SIMPLE PAST TENSE AND PAST CONTINOUS TENSE 16.2.12

SIMPLE PAST TENSE can ne used:

1.    To talk about actions that happen at a specific time in the past. You state when it happened using a time adverb.

2.    It can be used to described events that happened over a period of the time in the past but not now.

3.    It is also used to talk about habitual or repeated actions that took place in the past.

BE CAREFUL!

The Simple Past in English may look like a tense in your own language, but the meaning may be different.

Affirmative	Negative	Interrogative
I walked	I didn’t walk	Did I walk?
You walked	You didn’t walk	Did you walk?
He,she,it walked	He didn’t walk	Did he walk?
We walked	We didn’t walk	Did we walk?
You walked	You didn’t walk	Did you walk?
They walked	They didn’t walk	Did they walk?

Note: For
the negative and interrogative form of all verbs in the simple
past, always use the auxiliary ‘did”.

Refer to this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttjAMb3II_Q&feature=player_embedded

PAST CONTINOUS TENSE

Use

1.   Duration in the past

2.   Interrupted actions in progress

3.   Actions in progress at the same time in the past

4.   Irritation

5.   Polite question

USE 1: Duration in the past

We use the Past Continuous to talk about actions or situations that lasted for some time in the past, and whose duration time is unknown or unimportant.

Examples:

• I was watching TV yesterday in the evening.
• She was sleeping on the couch.
• The dog was barking.

USE 2: Interrupted actions in progress

The Past Continuous is often used when one action in progress is interruped by another action in the past. We usually use when or while to link these two sentences.

Sentence in Past Continuous	+	WHEN	+	Sentence in Past Simple
e.g. I was singing				e.g. my wife came home

1.  
2.  

WHEN/WHILE	+	Sentence in Past Continuous	+	Sentence in Past Simple
		e.g. I was singing		e.g. my wife came home

Examples:

• I was talking with James when the telephone rang.
• While Angelica was playing tennis, the plane crashed .
• When Bob was painting windows, it started raining.

USE 3: Actions in progress at the same time

We also use this tense to talk about two or more activities happening at the same. We usually usewhen or while to link the two sentences.

Sentence in Past Continuous	+	WHEN/WHILE	+	Sentence in Past Continuous
e.g. I was singing				e.g. She was cooking

1.  
2.  

WHEN/WHILE	+	Sentence in Past Continuous	+	Sentence in Past Continuous
		e.g. I was singing		e.g. She was cooking

Examples:

• I was watching TV and Barbara was reading a book.
• The family was eating the dinner and talking.
• When Bob was painting windows, Mary was working in the kitchen.

USE 4: Polite questions

If we want to ask a polite question, we can use the Past Continuous.

Examples:

• I was wondering if you could open the window.
• I was thinking you might help me with this problem.

Even though the sentences have a Past Continuous form, they refer to the present moment. Their meaning is similar to the "could you" sentences, but they are more polite.

USE 5: Irritation

Remember that you can also express irritation over somebody or something in the past.

Examples:

• She was always coming late for dinner!

Form

To form a sentence in the Past Continuous, you need:

1. The proper conjugation of the auxiliary verb "to be" in the past form
2. The Present Participle of your verb (verb + ing)

1. Auxiliary verb "to be"

The past form of the auxiliary verb "to be" is:

1. For the first and third person singular: "was"
2. For all others: "were"

Examples:

• She was always coming late for dinner!
• You were always coming late for dinner!

2. The Present Participle

The present participle is of a verb is a verb form that appears with the present tenses. The present participle is formed by adding -ing to the verb.

• talk + ing = talking
• be + ing = being