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English - Past Tenses

English :: Tenses :: Past Tenses  

II) Past Tense

(a)  Simple Past : This Tense is used to express an action which is over or completed at some point of time in the past. In this tense the second form of the verb is used.

The formula for simple past is Subject + V2

I ate an apple yesterday.
We ate apples yesterday.
You ate an apple yesterday.
He ate an apple yesterday.
She ate an apple yesterday.
It ate an apple yesterday.
They ate apples yesterday.

(b)  Past Continuous : This Tense is used to express an action which was continuing at some point of time in the past. In this tense the ‘ing’ form of the verb is used.

The formula for past continuous is Subject +Aux + V4(ing form)

I was eating an apple yesterday.
We were eating apples yesterday.
You were eating an apple yesterday.
He was eating an apple yesterday.
She was eating an apple yesterday.
It was eating an apple yesterday.
They were eating apples yesterday.

(c)  Past Perfect : This Tense is used to express an action which was over long ago. In this tense the third form of the verb is used.

The formula for past perfect is Subject +Aux + V3

I had eaten an apple six years ago.
We had eaten apples six years ago.
You had eaten an apple six years ago.
He had eaten an apple six years ago.
She had eaten an apple six years ago.
It had eaten an apple six years ago.
They had eaten apples six years ago.

(d)  Past Perfect Continuous : This Tense is used to express an action which began at some point of time in the past, continued for some time and was subsequently discontinued. In this tense the ‘ing’ form of the verb is used.

The formula for past perfect continuous is Subject +Aux +Aux + V4(ing form)

I had been eating apples until last year.
We had been eating apples until last year.
You had been eating apples until last year.
He had been eating apples until last year.
She had been eating apples until last year.
It had been eating apples until last year.
They had been eating apples until last year.