progress, when another action interrupted it.He was reading a newspaper when his wife came.

• For two or more actions which were happening at the same time in the past.The people were watching while the cowboy was riding the bull.

• Background information in a story.The sun was shining and the birds were singing.

Forming of the past perfect

Affirmation Negation Question

RegularSubject +had

+ VedI had

finished.

Subject + hadn’t* +

VedI hadn’t finished.

Had + subject +

VedHad you finished?

IrregularSubject + had

+ V3I had left.

Subject + hadn’t* + V3

I hadn’t left.

Had + subject + V3

Had you left?

* hadn’t = had not

Main: had V3

Using of the past perfect• In the past before another action.

They had done their homework before they went out to play.

• Before a stated time in the past.She had watered all the flowers by five o’clock in the afternoon.

Forming of the past perfect progressive

Affirmation Negation Question

Subject + had been +

VingI had been studying.

Subject + hadn’t* been

+ VingI hadn’t been

studying.

Had + subject +

been + VingHad you

been studying?

* hadn’t = had not

Main: had been V4

Using of the past perfect progressive

• Duration of an action which started and finished in the past.He had been waiting for the bus for half an hour before it came.

• Result of an action which happened in the past for some time was evident in the past.She was tired. She had been working hard all day.

Resources• Jenny Dooley, Virginia Evans – “Grammarway 2” Express

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