Past Tense

 

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                                              Past Tense:

Past Tense plays a very important role while writing sentences, When we write about something that happened or was done already past tenses do it roles. While writing these sentences we made a lot of mistakes. So, let's learn them together with easy formulas:

 When we talk about some incident or things that happened in the past or have already been done it is called past tense.

Past Tenses are divided into four parts.

Past Indefinite

Past Continuous

Past Perfect

Past Perfect Continuous

Past Indefinite Tenses

When an action is done in the past but we cannot confirm that it was done in the distant past or near past it is called Indefinite tense.

Past Indefinite Tense (Affirmative)

In these sentences, we use the third form of the verb. While other things will remain the same.

• Sub + verb 2nd form + obj.

1. They invited us for dinner.

2. She refused to cook food.

3. The dog chased the cat.

4. The hunter-killed deer.

5.  Harry won first prize.

Past Indefinite (Negative)

In these sentences, we use "did not" with the first form of the verb.

• Sub + did not + verb 1st form + obj.

1. She needed to obey the teachers. 

2. How did not escape from the police.

3. I did not care about him.

4. She did not tell a lie.

5. Aslam did not clean his room.

Past Indefinite (Interrogative)

In these sentences, question words and did come before the subject with the first form of the verb.

• Did + subject + verb 1st form + obj.

1. Why did he shout at you?

2. Did the police arrest the culprit?

3. Why did he leave the school?

4. Did he escape from punishment?

5. Did he tell a lie?

2. Past Continuous Tense (Affirmative)

We use 'was' with 1st form of the verb 'ing' for the singular subject and were with the plural.

• Subject + was/were + verb-ing.

1. Children were playing.

2. People were standing in a row.

3. She was telling a poem.

4. It was raining yesterday.

5. They were selling burgers.

Past Continuous (Negative)

We use not between 'was' and 'were' with ing.

• Subject + was/were + not + verb-ing.

1. The girl was not solving questions.

2. Pat was not playing football.

3. I was not traveling with Grandpa.

4. She was not cheating in the examination hall.

5. I was not going to England.

Past Continuous (Interrogative)

• Was/were + Subject + verb-ing.

1. Was the poor boy weeping?

2. Were they playing on the ground?

3. Why were the kids making noise?

4. Who is throwing stones at us?

5. Was it raining in the morning?

3. Past Perfect (Affirmative)

In Past Perfect we use 'had' and the third form of the verb.

• Subject + had + past participle.

1. The girls had already danced to this song.

2. All the students had left the hall before the time ended.

3. I had already heard this song.

4. The cook had cooked the meal before we came back.

5. The peon had rung the bell before I entered the school.

Past Perfect (Negative)

We use not between had in these tenses.

• Subject + had not/hadn't + past participle.

1. Had he not finished his work till afternoon.

2. He had not eaten quail before.

3. The train had not gone before the passengers arrived.

4. I had not seen such a beautiful painting before.

5. When I left the office the sun was not set.

Past Perfect (Interrogative)

• Had + subject + past participle.

1. Had the students fought with each other before the teacher arrived?

2. Have you seen such an attractive scene before?

3. Who had destroyed this building?

4. Why had the police arrested these people?

5. Who came here before me?

4. Past Perfect Continuous (Affirmative)

While translating sentences relating to past perfect continuous tense we use 'had been' and the 1st form of the verb 'ing'. We also use 'since' when starting action time is given and 'for' when duration or time is mentioned.

• Subject + had + been + verb-ing.

1. I have been living here since 1998.

2. It had been snowing here for two weeks.

3. The children had been playing since 5'o clock.

4. They had been talking for thirty minutes.

5. He had been studying for five hours.

Past Perfect Continuous (Negative)

• Subject + had not/ hadn't + been + verb-ing.

1. You had not been coming to school since Monday.

2.  The maid had not been cleaning the house for two weeks.

3. I had not been swimming since 10'o clock

4. The workers had not been working since June.

5. The players had not been playing for two hours.

Past Perfect Continuous (Interrogative)

• Had + Subject + been + verb-ing.

1. Why had the child not been drinking milk for four days?

2.  Had you been enjoying snow since evening?

3. Had I been sleeping since noon?

4. Where had they been burying the soldier?

5. Had you been living in this farmhouse since November?