Tense Past Tense

Determiners	VerbsList	Tense
Voice	Narration	Preposition

Past Tense

Table of Contents

• Present Tense
  
• Past Tense
  
  • Simple Past Tense
  • Past Continuous Tense
  • Past Perfect Tense
  • Past Perfect Continuous Tense
• Future Tense

Past Tense

Past Tense

Past Tense is used to describe events or occasions that had already happened before now and finished at a definite time in the past.

Like Present Tense, Past Tense too has been divided into four categories. They are as follows --

• Simple Past Tense
• Past Continuous Tense
• Past Perfect Tense
• Past Perfect Continuous Tense

Tense Chart/Table

All the four categories mentioned above have been explained below with the help of Tense Chart/Table and it is a powerful method to learn the tenses well.

After having a clear idea about how to make a Tense Table/Chart, you will be able to use different verbs to make your own Tense Table/Chart.

After much practice, you will not only be able to write your own sentences correctly, but also you will be able to express your thoughts more coherently with others and you will no longer be making the grammatical errors that you were once making.

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Simple Past Tense

Simple Past Tense is used for actions that happened in the past at a particular time. It is also used to talk about something that was a habit in the past.

Simple Past Tense Chart

Person	Singular	Plural
1st Person	I went to market yesterday	We went to market yesterday
2nd Person	You went to market yesterday	You went to market yesterday
3rd Person	He/she went to market yesterday	They went to market yesterday

Examples of Simple Past Tense

1. He ate his lunch at 1 this afternoon.
2. My father played a lot of football when he was in school.
3. Mary had a headache yesterday, so she stayed in bed.
4. He did not tell a lie.
5. I met all my friends at the party yesterday.

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Past Continuous Tense

Past Continuous Tense is used to describe continuous actions that were happening in the past.

Past continuous tense chart

Person	Singular	Plural
1st Person	I was cooking yesterday	We were cooking yesterday
2nd Person	You were cooking yesterday	You were cooking yesterday
3rd Person	He/she was cooking yesterday	They were cooking yesterday

Examples of Past Continuous Tense

1. Sheila was studying at 7 yesterday.
2. While I was studying, my mother was baking a cake.
3. My brother was reading the newspaper yesterday morning.
4. I was learning my lesson of English at 11 a.m. yesterday.
5. The postman was delivering letters.

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Past Perfect Tense

Past Perfect Tense is used for an action which has already begun before another action which takes place in the past.

Past Perfect Tense Chart

Person	Singular	Plural
1st Person	I had done this work	We had done this work
2nd Person	You had done this work	You had done this work
3rd Person	He/she had done this work	They had done this work

Examples of Past Perfect Tense

1. He had left before I came.
2. We had reached the city before the sunset.
3. He went to market after I had come.
4. They had gone before I arrived.
5. After I had left the village, the villagers assembled there.
6. The doctor came after the patient had died.

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Past Perfect Continuous Tense

Past Perfect Continuous Tense is used for actions in progress in the past.

Past Perfect Continuous Tense is used for anything that began in the past, continued and then finished at a defined point in the past.

Past Perfect Continuous Tense Chart

Person	Singular	Plural
1st Person	I had been watching TV whole day yesterday	We had been watching TV all day yesterday
2nd Person	You had been watching TV all day yesterday	You had been watching TV all day yesterday
3rd Person	He/she had been watching TV all day yesterday	They had been watching TV all day yesterday

Examples of Past Perfect Continuous Tense

• It had been raining here for three days.
• I had been suffering from fever for a long time before I went there.
• He had been living in New Jersey for two years before he died.
• I had been waiting for him since morning.
• John had been running this school since 1975.

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Determiners	VerbsList	Tense
Voice	Narration	Preposition