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1. 10 TIPS on PAST TENSE
Grammar Rules and Tips for using Present Tense

2. Classifying Tenses
Tense is a form of Verb which indicates the time and state of and action
or event.
Classifying tenses based on the Time of Action:
He writes letters. (Present Tense: Now- Present time of an action)
He wrote letters. (Past Tense: Before Now- Past time of an action)
He will write letters. (Future Tense: After Now- Future time of an action)

3. Classifying Tenses
Classifying Tenses based on the state of Action:
Present Past Future
Simple
Continuous
(progressive
action)
Perfect
(completed
action)
Perfect
Continuous
(progressive
action that is
ongoing)
sings sang will sing
is singing was singing will be singing
has sung had sung will have sung
has been singing had been singing will have been singing

4. Simple Past
Used to describe a completed activity that happened in the past
Simple fact- happened once:
We went to Spain for our holidays.
Frequency:
When I was a boy I walked a mile to school every day.
Duration:
I lived abroad for ten years.
Definite and Indefinite Point in Time:
I went to the theatre last night. (definite)
People lived in caves a long time ago. (indefinite)
Negative version- use didn’t (did not):
I didn’t see you yesterday.
Interrogative version-use did :
Where did you go for your holidays?

5. Past Continuous
Describes actions or events which began in the past and continued for a period
of time. Also used to set the scene for another action.
Unfinished action -interrupted by another action:
I was having a beautiful dream when the alarm clock rang.
Two actions- happening at same time:
While they were painting the door, I was cleaning the doors.
Repeated actions:
They were always quarrelling.
Story Telling:
The sun was shining and the birds were singing .
Show change or growth:
Her English was improving.

6. Past Perfect
Used to emphasize that an action was already completed with reference to
another event in the past.
Actions completed:
I had finished the work.
One event happened before another :
The weather changed, but the team had planned its next move.
Reporting:
Teresa wasn’t at home. She had gone shopping.
Conditions, hypotheses and wishes:
I wish I hadn’t spent so much money last month.
Negative and Interrogative version:
The weather changed, and the team had not planned its next move.
Had the team planned its next move before the weather changed?

7. Past Perfect Continuous
Used for an action that began before a certain point in the past and continued
for a while in the past but had ended before that point in time.
Actions that started in the past and continued for a while:
Everything was wet. It had been raining for hours.
Repeated actions that continue after that point:
He had been playing guitar ever since he was a teenager.
Duration- using Since
They had been staying with us for over a month.
To indicate a negative:
She had not been painting the door.
For Interrogatives:
Had she been painting the door?

8. Tips on using Past Tense

9. Just: used with the Past Perfect to refer to an
event that was only a short time earlier than
before.
Formation: Had + Past Perfect +Just
Example:
The train had just left when I arrived at the
station.
She had just left the room when the police
arrived.
I had just put the washing out when it started
to rain.
Tip #1: Just
Wonder: used to make a very polite request in
Past Continuous form, although the request is
being made in the present.
Formation: Past form of ‘be’ verb + wondering
Example:
I was wondering if you could babysit for me
tonight.
Tip #2: Wonder

10. Ago: a useful way of expressing the
distance into the past. It is placed after
the period of time
Formation: period of time + ago
a week ago, three years ago, a minute
ago.
Example:
I met him two months ago.
Two weeks ago they moved to a new
place.
Tip #3: Ago Tip #4: Did
Did: For the negative and interrogative
form of all verbs in the simple past, use
'did'.
Did he go to the cinema last night?
He didn't go to bed early last night.
We didn't do our homework last night.
Did you do much climbing in
Switzerland?
When the question statement does not
use subject-verb inversion, do not use
‘did’.
Who did discover India? (incorrect)
Who discovered India? (correct)

11. Wish: is used with other verbs (which are
in the past perfect) to talk about wishes
for the past.
I wish I had worked harder when I was at
school.
I wish it had snowed yesterday.
Wish is used with other verbs (which are
in past tense forms) to talk about wishes
for the present.
I wish it wasn’t so cold.
I wish I had more money.
Tip #6: Wish
If: used in the past perfect talking about
something which did not happen in the
past .
If we hadn’t spent all our money, we
could take a holiday.
If I had had time, I would have been able
to complete this task.
Tip #5: If

12. Adverbs of Frequency such as, often,
generally, regularly, seldom, occasionally,
rarely, would, used to, always are used in
Simple Past Tense to depict a habit or
action and its frequency.
They never drank wine.
He always carried an umbrella.
I used to go to Mumbai by train.
She would go there daily.
Tip #7: Seldom, Often,
Generally,
Tip #8: Since, Before,
Last
Definite point of time in the past: is
denoted by words like since, earlier,
ever since, last, back, yesterday, the
other day etc for Simple Past Tense .
I met your brother yesterday.
She went to Spain last month.
The other day when I went to market, I
met John.
Ever since I met you I've liked you.

13. Want, Hope, Expect, Intend, Mean
Suppose, Think: when used in Past
Perfect tense, these words indicate that
the action intended did not take place.
I had wanted to help my brother. (but
could not help)
I had expected to pass.
My sister had hoped that her friend
would help her.
Mihir had intended to set up his own
business.
Tip #10: Want, Hope,
Expect
Tip #9: Ever, Already,
Yet
Ever, Before, Already, Yet, After, By the
time, So far, Till are used to
imply/indicate preceding action in Past
Perfect Tense.
I had already taken breakfast.
I had finished the book before he came.
I had returned from college then.
I finished my homework after I had
returned from school.

14. Spot the Errors

15. Spot the Error
She has bought a car two years ago.
The house was belonging to him.
She swept the floor when I called on her.
He didn’t knew the answer.
She had been knowing him for two years.

16. She has bought a car two years ago.
She had bought a car two years ago.
The house was belonging to him.
The house belonged to him.
She swept the floor when I called on her.
She was sweeping the floor when I called on her.
He didn’t knew the answer.
He didn’t know the answer.
She had been knowing him for two years.
She had known him for two years.
Spot the Error

17. Spot the Error
The light went out while I read a book.
I breaked my arm when I was 12.
Where was you last weekend?
She was owning this flat in Mumbai for ten years but never telled any one.
The movie already started when we entered the theater.

18. The light went out while I read a book.
The light went out while I was reading a book.
I breaked my arm when I was 12.
I broke my arm when I was 12.
Where was you last weekend?
Where were you last weekend?
She was owning this flat in Mumbai for ten years but never telled any one.
She owned this flat in Mumbai for ten years but never told any one.
The movie already started when we entered the theater.
The movie had already started when we entered the theater.
Spot the Error

19. Spot the Error
What was the policeman doing when the accident was happening?
He has been going to college since August but then stopped attending classes.
All the students listening to the professor carefully when the bell rang.
It rained when we left the apartment, so we took the umbrella.
She constantly sang.

20. What was the policeman doing when the accident was happening?
What was the policeman doing when the accident happened?
He has been going to college since August but then stopped attending classes.
He had been going to college since August but then stopped attending classes.
All the students listening to the professor carefully when the bell rang.
All the students were listening to the professor carefully when the bell rang.
It rained when we left the apartment, so we took the umbrella.
It was raining when we left the apartment, so we took the umbrella.
She constantly sang.
She was constantly singing.
Spot the Error

21. I was living abroad for ten years.
I meet my wife a long time ago.
The other day I am waiting for a bus when…
I would have helped him if he was asking.
We not got home until very late last night.
Spot the Error

22. I was living abroad for ten years.
I lived abroad for ten years.
I meet my wife a long time ago.
I met my wife a long time ago.
The other day I am waiting for a bus when…
The other day I was waiting for a bus when…
I would have helped him if he was asking.
I would have helped him if he had asked.
We not got home until very late last night.
We didn’t get home until very late last night.
Spot the Error

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