Past tense

 Simple Past Tense.

* This tense is used to express actions that took place at some time in the past and are now over.

*  It is also used to express some past habits.

Examples: I wrote to her last week.

                  We usually went to school by bus.

Note. To suggest some past habits, we often use words like usually, generally, frequently, never, often with the simple past tense.

Rule:   Subject+ IInd form of verb. 'Did' is used as a helping verb to form negative and interrogative                   sentences.

Examples:      We played a hockey match last Sunday.( positive)

                        We did not play a hockey match last Sunday. ( negative)

                         Did we play a hockey match last Sunday? ( interrogative)

Exercise.1 Rewrite these sentences in the negative and then interrogative sentences:

         1. They hit him.

          2. Neena scolded me.

          3. It cost us much.

          4.She spoke French fluently.

Past Continuous Tense

This tense tells us about an action which was in progress at some time in the past but whose time limits are not mentioned .

Example.  He was talking to her.

Rule:    Subject+ was ( for singular sub.) and were( for plural subject) + ing with the first form of verb.

Examples:       ( Positive)

                                     John was driving the car fast.

                                    They were watching a movie.

                 (  Negative)

                                    John was not driving the car fast.

                                    They were not watching a movie.

                  ( Interrogative)

                                       Was John driving the car fast?

                                        Were they watching a movie?

Exercise.2  Fill in the blanks with the past continuous form of the verb given in the bracket:

                       Somal and Huma_________ behind the curtain.( hide)

                        I ________ properly.( not study)

  Note. Very often, simple past tense and past continuous tenses are used together. Then they suggest that one activity was continuing when another took place:

            The students were making a noise when the teacher entered the class

             When my friends arrived, I was watching television.

 Past Perfect Tense

Rule:     Subject+ had+ IIIrd form of verb

This tense is used to express an action completed before a given moment. The moment may be indicated or may be understood.. If indicated, it may be either by such verbal expressions as by two o' clock, by that time, by the end of the month,etc. or by another action in the simple past:

  Positive:        She had finished the task by four o' clock.

   Negative:      She had not finished the task by four o' clock.

  Interrogative:  Had she finished the task by four o' clock?

Now see two actions in the past:

                The patient died. The doctor arrived.

From the above two sentences it is clear that the first action took place before the second one. So  if we join them,the action taking place first has to be expressed in the past perfect tense:

               The patient had died before the doctor arrived.

Note. The past perfect tense is used with such verbs as hope,expect, think, mean, suppose, want,etc.to indicate that a past hope, desire, intention etc. was not realized:

              She had hoped that she would pass.

            I had thought of calling on us but I changed my programme.

Exercise 3.  Fill in the blanks with the simple past or the past perfect tense of the verb given in the                            bracket:

Rahul _____that he ______ his wallet.( say, lose)

She ______ that her friend would help her.( hope)

I _____ my lunch when I _____ your invitation.(  already,take,receive)

Ronie _______ that he _______ to carry his keys .( find,forget)

Past Perfect Continuous Tense

This tense is used to express an action which began before a definite moment in the past, had continued up to that moment and was still in progress at that moment or had very recently finished.

Rule: Subject+ had been+ ing form of  the verb+duration

I was very tired when I met you because I had been mowing my lawn for two hours.

Positive: I had been playing for two hours.

Negative: I had not been playing for two hours.

Interrogative: Had I been playing for two hours?

Since, for

The above two words are often used with perfect continuous tenses.

Since: The emphasis is on the point  at which an action started.

For: The emphasis is on the period for which an action has been going on.

Fill in the blanks with since or for

He has not met me____ two weeks.

The milkman had not delivered milk_____ March.

They had been rehearsing the play _____ morning.

She has not been well _____ almost a year.

Used to

It means that something often happened in the past but does not happen now:

She used to teach us English Lit.

It means that she often taught us Eng. Lit. in the past but  not now.

There is no present tense of Used to'

Positive:We used to live in his neighbourhood.

Negative: We never used to live in his neighbourhood 

                           or

              We used not to live in his neighbourhood.

( both are correct)

 Interrogative: Did we use to live in his neighbourhood?

                          Yes, we did. Or  No, we didn't.