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
Rule
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Subject (I, You, We, They, She, He, It) + Past Tense of the verb - Verb+ed (often)
Situations where we use Past Simple
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)
2 )Actions
Anoop talked to his overseer (One Action)
John came into my room, switched on the music, and sat down (Many Action)
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
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?
Negative
We did not work (didn't) work
Smitha did not call me
They did not pay the tuition fee
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?
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
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Subject + Past Tense of the to be verb (was, were, as a Helping verb) + Verb+Ing form
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Subject + was/were + Verb+ing
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Stative verbs are not be used (Know, hate, love, like, need, want, own)
For subjects I, He, She, It - Use was
For Subjects You, We, They Use were
Eg: I was playing from 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM
Situations where we use Past Continuous
1) Period of time in the past
I was playing from 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM
2) A particular moment in the past
They were studying at 11:00 AM
In 2009 we were living in Canada
3) Continuing when interrupted
They were studying when I arrived
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)
5) Polite request
I was wondering if you could help me
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
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?
03-03-01-Past Perfect
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To talk about two or more actions that happened in the past, and to express which one started first
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Can express which one was started first among the two actions.
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Express the first action in Past perfect Tense
Eg: When we arrived the train had left
The program had started before I arrived
Rule
Subject + had + Past Participle of the main verb
eg: I had played
Situations where we use Past Perfect
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
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.
Negative
I had not worked (hadn't)
I had not played
I had not paid the money
They had not called
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
03-04-01-Past Perfect Continuous / Progressive
To talk about something that had started in the past and continued in the past.
Eg: I had been living in Kerala from 2000 to 2010
I had been working in Kerala before I moved to Delhi
Rule
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Subject + had been + main verb + ing (I, You,We, They, He, She, It)
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Stative verbs are not to be used
Eg: They had been waiting for a long time
Paul had been feeling unwell since yesterday
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
2)Activity happening before another event
We had been practicing tennis before it started to rain (We'd)
3)To express the duration
They had been working on that project for six months (They'd)
Paul had been feeling unwell since yesterday
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)
5)To express the cause
He was very exhausted because he had been practicing the song all night.(He'd)
Negative
I had not been working (hadn't)
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?