Past Simple

• FORM

  • Positive

    Negative

    I/You/We/They/He/She/It arrived.
    I/You/We/They/He/She/It went.

    I/You/We/They/He/She/It didn't (did not) arrive.
    I/You/We/They/He/She/It didn't (did not) go.

    Question

    Short answer

    Did he go?

    Yes, he did. / No, he didn't.

• Function

  • Finished actions and situations in the past.

    e.g. I lived in England when I was younger.
    e.g. She didn't pass her exam last year.
    e.g. Who did you see at the party last night?

    

• Help

  • Regular verbs in the past simple end in ed
    Examples:
    wanted, finished, hoped etc...

    If a regular verb ends in a consonant +y, the y changes to i before the ending ed.
    Examples:
    try/tried, study/studied

    The pronunciation of the ed at the end of regular verbs can vary. Most regular verbs end with the sound /d/ in their past forms.
    Examples:
    followed, played, repaired, moved

    When the ed follows the sounds ss, p, sh, x, k, ch, the end of the verb is pronounced /t/.
    Examples:
    missed, hoped, finished, mixed, worked, watched

    If the ed follows the letters t or d, the ed ending is pronounced as an extra syllable /Id/
    Examples:
    wanted, stated, needed, mended

    For a list of verbs which have irregular past simple forms, click on Useful Information and then click on Table of Irregular Verbs.

    We often use the past simple tense with phrases such as last week, last year, yesterday, in 1993, two weeks ago, when I was young.
    Examples:
    We moved to London in 2002.
    Did you speak to the neighbours yesterday?

Past Continuous

• Form

  • Positive

    Negative

    I/He/She/It was working.
    You/We/They were working.

    I/He/She/It wasn't (was not) working.
    You/We/They weren't (were not) working.

    Question

    Short answer

    Was she working?
    Were you working?

    Yes, she was. / No, she wasn't.
    Yes, we were. / No, we weren't.

• Function

  • To describe an action in progress in the past when another happened.

    e.g. He was driving his car when he saw the accident.

    To describe an action in progress at a specific time in the past.

    e.g. This time last week I was lying on a beach in Spain.

    

• Help

  • It is very common to use the past continuous and the past simple together in the same sentence. The past continuous expresses an activity in progress when another, simple action happened.
    
    Example:
    He was painting the ceiling when he fell off the ladder.
    In the example, the activity of painting was in progress when the man fell.

    We often use the words when and while to link the two parts of the sentence.
    
    Example:
    I cut my finger while I was preparing the meal.
    We were waiting at the airport when they arrived.

    While can only go with the part of the sentence containing the past continuous. When can go before the past simple or the past continuous.
    
    We use the past continuous with actions. We do not usually use it with state verbs. For more information on state verbs, click on Present Tenses and then on Present Continuous.

Past Perfect Simple

• FORM

  • Positive

    Negative

    I’d / You’d / He’d / She’d / It’d / We’d / They’d (had) arrived.
    I’d / You’d / He’d / She’d / It’d / We’d / They’d (had) gone.

    I/You/We/They/He/She/It hadn't (had not) arrived.
    I/You/We/They/He/She/It hadn't
    (had not) gone.

    Question

    Short answer

    Had they arrived?

    Yes, they had. / No, they hadn't.

• Function

  • Looks back at a time in the past and expresses an action which happened before that time.

    e.g. I told the police I had seen the accident.

    

• Help

  • You may describe an event that happened in the past using the past simple. For the events you describe which took place before, use the past perfect.
    Example:
    When I got home last night, somebody had broken into my apartment.  (I got home is expressed in the past simple. However, somebody had broken in is expressed in the past perfect. This is because this action happened before I got home).

Past perfect Continuous

• Form

  • Positive

    Negative

    I’d / You’d / He’d / She’d / It’d / We’d / They’d (had)been working.

    I/You/We/They/He/She/It hadn't (had not) been working.

    Question

    Short answer

    Had he been working?

    Yes, he had. / No, he hadn't.

• Function

  • Looks back at a time in the past and expresses a continuous or repeated action before that time.

    e.g. She was tired because she had been working very hard.

    

• Help

  • You may describe an action or situation in the past using the past simple. For continuous or repeated actions which take place until that point in the past, use the past perfect continuous.
    
    Example:
    He had only been playing football for ten minutes when he broke his leg.
    In this example, he broke his leg is expressed in the past simple. However, He had only been playing is expressed in the past perfect continuous because it describes the activity in progress until that point.
    

used to + infinitive

• Form

  • Positive

    Negative

    I/You/We/They/He/She/It used to smoke.
     

    I/You/We/They/He/She/It didn't (did not) use to smoke.

    Question

    Short answer

    Did you use to smoke?

    Yes, I did. / No, I didn't.

• Function

  • Expresses repeated past habits which are no longer true.

    e.g. I used to have lunch at the school canteen.

    Expresses past states which are no longer true.

    e.g. We used to be members of the drama group.

    

• Help

  • Used to + infinitive is used to describe past habits and situations which are not true now.
    
    Example:
    He used to get up early in the morning. (but he doesn't now)
    

    This should not be confused with be used to + gerund which describes a current activity which is not new or difficult.
    
    Example:
    Edward is used to getting up early. (perhaps at first it was difficult but it is not a problem for him now)
    

Past Tenses Practice Test

For more help and practice exercises, go back to Tutorials & Practice Tests.
For more help and practice the best selection of English books is available at our bookshop.