Learn Past Tense in 15 Min

Definition of Past Tense

Past Tense expresses an action that has happened or a state that previously existed. So, The past tense refers to the event that has happened in the past.

Things you can learn from this article

1. Classification of Past Tense
2. Past Indefinite Tense (Simple Past)
3. Continuous Tense (Past Progressive)
4. Past Perfect Tense
5. Perfect continuous Tense
6. Past Tense Exercise

Classification of Past Tense

Like all other tenses it can also be classified into following four parts:

1. Past Indefinite Tense (Simple Past)
2. The Past Continuous Tense (Past Progressive)
3. Past Perfect Tense.
4. Perfect continuous Tense.

Past Indefinite Tense

This Tense is used to express an action that happened or finished in the past.

Structure: The structure of a sentence with singular/plural subject remains the same in the Past Indefinite Tense.

Singular: Sub + V2 + Object (Affirmative)

For Plural: Sub + V2 + Object (Affirmative)

For Ex – She wrote a book.

Sub + Did not + V1 + Object (Negative)

For Example – She did not write a book.

Did + Sub + V1 + Object + ‘?’ (Interrogative)

For Ex – Did she write a book?

Did + Sub + not + V1 + Object + ‘?’ (Interrogative – Negative)

For Example – Did she not write a book?

Uses of Past Indefinite Tense

To Show a past action. For Example.

1. I wrote a letter yesterday.
2. She came last week.

Note: Following words are used in Past Indefinite Tense. “Yesterday, ago, last, the other day, the day before, etc.”

To show a past habit. For Example.

1. I played cricket in my childhood.
2. She always prayed to God.

This Tense is used in conditional sentences to indicate a condition that is unlikely to occur. For Example.

1. I wish I knew singing.
2. If Ravi came, we would congratulate him.

With the phrase “It is time, It is high time, It is about time” For Example.

1. It is time you repaired the Air conditioner.
2. It is about time you got a haircut.

Past Continuous Tense

This Tense is used to express an action that was in progress for some time in the past.

Structure:

For singular

Sub + was + V1 ing + Obj (Affirmative).

For Ex – She was calling me.

Sub + was not + V1 ing + Obj (Negative)

For Ex – She was not calling me.

Was + Sub + V1 ing + Obj + ‘?’ (Interrogative)

For Ex – Was she calling me?

Was + Sub + not + V1 ing + Obj + ‘?’ (Interrogative – Negative).

For Ex – Was she not calling me?

Structure

For Plural

Sub + were + V1 ing + Obj (Affirmative)

For Ex – They were watching a movie.

Sub + were not + V1 ing + Obj (Negative).

For Ex – They were not watching a movie.

Were + Sub + V1 ing + Obj + ‘?’ (Interrogative).

For Ex – Were they watching a movie?

Were + Sub + not + V1 ing + ‘?’ (Interrogative – Negative).

For Ex – Were they not watching a movie?

Note: ‘I’ is used as singular Subject in this Tense.

For Ex – I was writing a letter.

Uses of Past Continuous Tense:

This Tense is used when two actions were simultaneously in progress in the past. For Example.

1. While she was preparing lunch, I was taking a shower.
2. While I was reading, my wife was watching T.V.

This Tense is also used in combination with Simple past For Example.

1. While I was walking in the fields, I found a mobile phone.
2. When I was going to school, a dog bit me.

Past Perfect Tense

This Tense expresses an action which has been completed (a long time ago) in the Past.

Structure: The structure of sentences with singular/Plural Subject remains same in this Tense.

For Singular: Sub + had + V3 + Obj.  (Affirmative)

For Plural: Sub + had + V + Obj. (Affirmative)

For Ex – He had left for USA.

Sub + had not + V3 + Obj. (Negative)

For Ex – He had not left for USA.

Had + Sub + V3 + Obj. + ‘?’ (Interrogative)

For Ex – Had he left for USA?

Had + Sub + not + V3 + Obj + ‘?’ (Interrogative – Negative)

For Ex – Had he not left for USA?

Uses of Past Perfect Tense:

When two actions occur in the past, one after the other, then, the first action is expressed in Past perfect Tense and the second action is expressed in Simple Past Tense. For Example.

1. The patient had died before the doctor came.
2. He came after she had gone.

To express some unfulfilled wish in the Past. For Example.

1. I had hoped that he would pass.
2. She had expected his arrival, but he did not come.

Past Perfect Continuous Tense

This Tense is used to express an action that started in the past, continued for a period of time, and then finished in the Past.

Structure: The structure of sentences with singular/Plural subject remains same in Past Perfect Continuous Tense.

For Singular: Sub + had been + V1 ing + Obj + Since/for + time being. (Affirmative)

For Plural: Sub + had been + V1 ing + Obj + Since/for + time being. (Affirmative)

For Example.

1. She had been watching T.V. for two hours.
2. She had been watching T.V. since 2 p.m.

Sub + had not been + V1 ing +Obj + Since/for + Time being (Negative). For Example.

1. She had not been watching T.V. for Two hours.
2. She had not been watching T.V. since 2.00 PM.

Had + Sub + been + V1 ing + since/for + Time being + ‘?’ (Interrogative). For Example.

Had she been watching T.V. for two hours?

Had + Sub + not + been + V1 ing + Obj + Since/for + Time being + ‘?’ (Interrogative – Negative) For Example.

1. Had she not been watching TV for two hours?
2. Had she not been watching T.V. since 2:00 PM.

Uses of Past perfect Continuous Tense:

It is used to express a repeated action in the past. For Example.

1. I had been trying to contact you.
2. He had been trying to get a good job.

It is used to express an action that had happened in the past and its effects were still visible in the past. For Example.

1. She had been playing tennis when the news of her selection came in.
2. I had been reading the novel for 2 hours when she asked me about its plot.

Past Tense Exercise

A. Correct the following sentences:

1. Tejpal and his friends were playing chess for 2 hours.
2. Sita has been cooking for 2 ‘close.
3. Rahim gone to market.
4. The teacher was taught us Hindi at that time.
5. Ramesh had took your purse.
6. The girl has been crying since an hour.
7. We had been playing chess 2 hours.
8. The train arrived before we reached there.
9. The patient had fainted than the doctor came.
10. My friend was coming by bus.

B. Complete the sentence.

Put the verb into the correct form, positive or negative.         

1. It was warm, so I …………. off my coat. (take)
2. The film was not very good. I …………. it very much. (enjoy)
3. I knew Sarah was very buy, so I …………… her. (disturb)
4. I was very tired, so I …………… to bed early. (go)
5. The bed was very uncomfortable. I …………… very well. (sleep)
6. Sue was not hungry, so she ………… anything. (be)
7. We went to Kate’s house but she ……………. at home. (be)
8. It was a funny situation but nobody ………… (laugh)
9. The window was open and a bird ………… into the room. (fly)
10. The hostel was not very expensive. It ………… very much. (cost)
11. I was in a hurry, so I ………… time phone to. (have)
12. It was hard work carrying the bags. They ………. very heavy. (be)

Answer of the Exercise

Correct the sentence.

1. Change were to have been.
2. Convert for to since.
3. Change gone to went.
4. Convert taught to teaching.
5. Change took to taken.
6. Replace since to for.
7. Change since to for
8. Insert had after train.
9. Change than to before.
10. Change was to were.

Complete the sentence.

1. It was warm, so I take off my coat. (take)
2. The film was not very good. I did not enjoy it very much. (enjoy)
3. I knew Sarah was very buy, so I did not disturb her. (disturb)
4. I was very tired, so I went to bed early. (go)
5. The bed was very uncomfortable. I did not sleep very well. (sleep)
6. Sue was not hungry, so she did not eat anything. (be)
7. We went to Kate’s house but she was not at home. (be)
8. It was a funny situation but nobody laughed. (laugh)
9. The window was open and a bird flew into the room. (fly)
10. The hostel was not very expensive. It did not cost very much. (cost)
11. I was in a hurry, so I did not have time phone to. (have)
12. It was hard work carrying the bags. They were very heavy. (be)

For more information on this topic of past tense you can watch this video.

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