TOEFL Preparation Level 1 Structure & Written Expression 

Unit 10
PAST TENSE
Objectives:
By the end of this unit, students are able to:
1. understand the concept of simple past and past continuous tense
2. distinguish the use of simple past and past continuous tense.

A. WARMING UP?
Look at the pictures. Answer the two questions.

What did you do yesterday?

I___________________________

What was Doni doing when his

mother came?

He ________________________

B. DISCUSSION AND EXERCISES

SIMPLE PAST TENSE
The simple past tense is used to talk about a completed action in a time before now. The
simple past is the basic form of past tense in English. The time of the action can be in the
recent past or the distant past and action duration is not important.
▪ Ranggith sailed to Africa in 1846
▪ My lovely uncle died last month
▪ They lived in Malaysia in 2010
You always use the simple past when you say when something happened, so it is
associated with certain past time expressions.
Here are some time expressions usually used in simple past

Frequency:
Often I sometimes walked home at lunchtime
Sometimes
always
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A definite point in time:

Last week
When I was a child I met you last week
Yesterday
Two months ago

An indefinite point in
time:
The other day
A long time ago My brother played guitar when he was a child
Ages ago
Two months ago

Sometimes
FORM
always
Positive Verbal S + Verb 2 +… She bought a new book yesterday
(+) Nominal S + was/ were + … The case was hard to solve
Negative Verbal S + did + not + Verb + ... She did not buy a new book
(-) yesterday
Nominal S + was/ were + not + … The case was not hard to solve
Interrogative Verbal Did + S + Verb 1 + .. ? Did she buy a new book
(?) yesterday?
Nominal Was/ were + S + …? Was the case hard to solve?

Exercise 1:
Write questions or negatives sentences.
1. She visited her parents last weekend.
Question: ____Did she visit her parents last weekend___________?
2. He cleaned his room before school.
Question: ___________________________________________________________?
3. The teacher found the missing exams.
Negative: ____________________________________________________________
4. Tom wanted to go to the movies alone.
Question: ___________________________________________________________?
5. Helena offered Henrique a piece of cake.
Negative: ___________________________________________________________
6. I knew what to do.
Negative: ____________________________________________________________
7. Alexandre helped Anita with her homework.
Question: ___________________________________________________________?
8. You ate cookies after dinner.
Negative: ____________________________________________________________

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TOEFL Preparation Level 1 Structure & Written Expression 

9. You talked to her earlier.

Question: ___________________________________________________________?
10. We turned off the TV after the news.
Negative: ____________________________________________________________?

PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE

It is used to talk about something that was happening when another past action was
completed. It is used with the past simple tense.
• I was walking down the street when I saw the 'Sale' sign.
It is used to talk about two actions in the past that happened at the same time and were
continuous.
• I was talking to my friend while I was washing the dishes.
FORM

Positive S + was/ were + V ing She was eating when I came

Negative S + was/ were + not + V ing She was not eating when I came

interrogative Was/were + S + V ing Was she eating when I came?

Have a look at Peter’s diary then complete the exercise below. This gives an account of
Peter’s day

Now answer the following questions. The first one has been done for you.
1. What was Peter doing at 6.15?
Answer: ___________He was watching television_______________
2. What was Peter doing at 10.30?
Answer:
___________________________________________________________________
3. What was Peter doing at 2.45?
Answer:
___________________________________________________________________
4. What was Peter doing at 8.20?
Answer:
___________________________________________________________________
5. What was Peter doing at 11 05?
Answer:
___________________________________________________________________

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6. What was Peter doing at 5.15?

Answer:
___________________________________________________________________
7. What was Peter doing at 9 07?
Answer:
___________________________________________________________________

Exercise 2:

Decide the correct form of the verbs in the following sentences whether it is simple
past or past continuous. Number 1 has been done for you.
1. I lost my keys when I was walking home.
2. It ________________ (rain) while we ________________ (have) dinner.
3. I ________________ (see) the department stores when I _______________ (sit) on the
bus.
4. Her phone ________________ (ring) while she ________________ (talk) to her new
boss.
5. My friends ________________ (drive) to work when they ________________ hear) the
news on the radio.
6. He ________________ (ride) his bicycle when the cat ran across the road.
7. We ________________ (not, go) to the beach yesterday because it
________________(rain).
8. It was a lovely day. The sun ________________ (shine) and the birds
________________ (sing) in the trees.
9. I ________________ (drive) to Waitrose this morning when I ________________ (run
over) a duck.
10. John ________________ (wait) for me when I ________________ (get) home.

C. REFLECTION

Points to Reflect Yes/No/

By learning this unit, I am now able to: Not Sure
understand the concept of simple past and past
continuous tense
distinguish the use of simple past and past continuous
tense.

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