Past Tenses

Past Simple

My friends and I went to a concert yesterday.

an action occured at a definite time (stated or implied) in the past

I drove to the theatre, parked the car and went to the main entrance.

for actions that happened immediately one after the other in the past

They played in small clubs when they were not very

famous.habits or states which are now finished (used to can can also be used for habits / repeated actions in the past

yesterday, then, when, How long ago...?, last night / week / month / year / Friday / October etc, three days / weeks etc ago, in 1999, etc.

TIME EXPRESSIONS

Past Continuous

We were driving to the concert when the car

broke down.an action which was in progress (past continuous) when another action interrupted it (past simple)

Susan was working while her friends were watching

TV.two or more simultaneous actions in the past

At 9 o’clock yesterday she was having breakfast.

an action which was in progress at a stated time in the past; it is not mentioned when the action started or finished

It was raining and the wind was howling as we were

walking towards the stationthe atmosphere, setting, etc & to give background information in a story

while, as, all morning / evening / day / week, etc.

TIME EXPRESSIONS

Past Perfect

I had completed my work by five o’clock.

an action happened before another past action or before a stated time in the past

Ed had learnt to drive but still couldn’t park

properly.an action which finished in the past, and whose result was visible at a later point in the past

before, after, already, just, for, since, till/until, when, by the time, never, etc.

TIME EXPRESSIONS

Past Perfect Continuous

They had been training for about three hours before

they went home.to put emaphasis on the duration of an action which started and finished in the past, before another action and or stated time in the past, usually with for or since

Lucy had a sore throat because she has been

talking for hours.an action which lasted for some time in the past and whose result was visible in the past

for, since, how long, before, until, etc.

TIME EXPRESSIONS