Using past tenses in English

1. ONCE UPON A TIME .....ONCE UPON A TIME .....
NARRATIVE TENSES

2. Describing events in the past
MAIN EVENTS The past simple is used to describe finished actions and events
in the past.
E.g. When he was only five, Peter had a terrible accident.
BACKGROUND
DESCRIPTION
The past continuous is used to describe actions in progress in
the past. It gives information about the background situation.
E.g. His father was driving. It was pouring down when ....
PAST BEFORE
PAST
The past perfect is used to make it clear that one past event
happened before another past event.
E.g. His father had taken the car to the garage the day before
they set off.
Sometimes, instead of using past perfect, a time expression
can make the order of events clear.
E.g. As soon as his father braked, the car started rolling over.

3. Past simple and continuous
We often use the past continuous first to set the scene, and then
past simple for the separate, completed actions that happened:
E.g. Peter was crying, so his father tried to calm him down and gave
him a sweet.
We often contrast an action in progress with a sudden event which
interrupts it:
E.g. While his father was trying to get out of the car, a bus appeared.

4. Habits in the past
PAST SIMPLE The past simple is used to describe past habits or states. A time expression
is usually necessary:
E.g. When I was a child, I always played hide-and-seek with my classmates
during the break.
USED TO The past simple is used to describe past habits or states. A time expression
is not necessary:
E.g. I used to enjoy it a lot at the beach.
When we use USED TO we suggest that the action is no longer true
and so make a strong contrast with the present.
WOULD It is used to describe a person’s typical activities in the past. It can only be
used to describe repeated actions, not states.
To avoid confusion with other uses of WOULD, we usually mention the
past time or situation:
E.g. We would give her a lift home in the days her parents were abroad.
PAST
CONTINUOUS
It can be used to describe a repeated action in the past, often an annoying
habit. A frequency adverb is needed:
E.g. Oscar was always bothering me during the class.

5.  Use past simple, NOT used to for:
1. periods of time: They lived in the States for a year.
2. a number of times: We visited them there twice.
 Don’t confuse USED TO + inf. With
BE/GET USED TO+ ing. which means
“be/become accustomed to”:
I used to play outside after school.
I got / was used to playing outside after school.

6. Past perfect simple and continuous
PAST PERFECT
SIMPLE
 To describe a single action, or
repeated actions, complete
before a time in the past:
E.g. By the age of 20, she had
written 12 fairy tales.
 To describe a situation which
existed before a past event:
E.g. At the time of her birthday
last year, she had been in
hospital for two months.
PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS
 To describe an ongoing situation or action
which continued up to, or stopped just before a
time in the past:
E.g. Before settling down in Spain, she had been
travelling all around the world.
 Usually together with FOR and SINCE when we
want to focus on the duration of an action:
E.g. He had been looking for a job since 1990.
 We don’t usually use past perfect continuous for
actions and background situation still continuing
at the same time as the past simple narrative:
E.g. When Jane called them in, they were
playing in the garden (at the same time) / When
Jane called them in, they had been playing in
the garden.

8. Sequencing Events: Time Conjunctions
AS/WHILE/ WHEN As/ While/ When I was watching a horror movie, I heard a noise outside (a longer
activity happening “around” a short event)
As/ While/When I was slaving away, my brother was chilling out. (two longer activities
happening at the same time)
When Mary phoned me, I was having a shower. (a short event in the middle of a longer
activity)
When he crossed the finish line, everybody cheered. (a short event immediately before
another short event)
BEFORE/ AFTER Before we left, I (had) filled up with petrol.
I (had) filled up with petrol before we left.
“Before” always goes with the second action in a sequence
After I (had) filled up with petrol, we left.
We left after I (had) filled up with petrol.
“After” always goes with the first action in a sequence
AS SOON AS
(immediately after)
As soon as he went/had gone outside, it started raining.
It started raining as soon as he went/had gone outside.
BY THE TIME
(before)
By the time the police arrived, the robbers had run away.
The robbers had run away by the time the police arrived.

9. Choose the correct option
1. … Joe arrived at the cinema, the film had
finished
a) While b) as soon as c) by the time d) as
2. … we were sitting in a traffic jam, our plane
was taking off.
a) as soon as b) while c) after d) by the time
3. … I phoned Sarah, she said she had been ill.
a) while b) before c) by the time d) when
4. She fell asleep … she was reading a book.
a) as soon as b) before c) by the time d) while
5. … I turned on the TV, the programme ended.
a) While b) as soon as c) by the time d)
before
6. Mechanics had checked the cars … the race
started
a) before b) while c) as d) after
7. The police searched us …. we arrived.
a) when b) by the time c) before d) while
8. I felt so relieved …… I found my missing
purse.
a) while b) before c) by the time d) after

10. Future in the past
Sometimes we need to describe the future from a viewpoint
in the past. We often use “was/were going to” to do it:
E.g. I was going to attend your party, but I had to take my little
boy to hospital. (Usually the planned is not fulfilled)
We also use this form to make excuses for things we have
not done:
E.g. I was going to buy you a present but I didn’t find anything
you’d like.
We can use the negative to talk about things we have done
but did not intend to do:
E.g. We weren’t going to disturb you but we thought you were
not that busy!

11. PRESENT
CONTINUOUS
PAST CONTINUOUS Arrangements
They were meeting Mary at 7, but they were
late.
WILL / SHALL WOULD Predictions, opinions, instant decisions
He thought that Mary would pass the exam.
WILL BE + -ING FORM WOULD BE +-ING In progress at a particular point in the past
In three days’ time, they would be relaxing at
the beach.
WILL HAVE + PAST
PARTICIPLE
WOULD HAVE +
PAST PARTICIPLE
Completed by a particular time in the past
They would have finished their holidays in two
days.
IS/ ARE ABOUT / DUE
TO
WAS/ WERE ABOUT/
DUE TO
Timetable events
The meeting was due to at 7 that day.
IS / ARE TO WAS/ WERE TO In formal English to talk about official
arrangements.
The president was to give a speech at 7.