Talking about Past Tense

Past Simple

Affirmative
I/you waited
he/she/it waited
we/you/they waited

Negative
I/you did not wait
he/she/it did not wait
we/you/they did not wait

Question
Did I/you wait?
Did he/she/it wait?
Did we/you/they wait?

Past Simple

We use the Present Simple to talk about:
Actions that started and finished in the past
He sent the e-mail yesterday.
Did they do the job last night?
Actions that happened one after the other in the past
She opened the door, picked up the telefone and made a call.
Actions that were repeated or were habits in the past
I caught the early train every morning

Time Expressions with the Past Simple

how long ago...?
a month ago
a year ago
every summer
in 1955
in January
last summer
last year
the day before yesterday
then
yesterday

Time expressions usually come at the end of a sentence.

Past Continuous

Affirmative
I was waiting
you were waiting
he/she/it was waiting
we/you/they were waiting

Negative
I was not waiting
you were not waiting
he/she/it was not waiting
we/you/they were not waiting

Question
Was I waiting?
Were you waiting?
Was he/she/it waiting?
Were we/you/they waititng?

Past Continuous

We use the Past Continuous to talk about:
Actions that were in progress at a specific time in the past
I was having lunch at one o’clock
Was he listening to the radio when you left?
Two or more actions that were in progress at the same time in the past
My brother was putting the tools away and I was cleaning the garage
The background events in a story
The wind was blowing and the clouds were moving across the blue sky
An action in progress in the past that was interrupted by another
I was reading when the telephone rang

Time Expressions with the Past Continuous

at ten o’clock
yesterday

all evening

at that time
yesterday

while

Past Perfect Simple

Affirmative
I/you had waited
he/she/it had waited
we/you/they had waited

Negative
I/you had not waited
he/she/it had not waited
we/you/they had not waited

Question
Had I/you waited?
Had he/she/it waited?
Had we/you/they waited?

Past Perfect Simple

We use the Past Perfect Simple to talk about:
Something that happened before another action in the past
We had seen a programm about India, so we went to the places they recommended
Something that happened before a specific time in the past
Walter has finished the project by lunchtime.
Something that happened in the past and had an effect on a following action or state
I have known him for years
Something that has just happened
He has just left
They’ve just told me the story

Time Expressions with the Past Perfect Simple

already never before

never just when

as soon as by the time till/until