Past Tense Simple
a. Formation: S + V (2nd form)
b. Usage:
1. For past habitual actions:
I often (visit) him.
He (wind) the big clock up every day.
2. For past characteristic actions:
When he (teach) at our school, he (ride) his bike to classes.
She (bear) her troubles without complain.
I (burst) into laughter when I heard it.
They (weep) over the loss of their relatives.
She (weep) bitter tears of disappointment.
The path (wind) down to the beach.
The snake (creep) along the ground.
The man (feel) a change within himself.
3. When there is a sequence of past events (two or more consecutive actions – narrative use):
I (meet) him yesterday and you (talk) for a few minutes.
4. For actions completed in the past at a definite time (time/place is given):
He (support) my proposal at the conference yesterday afternoon.
I (mean) what I (say) the other day.
5. When actions clearly took place at a definite time in the past even if the time is not mentioned:
The train (be) two minutes late.
They (reach) the clearing.The dwarfs marched in single file.
6. When the time becomes definite and is asked about as a result of a question and answer in the Present Perfect:
Have you found the address? Yes, I have. When you (find) it?
Have you see this film? Yes, I have. I (see) it last night.
When you (read) Hamlet? I (read) it last year.
7. In Indirect Speech instead of the Simple Present when the introductory verb (say, tell, ask) is in a Past Tense:
He (know) I (be) from Romania.
I (tell) him she (be) an only child.
He (say) he (can) speak both English and French fluently.
He (tell) me he (be) ill.
8. In Indirect Speech if the introductory verb is in the Past Tense, it used with a future value in Finite clauses:
He (tell) her he would show her the photos when he (come).
9. After wonder, intend, wish, like, to express a polite request:
I wonder if you (can) lend me your newspaper.
10. When there are two past actions happening in a very close succession we can use the Past Tense Simple after when, as soon as, the moment:
As soon as he (open) the window the bird (flow) out.
The moment the traffic lights (change) the car (drive) off.
I (get) up when the clock (strike) 7.
The game (start) when the referee (blow) his whistle.
She (train) for five months before she (become) a guide.
He (see) me before I (see) him.
She (go) out after she (finish) it.
11. The modal “Used to do smth” expresses actions which happened continuously or regularly/frequently in the past as well as a state characterizing a person in the past:
I (use) to smoke but I (give up) a couple of years ago.
I (not use) to like him much when we (be) at school.
She (use) to have long hair?
When I (be) a little boy I (use) to spend my holidays in the country.
He (use) to speak French quite well but he has forgotten most of it now.
They (use) to be friends; I don’t know why they don’t speak to each other anymore.
As far as I remember, she (use) to wear dark glasses.
12. Would + Infinitive expresses expresses repeated actions happening frequently in the past (it usually appears in the main clause when the subordinate begins with every time/whenever):
Whenever I went to the theatre, I (sit) in the front row.
He would sit for hours in front of his house looking at the stars.
Past Tense Continuous
a. Formation: Subject + To be (Past Tense Simple) + V ing
b. Usage:
1. It expresses an action in progress in the past ( sometimes including the beginning and the ending of the period of time):
I (watch) a film from six to eight yesterday evening.
2. Two past actions in progress going on at the same time in the past:
They (play) tennis while the girls (watch) them.
He (hold) the horses by the bridle while the girl (fix) dinner for him.
3. A repeated past action which annoys the speaker:
He always (come) late.
She forever (grumble) to me about her troubles.
He (ask) questions all the time.
They continually (giggle).
She (talk) all the evening.
4. In Indirect Speech after a reported verb in the past, it is used as a past equivalent of the present continuous:
He (tell) us he (stay) at the Lido hotel.
5. It expresses a definite future arrangement seen from the past:
We were busy packing because we (leave) the next day.
I (meet) them in town the next evening.
6. A past action in progress interrupted by another past action (Past Tense Continuous expresses a continued action while Past Tense Simple a momentary one; the action expressed by Past Continuous begins before and it continues after the other past action which interrupts it):
They (make) comments on the article when I (enter) the room.
The teacher (try) to explain the rules when somebody (knock) at the door.
He (come) in when I (eat).
While I (jog), a man (stop) me and (ask) me the time.
He (fall) down as he (climb) the ladder.
He (think) he (stay) there in the middle of the yard.
Everyone (doing) something else when the accident (happen).
Just as the teacher (leave), a pupil (stop) her in the hall.
I (call) him just as he (leave) the room.
What you (do) when you (hear) the noises? I (read) a novel. (a progressive action)
What you (do) when you (hear) the noises? I (phone) the police. (a consequence of another action)