Past Tenses Review

I got up and switched off the radio.

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Every day I went to the park.

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Back then, I didn't like reading.​

Examples

Completed actions:

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habits:

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states.

Past Simple

I was drinking my coffee at the time.

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I looked around. Most people were working, but Jane was staring out the window.

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Examples

Actions in progress:

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Background in a narrative:

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Past Continuous

Examples

Past Continuous

Changing conditions:

(but not states!)

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Annoying behavior:

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The car was getting worse all the time. The engine was making more and more noise.

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He was always losing my things!

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Examples

Past Perfect

Taking about the past, but mentioning a further past event:

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By the time I got to the station, the train had already left!

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Once I saw the monkey, I knew it was the one that had escaped.

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Examples

Past Perfect Cont.

Actions taking place up until or immediately before another point in past time:

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I had been living in London right up until the Brexit vote.

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While I had been talking on the phone, my monkey escaped!​

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Examples

Used to

Contrasts with the present tense; contrast may only be implied/understood.

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Can be used with states. ​

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I used to like swimming a lot.

(...but I don't enjoy it now.)

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I didn't use to drink coffee.​

​(...but now I do drink a lot.)

Examples

Would

Describes repeated actions typical of a person or time period.

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Can not be used with states.​

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Every week he would (he'd) buy his mother the Sunday paper.

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I would go out every Friday with my friends from scouts.​

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Examples

​When we don't know who did/does/will do something.

My groceries have been stolen!

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The elevator button was pushed.​

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Examples

​When it is obvious who did/does/will do something.

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The actor(s) should already be mentioned. ​

A young man was arrested in town yesterday for stealing a car.​

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The pizza was being eaten by everyone at the party.​

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Examples

​When it is not important or the point who does/did/will do something.

The French bistro around the corner is being knocked down. ​

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It will have been restored by August, 2023. ​

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Examples

​To express opinions or new information in a formal/ journalistic style, using the infinitive.

The drone is said to have killed members of a wedding party.

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​It was estimated that the program would cost £50 million.

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​Turn the following sentences from active to passive:

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Use formal English, i.e. correct capitalization and punctuation.