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This article is the second in the series “Times of the English Language”. The first was devoted to ways of expressing it in this language, and this material will present past tense in English language . As we know, the past tense is a form of the verb that indicates the time of the action, which in in this case happened in the past. In English we call all past tenses Past Tenses, the difference of which lies only in their duration or quality: will it be simple past -, long past - or past perfect – . Let us dwell on each of the indicated past tenses in English.
Past Simple - simple past tense in English
This tense can be called practically the main one when expressing the past tense in English, since it, in principle, expresses any action that took place in the past. Of course, it competes with this time , which, being the present perfect tense, is nevertheless translated by a verb in the past tense. In this case, you should remember only one point - Present Perfect comes into force only in cases where the action occurred in the past and in some way affects or is connected with the present. If past events have no such connection, take Past Simple and use it without doubt.
Time is formed Past Simple simple: if , take its second form (from the table); if the verb is correct, add an ending to it - ed. Need a question? We use did. The predicate is expressed by a verb to be in the required form? We put it at the beginning of the sentence and we're done. Is denial necessary? The same auxiliary verb will come to the rescue did, only in company with a particle not. The same particle is easily attached to the verb to be in the past tense form in English.
To sum it up: time Past Simple we use in the following cases:
- our action happened in the past and has nothing to do with the present. Pay attention to the marker words: yesterday(yesterday), last month(last month), 5 years ago(5 years ago), in 1999(in 1999)
My brother was born in 1987. - My brother was born in 1987.
She moved to the capital 7 years ago. - She moved to the capital seven years ago.
We saw him last month. - We saw him last month.
- we strive to retell a series of actions in the past
He wrote the letter, put it in the envelope, left it on the table and went out. - He wrote a letter, put it in an envelope, left it on the table and left.
- we want to show that the action referred to was common and occurred repeatedly in the past over a period of time
From 1995 to 2000 worked as a manager. - He worked as a manager from 1995 to 2000.
- if our goal is to present a well-known fact of the past
The Second World War began in 1939. - Second World War started in 1939.
Past Continuous - long past tense in English
The only difference between this time and the previous one is that in this case the action of the past is shown in process. For example:
Mary was doing chores at 10 a.m. - Mary was cleaning at 10 o’clock in the morning.
As a cheat sheet, you can remember that the verb will be of the imperfect form. From the sentence it is clear that the formation of time Past Continuous requires only knowledge of the verb form to be - was / were. To one of them we add the main verb and assign an ending to it - ing. In the case of an interrogative sentence, we place the auxiliary verb at the beginning, and in a negative sentence we attach it to the same auxiliary verb not.
You also need to use this past tense in English:
- if you are talking about an action that happened at a certain point in the past
She was drinking coffee when I came in. - She was drinking coffee when I arrived.
- if you want to characterize a person, thus making your speech emotionally charged
My mother was always hiding sweets from me when I was a kid. - When I was a child, my mother constantly hid sweets from me.
Past Perfect and Past Perfect Continuous - perfect and perfect continuous past tenses in English
To form these tenses you will need a good knowledge of verb forms, both regular and irregular. For Past Perfect need an auxiliary verb have in the past tense form in English, that is had and participle II of the main verb (for regular ones - form in - ed, for incorrect ones – the third form in ). For time use an auxiliary verb to be in the form of time Past Perfect, that is had been, to which we add the main verb as participle I, that is, the form in - ing. In question had goes to the beginning of the sentence, and when negated, calls to itself not.
Simple perfect tense used only in a few cases:
- if we want to express an action that ended before a certain point in the past
Malfoy had done the work by the time his friend returned. - Malfoy had finished all the work by the time his friend returned.
- if we want to show two actions, one of which was in progress, and the second was completed by the time it started.
The rain had stopped and the stars were twinkling on the dark sky. - The rain stopped, and the stars sparkled in the dark sky.
Indicating the time of a certain action in the past.
Collectively, past tense forms in English are usually united by the concept of Past Tenses. This article will look at three main times, which differ in duration and quality. So, there are the indefinite past or Simple), continuous (Past Continuous) and perfect (Past Perfect) tenses.
Past formSimple
The Past Simple form is the most common and frequently used past tense in the English language. This is the primary tense for expressing any action that happened some time ago. Very often it competes with the present perfect tense (Present Perfect), which, despite belonging to the present verbs, is in the past tense. We must not forget that the perfect present tense is only suitable when a past action affects the present. If the events are not related to the present, you should use the Past Simple.
This time is formed very simply. If the verb is correct, you should simply add the ending -ed to it; if it is incorrect, the required form is in the standard table:
We played the piano three days ago; I forgot my hat at home.
To form a question, use the auxiliary verb did:
Did you play the piano yesterday?
For negation, this auxiliary verb is also used, but with the negation particle not:
She didn't watch TV.
Thus, the Past Simple should be used if the action happened in the past and has no relation to the present. Words that foreshadow the use of this tense form of the verb are yesterday (yesterday), 8 years ago (8 years ago), in 1989 (in 1989) and so on.
Past Continuous form
Past Continuous is a tense that denotes a long action in the past. In other words, it is used when talking about a specific moment, about an action in a process. For example, She was playing the guitar yesterday at 10 p.m. The example shows that the Past Continuous is formed using an additional verb to be in the past tense and a verb ending in -ing. If the sentence is interrogative, it should be moved to the beginning; if it is negative, not should be added to it:
Were you playing the piano yesterday at 10 p.m.? No, I wasn’t doing this at that time.
In addition, this past tense in English is used to denote an action that once occurred at a specific moment and was interrupted by another simultaneous action. For example, We were looking through the magazine when he called.
Past Perfect tenses andPast Perfect Continuous
These tenses are called the perfect and perfect continuous past tenses, respectively. To form them, you need to have a good knowledge of verb forms. The past tense in English is based entirely on this knowledge. So, for the Past Perfect you need an additional one in the form had and the second participle of the main verb. The latter can be found in the table of irregular verbs or formed by adding the familiar ending -ed.
It should be remembered that the simple perfect tense is used to express an action that has already completed before a specific moment. In turn, Past Perfect Continuous is used in situations where a certain action began before a certain moment in the past and lasted for some time. The Past Perfect Continuous is formed using the form had been, to which the main verb ending in -ing is added.
In general, the past tense in English is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance. It is very important to understand everything and practice various exercises that will best demonstrate the above rules in practice.
Past Simple is the past simple tense in English. When talking about the past, this tense is usually used. Using it, we talk about something that happened(that is, it just happened) in the past. If we are talking about something that happened(that is, lasted) in the past, is used.
Past Simple education scheme: rules and examples
Let's look at how sentences with the Past Simple are formed in the affirmative, negative and interrogative forms.
Most verbs form the past simple form using the ending – ed, have special forms of the past tense. Let's take the example of the regular verb to visit- visit.
Examples:
Last week Dana invited me to her birthday party – Last week Dana invited me to celebrate her birthday.
I completed the course on Monday – I finished the course on Monday.
2. Negative form: I didn’t visit
Negation is constructed using an auxiliary verb in the past tense form - did and particles not. The semantic verb is used in initial form. In colloquial speech did not reduced to didn't’ t.
Examples:
Igor didn't meet me at the airport – Igor did not meet me at the airport.
We didn't order this meal – We did not order this dish.
3. Question form: Did I visit?
The interrogative form is also constructed using did- it is placed before . The semantic verb itself is used in the initial form (without endings).
Examples:
Did you go to school yesterday? – Did you go to school yesterday?
Did they feed your cat? – Did they feed your cat?
Meaning of Past Simple: When is the past simple used?
In most cases, the Past Simple denotes an action that happened at some point in the past. Unlike, it does not denote an ongoing, ongoing action. Let's look at the basic meanings of the past simple tense.
- An action that happened in the past (base case).
Action in the past, usually accompanied by clarifications like yesterday(yesterday), last week(last week), in 2011(in 2011), about two hours ago(about two hours ago) and so on.
This could be an action that happened at a certain moment:
I returned from the meeting an hour ago. – I returned from the meeting an hour ago.
We arrived to London at seven thirty-two PM. “We arrived in London at seven thirty-two in the evening.
At an approximate time in the past:
Karen purchased new car yesterday.
We – Karen bought a new car yesterday. met
in 2011. – We met in 2011.
I Or simply in the past, without specifying the time: lost
He my phone. – I lost my phone. won.
- - He won.
An action repeated in the past. In this case, there is tense in the sentence, otherwise it would be unclear what is meant. For example: last summer - last summer, every evening
- every evening. Last summer I spent
She a lot of time in the country – Last summer I spent a lot of time outside the city (that is, I visited the country from time to time). visited
In the meaning of “repeated action in the past”, instead of the past simple tense, the following is often used:
I used to spend a lot of time in country – I (often) spent a lot of time outside the city.
She used to visit us almost every evening – She visited us almost every evening.
As sad as it may sound, they are not limited to just one option. If you want to be good at grammar, you need to learn how to analyze the situation you are talking about. It is important to understand whether the action is completed or whether it continues. Is there any connection to the present moment, or is the speaker simply mentioning facts from his past? The answers to these questions are key in determining the time at which a particular sentence should be heard.
Past tense rules in English. 6 English tenses in one Russian sentence
To understand past tense rules in English, I suggest taking Russian offer(“I spoke to John”) and see in what cases it can be translated into one of the 6 past tenses. Pay special attention to the “explanations” column.
|
English time |
offer |
translation |
explanations |
|
past simple |
I talk ed to John Yesterday |
I spoke to John Yesterday |
The action represents An ordinary fact. It is Complete and not at all Connected to the present. Available Pointer to normal Past tense - yesterday. |
|
past continuous |
I was talk ing to John When you phoned me At 5 p.m. yesterday |
I spoke with John, when are you Called me at 17.00 yesterday |
The action lasted for some time A period in the past or Happened at a specific time Time is in the past. This is no longer A fact, but a process. |
|
past perfect |
I had talk ed to John Before you asked me |
I spoke with John, before You asked me |
The action happened earlier One more action in The past. |
|
past perfect continuous |
I had been talk ing to John the whole day And then we went to The office |
I spoke to John All day and then We went to the office |
The emphasis is placed on the fact that A certain action in There was a process in the past. The conversation with John lasted All day and then The following happened Action. |
|
present perfect |
I have already talk ed To John |
I've already talked to John |
Here we emphasize Focus on results. Not It is important when exactly it was Talking to John, it's important that It actually took place. |
|
present perfect continuous |
I have been talk ing To John so I'm very Nervous now |
I told John That's why I'm like this Nervous now |
The conversation with John lasted Literally until now The moment and this action Somehow related to Hereby. We see that in Suggestions nervous about Just held Conversations. |
In theory past tense rules in English should not include language such as present perfect And present perfect continuous. But this article focuses on the fact that these tenses can be used in certain cases when you need to translate a Russian sentence in the past tense into English. After all, the concept of “past tense” in English cannot be attributed to any one rule and adhere to it in all cases when the past is expressed in the native language.
How to master all past tense forms in English?
To master everything past tense forms in English, it is important to devote as much time as possible to practice. Please note the table above. Auxiliary verbs and the required form of the main verb to form the appropriate tense are specially highlighted in red. Start working on your grammar by making a similar table, but based on a different sentence. It could be something like “she read 2 stories”, “Masha was in the store” and so on. Pay attention to how formation of the past tense in English, and on the meaning that you want to focus on in a particular sentence.
If you want to quickly master English grammar and start applying this knowledge in practice, contact our friendly team of experienced teachers. We know how to sort it out past tense rules in English and we will be happy to share our experience.
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Today we will look at the Past Simple - the simple past tense in English.
All you need to know about him is:
1. When to use Past Simple.
2. How a simple sentence is formed.
3. How interrogative and negative sentences are formed.
4. Nuance with verbs.
At the end of the article you will find example sentences in the Past Simple.
Do exercises to learn the simple past tense.
Very briefly and in clear language about Past Simple
To say:
I have worked,
You have worked,
He have worked,
She worked,
It it worked
They worked,
You worked,
We worked - the ending is added to the verb - ed -
I / You / He/ She/ It / They / We worked.
I helped my mom. I helped my mother.
You helped your mom. You helped mom.
He hepled his mom. He helped his mother.
She helped her mom. She helped her mother.
It helped my mom. This helped my mother.
They helped their mom. They helped mom.
We helped our mom. We helped mom.
NUANCE:
Not all English verbs have the ending - ed - in the past tense.
Some verbs in the past tense are written and pronounced completely differently, without ending - ed -
Such verbs are called Irregular and need to be remembered.
Verb - to eat - in the present tense: eat - [it].
The verb - to eat - is in the simple past tense: ate - [ate].
I eat ice-cream. I'm eating ice cream.
I ate ice-cream. I ate ice cream.
If you are just starting to learn a language, I highly recommend memorizing irregular verbs in portions. Not all 200 pieces at once, but in levels. I have prepared
Negative sentences in Past Simple
To say:
I Did not work,
You Did not work,
He Did not work,
She Did not work,
It Didn't work
They DID NOT work
You DID NOT work
We DID NOT work - before the verb we put did not.
I / You / He / She / It / They / We did not work.
Didn't = didn't - shortened form.
I didn't help my mom. I didn't help my mother.
You didn't help your mom. You didn't help mom.
He didn't help his mom. He didn't help mom.
She didn't help her mom. She didn't help mom.
It didn't help my mom. This didn't help mom.
They didn't help their mom. They didn't help mom.
We didn't help our mom. We didn't help mom.
Interrogative sentences in Past Simple
To ask:
I have worked?
You have worked?
He have worked?
She did you work?
It did it work?
They did you work?
We did you work? - at the beginning of the sentence we put - did - and the verb is used in a simple form.
Did I / You / He / She / It / They / We work?
Did I help my mom? Did I help my mother?
Did you help your mom? Did you help mom?
Did he help his mom? Did he help mom?
Did she help her mom? Did she help her mom?
Did it help my mom? Did it help mom?
Did they help their mom? Did they help mom?
Did we help our mom? Did we help mom?
If you need to start a sentence with question words
When did you work?
Where did you work?
With whom did you work?
What did you do today? etc. , then first we put the question word, then - did - and then the verb in a simple form.
When did you work? When did you work?
Where did you work? Where did you work?
Who did you work with? Who did you work with?
What did you do today? What did you do today?
Examples of Past Simple with regular verbs
1. I learned English.
I studied English.
2. He played football.
He played football.
3. We washed our hands.
We washed our hands.
4. They cleaned my room.
They cleaned my room.
5. She cooked spaghetti.
She cooked spaghetti.
6. We baked a cake.
We baked a cake.
7. I brushed my hair.
I combed my hair.
9. He fixed his bike.
6. I swam.
I swam.
7. I ate ice-cream.
I was eating ice cream.
8. I drank water. I drank water. 9. I went to the movies.
I went to cinema.