Past Tense

Types

Form

Example

Simple Past

Sub + V2 + Obj

I taught English.

Past Continuous

Sub + was/were + V1 + ing form

I was teaching English.

Past Perfect

Sub + had + V3

I had taught English.

Past Perfect Continuous

Sub + had + been + V1 + ing form

I had been teaching English.

To describe an action completed in the past

He killed the deer.

They went out.

To describe an action occurring habitually in the past

I play cricket every morning last year.

Raju practised singing daily during the summer holidays.

The verbs used to and was accustomed to are used to describe a habitual action in the past

He used to get up early.

David was accustomed to walking long distance.

The simple past tense often occurs with adverbs of past time, yesterday, then, at that time.

At that time he was not in the house.

He met me a year ago.

The simple past tense is used after the following phrases. (as if, it is time, as through)

Kumara behaves as if he was the owner of the theatre ( he does not own it)

It is time we left (it is late)

The past continuous tense is used to describe an action going on the past

Suresh was singing a song.

She was writing a letter.

When two past actions take place at the same time, both the actions are described in the is past continuous

While I was talking, she was singing.

When two past actions take place at the same time, the action of longer duration must be described in the past continuous

When I saw him, he was playing chess. (The second action is of longer duration)

While they were coming down, the saw me. (The first action is of longer duration)

The past perfect tense indicates an action completed in the past in relation to a later action in the past.

First action – Past perfect; Second action – Simple past

David had worked in Hyderabad for three years before he was transferred.

The past perfect is not used when two actions happened at the same time. In such cases the simple past is used.

He came in and sat.

She went out when I reached her office.

The simple past is used to with ‘and so’ and ‘but’ (but not the past perfect)

Mercy worked hard and so he got the first class.

The teacher warned the boy but he continued to misbehave.