03-01-01-Past Simple

This tense mostly used by all of us.

Used to express anything that had happened in the past (It's finished and over)

Eg: I played

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Rule

• Subject (I, You, We, They, She, He, It) + Past Tense of the verb - Verb+ed (often)

 

Situations where we use Past Simple

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1) Completed Past Events or Actions

Sabu Played the Guitar

They watched the film yesterday (Recent Past)

He lived here a long time ago (Distant Past)

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2 )Actions

Anoop talked to his overseer (One Action)

John came into my room, switched on the music, and sat down  (Many Action)

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3) Duration in past

They sat at the park all-day

We talked on the phone for one hour

I lived in Cochin for two years

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4) Past Facts

I studied music when I was a kid​

He didn't like vegetables before

Did you study in Cochin when you were a kid?

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Negative

We did not work (didn't) work

Smitha did not call me

They did not pay the tuition fee

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Questions

Did they work?

Did Smitha call you?

Did they pay the tuition fee?

Did they work yesterday?

When did they work?

How long did you wait for me?

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03-02-01-Past Continuous/Past Progressive

 

Used to express past events and actions at the precise moment in past

It highlights a period of duration that continued in the past for any action or event.

Or to emphasize it went on for some time.

 

Rule

• Subject + Past Tense of the to be verb (was, were, as a Helping verb) + Verb+Ing form 

  • Subject + was/were + Verb+ing​

• Stative verbs are not be used (Know, hate, love, like, need, want, own)

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For subjects I, He, She, It - Use was

For Subjects You, We, They Use were

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Eg: I was playing from 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM

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Situations where we use Past Continuous

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1) Period of time in the past

I was playing from 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM

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2) A particular moment in the past

They were studying at 11:00 AM

In 2009 we were living in Canada

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3) Continuing when interrupted

They were studying when I arrived

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4) Planned action in the past

I was thinking to call you (Think, have, feel - These verbs can be used both as Stative and Dynamic)

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5) Polite request

I was wondering if you could help me

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Negative

it was not working

I was not listening 

I was not playing

I wasn't sleeping

You weren't working

It was not raining when we went out

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Questions

Was it working?

Was he playing?

Were you working?

Where was he playing?

How long were they playing?

Where was Paul going?

Where were you going?

What were you doing at 3 PM on Friday?

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03-03-01-Past Perfect

• To talk about two or more actions that happened in the past, and to express which one started first

• Can express which one was started first among the two actions. 

• Express the first action in Past perfect Tense 

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Eg: When we arrived the train had left

The program had started before I arrived

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Rule

Subject + had + Past Participle of the main verb

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eg: I had played 

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Situations where we use Past Perfect

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1) Short or long actions in the past

I had cooked breakfast before the guest arrived (I'd cooked)

When I called him, he had gone to the office (He'd gone)

I had had my breakfast when I left home (I'd)

Before we moved, we had already sold our property (We'd)

He had worked in this office since 2020

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2) Multiple actions in past

Before Paul constructing the new home,

he had prepared the plan,

he had seen few model houses,

he had obtained the necessary approvals.

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Negative

I had not worked (hadn't)

I had not played

I had not paid the money

They had not called

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Questions

Had you completed the work yesterday?

Had they gone already?

Had it played correctly? No, It hadn't

Where had you worked before joining here?

Who had you worked with earlier?

When had you worked there?

Have you had food before you left home? Yes I had

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03-04-01-Past Perfect Continuous / Progressive

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To talk about something that had started in the past and continued in the past.

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Eg: I had been living in Kerala from 2000 to 2010

I had been working in Kerala before I moved to Delhi

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Rule

• Subject + had been + main verb + ing (I, You,We, They, He, She, It)

• Stative verbs are not to be used

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Eg: They had been waiting for a long time

Paul had been feeling unwell since yesterday

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Situations where we use Past Perfect Continuous

 

1)Past Events for a duration

It had been raining all day long

They had been waiting for a long time

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2)Activity happening before another event

We had been practicing tennis before it started to rain (We'd)

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3)To express the duration

They had been working on that project for six months (They'd)

Paul had been feeling unwell since yesterday

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4)To express a pattern or routine in the past

I h:ad been practicing the songs every day before my piano stopped working (I'd)

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5)To express the cause 

He was very exhausted because he had been practicing the song all night.(He'd)

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Negative

I had not been working (hadn't)

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Questions

Had you been working on that project? Yes, he had or No he hadn't

Had you been planning a trip? 

Where had you been working before?

How long had you been working?