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THE PAST TENSES IN ENGLISH

GRAMMAR
Graduation paper

Teacher: Candidate:
Mirjana Dimitrijevic Anja
Novkovic,
IV6
May, 2020.
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I Introduction.....................................................................................................................2
II Past Simple.....................................................................................................................4
PAST SIMPLE USES:..................................................................................................7
USED TO expression:...................................................................................................9
WOULD expression:...................................................................................................10
When-clauses...............................................................................................................11
III PAST CONTINUOUS...............................................................................................11
Past Continuous USES:...............................................................................................12
IV PAST PERFECT........................................................................................................14
Past Perfect USES:......................................................................................................15
IMPORTANT Specific Times with the Past Perfect.................................................16
V PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS..............................................................................17
Past Perfect Continuous USES:..................................................................................18
VI PAST TENSES IN WISHES AND HYPOTHESES................................................19
BIBLIOGRAPHY:..........................................................................................................21

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I Introduction

Tense is the time described by a verb, shown by Its grammatical

form.
There are two tenses in English grammar: past and present. The
past tense is a grammatical tense whose function is to place an action
or a situation in past time. The action or situation either started and
ended in the past, or started in the past and continued to the present. It
can also be used as a reference to the present or future in hypotheses, to
express wishes, conditions and to talk about the present in polite
expressions.
Tense is sometimes shown by changing the form of a verb, and
sometimes by adding a helping verb.
For example; be can become am, is, and are in present tense,
and was and were in past tense. In English, the future is shown by
adding will before the verb. For example; be becomes will be.

Aspect
There are also different kinds of tense with each main tense. In
English these are formed by adding “helping verbs”, such as be and
have, before the verb, as well as changing the form of the verb.
For example; “I give”, “I have given”, “I am giving”, and “I
have been giving” are all in present tense, but have different meanings.
This is called aspect.

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Due to the past tense’s multiple use, there are four past tense
forms in English with general rules of use:

1. Past Simple
2. Past Continuous
3. Past Perfect
4. Past Perfect Continuous

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II Past Simple

The past simple is a verb tense whose function is to show that a

completed action took place at a specific time in the past. The tense is
also frequently used to talk about past habits and generalizations.

The past simple always expresses when something happened, so

It is associated with certain past time expressions:
frequency: often, sometimes, always
a definite point in time: last week, when I was a child, yesterday, six
weeks ago
an indefinite point in time: the other day, ages ago, a long time ago

Note: the word ago is a useful way of expressing the distance

into the past. It is placed after the period of time: a week ago, three
years ago, a minute ago.

FORMS:

Past Simple with the verb “to be”:

The verb “to be” In Past Simple is used with either a noun, adjective or
prepositional phrase:
Examples:
 I was a high school student. (with a noun)
 You are happy. (with an adjective)

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 He was in the army. (with a prepositional phrase)

1. “To be” in the positive (affirmative) form:

Singular:
 I + WAS
 YOU + WERE
 HE; SHE; IT + WAS
Plural:
 YOU
 WE + WERE
 THEY

Examples:
a) I was happy yesterday.
b) He was a doctor for ten years.
c) We were friends for many years.

2. Yes/No Questions with “to be”

Questions that can be answered with “yes” or “no” answers are
formed by inverting the subject and “was” or “were”. The order of the
subject and verb form is inverted:
Affirmative statement: I was late. (the subject "I" is first, then the
verb form "was")
Affirmative question: Was I late? (to make a question, the verb form
"was" comes first then the subject "I").

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Singular:
 WAS + I
 WERE + YOU
 WAS + HE; SHE; IT
Plural:
YOU
 WERE + WE
THEY
Examples:
a) Was I late for the bus?
b) Was she a brave woman?
c) Were we happy children?

3. Yes/No Questions Answers with “to be”

Answers to yes/no questions with the verb “be” can be full or
shorter. For negative answers contractions (wasn’t / weren’t) are
used.

Singular:
 I + WAS NOT (WASN’T)
 YOU + WRE NOT (WEREN’T)
 HE; SHE; IT + WAS NOT (WASN’T)
Plural:
 YOU
 WE + WERE NOT (WEREN’T)
 THEY

Examples: Were you late for class?

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a) Yes, I was late for class.

Yes, I was. (short answer)
b) No, I was not late for class/
No, I wasn’t late.

4. Past simple with other verbs

Past simple tense with other verbs is formed by adding “ed” to the
infinitive form of the verb.
Note: The same form is used for each subject.

Examples:
a) The concert started 15 minutes ago.
b) I worked five days this week.
c) They played 80s music at the club last night.

Exceptions past simple tense

There are many irregular verbs in the past simple.

Examples:
a) We went to the movies last night. (NOT: we "goed")
b) I did my homework and after that I ate dinner. (NOT: "doed" or
"eated")
c) I had two dogs. One ran away. (NOT: "haved" or "runned")

PAST SIMPLE USES:

USE 1 Completed Action in the Past

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This use of the Past Simple is to express an action that started

and finished at a specific time in the past. Sometimes, the specific time
may not be mentioned, but it is referred in the speakers mind.
Examples:
a) I saw a movie yesterday.
b) Last year, I traveled to Japan.
c) Did you have dinner last night?
d) He didn’t wash his car.

USE 2 A Series of Completed Actions

Another use is to list a series of completed actions in the past.
These actions are placed chronologically.
Examples:
a) I finished work, walked to the beach, and found a nice place to
swim.
b) He arrived from the airport at 8:00, checked into the hotel at
9:00, and met the others at 10:00.
c) Did you add flour, pour in the milk, and then add the eggs?

USE 3 Duration in the Past

The Past Simple can be used with a duration which starts and
stops in the past. A duration is a longer action often indicated by
expressions such as: for two years, for five minutes, all day,…

Examples:

a) I lived in Brazil for two years.

b) They sat at the beach all day.

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c) We talked on the phone for thirty minutes.

d) How long did you wait for them?
- We waited for one hour.

USE 4 Habits in the Past

Further use of the past simple is to describe a habit which

stopped in the past. To make it clear that we are talking about a habit,
there are often expressions such as: always, often, usually, never, when
I was a child, etc.

Examples:

a) I studied French when I was a child.

b) He played the violin.
c) She worked at the movie theater after school.
d) They never went to school, they always skipped class.

USED TO expression:
Form: USED TO + infinitive

USE: This expression is used to talk about habits or repeated

actions in the past which are not done in the present anymore. They are
also used to talk about states in the past which are no longer true.

Examples:

a) I used to have long hair (but now I have short hair).

b) He used to smoke (but now he doesn't smoke).
c) They used to live in India (but now they live in Germany).

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Note: With the negative and the question form It is formed as “use”
and not “used”.

Examples:

a) Did you use to be a teacher?

b) She didn't use to like chocolate, but she does now.

WOULD expression:

FORM: WOULD + infinitive

USE: This expression is used to talk about a habit or

repeated action in the past. It is used for telling a story about the
past.

Examples:

a) When I was a student, we would often have a drink after class on

a Friday.
b) When I lived in Italy, we would go to a little restaurant near our
house.

However, WOULD is not used to talk about states in the past.

Examples:

a) I would have long hair.

b) I would live in Scotland.

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When-clauses
Clauses are groups of words which have meaning but are often
not complete sentences. Some clauses begin with the word "when".

Examples:

a) When I gave her candy, she answered my question.

b) She answered my question when I gave her candy.

When-clauses are important because they always happen first

when both clauses are in the simple past. Both of the examples above
mean the same thing: first, I gave her candy, and then, she answered
my question. It is not important whether "when I gave her candy" is at
the beginning of the sentence or at the end of the sentence. However,
the example below has a different meaning. First, she answered my
question, and then, I gave her candy:

I gave her candy when she answered my question.

III PAST CONTINUOUS

The past continuous (also called past progressive) is a verb tense

which is used to show that an ongoing past action was happening at a

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specific moment of interruption, or that two ongoing actions were

happening at the same time.

FORM: WAS/WERE + PRESENT PARTICIPLE

Questions are indicated by inverting the subject and “was/were”.

Negatives are made with “not”.

 Statement: You were studying when she called.

 Question: Were you studying when she called?
 Negative: You were not studying when she called.

Past Continuous USES:

USE 1 Interrupted Action in the Past

Past Continuous can be used to indicate that a longer action in

the past was interrupted. The interruption is usually a shorter action in
the simple past. This can be a real interruption or just an interruption in
time.

Examples:

a) I was watching TV when she called.

b) While we were having the picnic, it started to rain.
c) What were you doing when the earthquake started?
d) While John was sleeping last night, someone stole his car.
e) A: What were you doing when you broke your leg?
B: I was snowboarding.

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USE 2 Specific Time as an Interruption

In the previous description, the Past Continuous is interrupted by

a shorter action in the simple past. However, there could also be used a
specific time as an interruption.

Examples:

a) Last night at 6 PM, I was eating dinner.

b) At midnight, we were still driving through the desert.
c) Yesterday at this time, I was sitting at my desk at work.

USE 3 Parallel Actions

When using the Past Continuous with two actions in the same
sentence, it expresses the idea that both actions were happening at the
same time. The actions are parallel.

Examples:

a) I was studying while he was making dinner.

b) Were you listening while he was talking?
c) While she was reading, he was watching television.
d) I wasn’t paying attention while I was writing the letter, so I
made several mistakes.

USE 4 Atmosphere

The Past Continuous is often used with series od parallel

actions to describe the atmosphere at a particular time in the past.

Examples:

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a) When I walked into the office, several people were busily

typing, some were talking on the phones, the boss was yelling
directions, and customers were waiting to be helped.

USE 5 Repetition and Irritation with "Always"

The Past Continuous with words such as “always” or

“constantly” expresses the idea that something irritating or
shocking often happened in the past.

Note: The words “always” or “constantly” are between “be”

and “verb + ing”

Examples:

a) She was always coming to class late.

b) He was constantly talking. He annoyed everyone.
c) I didn't like them because they were always complaining.

Use 6 Politeness and uncertainty

The Past Continuous can be used with think, hope and wonder
to give a polite or uncertain meaning.
Examples:
a) I was thinking of having a party next week.
b) I was hoping you would join us at the cafe tonight.
c) I was wondering if you could help me.

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IV PAST PERFECT

The Past Perfect is a verb tense whose function is to represent

that an action took place, once or many times, before another action in
the past.
FORM: HAD + PAST PARTICIPLE
Questions are indicated by inverting the subject and “had”.
Negatives are made with “not”.
 Statement: You had studied English before you moved to
New York.
 Question: Had you studied English before you moved to
New York.
 Negative: You had not studied English before you moved
to New York.

Past Perfect USES:

USE 1 Completed Action Before Something in the Past

In this case, the Past Perfect is used to express the idea that one
action occurred before another action in the past. It could also show
that something happened before a specific time in the past.
Examples:

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a) I did not have any money because I had lost my wallet.

b) Kristine had never been to an opera before last night.
c) We were not able to get a hotel room because we had not
booked in advance.

USE 2 Duration Before Something in the Past (Non-Continuous

Verbs)

With non-continuous verbs and some non-continuous uses of

mixed verbs, the Past Perfect is used to show that something started in
the past and continued up until another action in the past.
Examples:
a) We had had that car for ten years before it broke down.
b) By the time Alex finished his studies, he had been in London
for over eight years.
c) They felt bad about selling the house because they had owned it
for more than forty years.
Note: Although the above use of the past perfect is normally
limited to non-continuous verbs and non-continuous uses of mixed
verbs, the words “live”, “work”, “teach” and “study” are sometimes
used in this way even though they are NOT non-continuous verbs.

IMPORTANT Specific Times with the Past Perfect

Unlike with the Present Perfect, It is possible to use specific time,
words or phrases with the Past Perfect. Although this is possible, It is
usually not necessary.

Example:

a) She had visited her Japanese relatives once in 2009 before she
moved in with them in 2012.

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MOREOVER

If the Past Perfect action did occur at a specific time, the Past
Simple can be used instead of the Past Perfect when “before” or “after” is
used in the sentence. The words “before” and “after” actually tell what
happens first, so the Past Perfect is optional.

Examples:

a) She had visited her Japanese relatives once in 2009 before she
moved in with them in 2012.
b) She visited her Japanese relatives once in 2009 before she moved
in with them in 2012.

In this case, both sentences are correct.

HOWEVER

If the Past Perfect is not referring to an action at a specific time, It

is not optional.

Examples:

a) She never saw a bear before she moved to Alaska. Not Correct
b) She had never seen a bear before she moved to Alaska. Correct

Here the Past perfect is referring to a lack of experience rather than an

action at a specific time. For this reason, Past Simple cannot be used.

V PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS

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The Past Perfect Continuous ( also called past perfect

progressive ) is a verb tense whose function is used to show that an
action started in the past and continued up to another point in the past.

FORM: HAD + BEEN + PRESENT PARTICIPLE

Questions are indicated by inverting the subject and “had”.
Negatives are made with “not”.
 Statement: You had been waiting there for more than two
hours when she finally arrived.
 Question: Had you been waiting there for more than two
hours when she finally arrived?
 Negative: You had not been waiting there for more than
two hours when she finally arrived.

Past Perfect Continuous USES:

USE 1 Duration Before Something in the Past

The Past Perfect Continuous is used to show that an action

started in the past and continued up until another time in the past. “For
five minutes” and “for two weeks” are both durations which can be
used with the Past Perfect Continuous.

Note: The duration does not continue until now, It stops before
something else in the past.

Examples:

a) They had been talking for over an hour before he arrived.

b) How long had you been waiting to get on the bus?
c) He wanted to sit down because he had been standing all day at
work.

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USE 2 Cause of Something in the Past

Another use of the Past Perfect Continuous before another action

in the past is to show cause and effect.

Examples:

a) Jason was tired because he had been jogging.

b) Sam gained weight because he had been overeating.
c) She failed the final test because she had not been attending class.

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VI PAST TENSES IN WISHES AND

HYPOTHESES

WISHES
The verb wish or the phrase If only with past tense forms are
used to talk about wishes for the future. Modals would or could are
added.
Examples:
a) I don't like my work. I wish I could get a better job.
b) That's a dreadful noise. I wish it would stop.
Past Simple and Past Continuous are used to talk about wishes
for the present.
Examples:
a) I wish I was taller.
b) I wish we were travelling first class.
Note: After I/He/She/It were can be used instead of was.
I wish I was/were taller.
John wishes he wasn't/weren't so busy.
Past Perfect is used to talk about wishes for the past.
Examples:
a) I wish I had worked harder when I was at school.
b) I wish I hadn’t spent so much money last month.

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Hypotheses
With hypotheses there are expressions such as: “What if?”,
“In case”, “Suppose (that)”, “Imagine (if/that)”.
With past tense forms they are used to talk about present or
future to suggest something is not likely to be true or to happen.
Examples:
a) Imagine you won the lottery.
b) What if he lost his job?
With Past Perfect It is used to talk about things in the past
which did not happen.
Examples:
a) Suppose you hadn't passed your exams.
b) What if he had lost his job?

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BIBLIOGRAPHY:

1. (https://www.ef.com/ca/english-resources/english-grammar/past-perfect-tense/
), mar, 2020.
2. (https://www.oysterenglish.com/past-simple.html?
fbclid=IwAR1eEazLSnn4KGDkFNVfnSePrg6FOGZ4Y7ha7b6oB4s3JjP1rwbIv0kovLE),
2013.-2020.
3. (https://www.ef.com/ca/english-resources/english-grammar/simple-past-
tense/?
fbclid=IwAR1uNu5nZ68KZ4R6tu5iaZMS0qw9Pmpwz1VbYPZKd6jMXNEu1HGRgjn
NMBI), 2020.
4. (https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/english-grammar-reference/past-simple?
fbclid=IwAR2v6yKrWB77jcewozYa-
x5DRKU7qRElBmQkOmcFmMRXK5tidEWeT4iaqd0), apr, 2020.
5. (https://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/pastperfectcontinuous.html?
fbclid=IwAR0ZNASVisQ0JD2Pu7RrfNmgmxBPndNv-
bhmBKJX0YcBb6HESO5yhW5D4hI), 2020.
6. (https://blog.lingoda.com/en/master-of-past-tenses), jan, 2019.

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Komisija:

Predsednik _______________________________
Ispitivac _______________________________
Član _______________________________

Komentar:

Datum odbrane: ___________________

Ocena: ______________ ( ___ )

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