Identify the tense
This tense describes a completed action at a specific time in the past.
Past Simple
This tense is often used with time expressions like yesterday, last week, in 2019.
Past Simple
This structure can describe both past habits and past states.
used to
“When I was a child, I would believe in ghosts.”
used to
This tense describes an action that was in progress at a particular moment in the past.
Past Continuous
This structure describes past habits or repeated actions that no longer happen.
used to or would
Complete the paragraph:
“They ______ (drive) for hours when the engine suddenly ______ (stop). They ______ never ______ (experience) such a problem before, and they ______ (not know) what to do.”
“They had been driving for hours when the engine suddenly stopped. They had never experienced such a problem before, and they did not know what to do?”
“She would have long hair when she was younger.”
used to have
We ______________in the park when it suddenly _________ raining.
We were walking in the park when it suddenly started raining.
This tense is used for an action that happened before another past action.
Past Perfect
This tense can be used to express irritation about repeated past behavior, often with always.
“He was always complaining.”
Past Continuous
“When we were kids, we ___ spend hours playing outside. There ___ be a huge tree in our garden, and we ___ climb it every day.”
“When we were kids, we would spend hours playing outside. There used to be a huge tree in our garden, and we would climb it every day.”
By the time the meeting started, we prepared all the slides.
By the time the meeting started, we had prepared all the slides.
Past Perfect
She __________ constantly ____________ during meetings.(to interrupt)
She was constantly interrupting during meetings.
Past Continuous to show annoyance
Actions that continued over a period of time in the past and had an effect on a later action.
Past Perfect Continuous
This structure can describe repeated past actions, but not past states.
would
“His hands ______ (shake), and his voice ______ (tremble). It was obvious he ______ (argue) with someone before he ______ (arrive).”
“His hands were shaking, and his voice was trembling. It was obvious he had been arguing with someone before he arrived?”
How long did they wait to board the plane?
How long had they been waiting to board the plane?
Past Perfect Continuous
This tense emphasizes the duration of an activity before another past event.
Past Perfect Continuous.
Give an example of two simultaneous actions in the past.
She was cooking dinner while her brother was watching TV.
Complete the paragraph correctly:
“When I ______ (arrive) at the station, the train ______ already ______ (leave). People ______ (wait) nervously, and it was clear they ______ (stand) there for hours.”
When I arrived, the train had already left.
People were waiting, and it was clear they had been standing there for hours?”
Complete the paragraph:
“By the time the police ______ (arrive), the thief ______ already ______ (disappear). The neighbours ______ (watch) TV and ______ not notice anything unusual.”
“By the time the police arrived, the thief had already disappeared. The neighbours were watching TV and did not notice anything unusual?”
Complete the paragraph:
“She ______ (feel) exhausted because she ______ (prepare) for the presentation all night. When her name ______ (be) finally announced, she suddenly ______ (realise) she ______ (leave) her notes at home.”
“She felt exhausted because she had been preparing for the presentation all night. When her name was finally announced, she suddenly realised she had left her notes at home?”