Tenses

TENSES
By :
Fianti Damayanti ( X MIA-1 )
SMAN 2 MOJOKERTO

Present Tense
 Simple Present Tense
 Present Continuous Tense
 Present Perfect Tense
 Present Perfect Continuous Tense
Past Tense
 Simple Past Tense
 Past Continuous Tense
 Past Perfect Tense

Simple Present Tense
It is used to express an action in present time, habitual or
usual actions or daily event or universal fact. It is used to
express an action in present time which is usually done on
a regular basis. For example a student says, “I go to
school”. It is a daily activity of a student to go to school, so
such actions are expressed by present simple tense.
Another example is, “I work in a factory”. It tells about a
usual action of a person that he works in a factory on
regular basis.

Nominal Form :
I/You/We/They + To Be (am/are)
He/She/It + To Be (is)
Examples :
 I am here every Sunday.
 They are at home every morning.
 We are love INSCADA.
 He is very smart.

Verbal Form :
I/You/We/They + VERB 1
He/She/It + VERB 1 (s/es)
Examples :
 I go to the school every day
 We study English at school
 She watches TV in the evening
 He loves me very much

When should we use the simple
present tense?
Now we know how to make the present simple sentences.
We use simple present tense in several different situations.
USE 1 : Repeated Actions
Use the Simple Present to express the idea that an action is
repeated or regular. The action can be a daily event, a
habit, a hobby, a scheduled event or something that often
happens.
Example :
 I walk to work every day.

 I always come to school by car.
 She frequently arrives here before me.
 He never forgets to do his homework.
 I often catch the late bus home.
 Once a year I fly back to visit my family in Korea.
 The classrooms are cleaned every evening after school.
 She sometimes loses her temper, but it doesn't happen very
often.
 Do you ever eat in the cafeteria?
 Does your father speak English every day?

USE 2 : Facts or Generalizations
The Simple Present can also indicate the speaker believes
that a fact was true before, is true now, and will be true in
the future. It is not important if the speaker is correct about
the fact. It is also used to make generalizations about
people or things.
Examples :
 We come from Switzerland.
 Summer follows spring.
 The moon travels around the earth..

 It rains a lot in Germany.
 I don't like horror films!
 Do you smoke?
 Does your sister have any children?
 How much does it cost to buy an apartment in Frankfurt?
 Birds do not like milk.
 California is in America.
 California is not in the United Kingdom.
 Windows are made of glass.
 Windows are not made of wood.

USE 3 : World Truths
 The sun sets in the West.
 Most babies learn to speak when they are about two years
old.
 Water boils at 100° Celsius.
 Trees lose their leaves in the fall.
 Few people live to be 100 years old.
 Wood floats on water.
 Does it snow in the Sahara desert?
 Do elephants live longer than humans?

USE 4 : Scheduled Events in the Near Future
Speakers occasionally use Simple Present to talk about
scheduled events in the near future. This is most
commonly done when talking about public transportation,
but it can be used with other scheduled events as well.
Examples:
 The train leaves tonight at 6 PM.
 The bus does not arrive at 11 AM, it arrives at 11 PM.
 The party starts at 8 o'clock.
 When does class begin tomorrow?

USE 5 : Verbs of the senses and mental processes
The present simple tense is used for many verbs of
thinking, feeling and sensing. The most common words
are:
 I love lying in bed late on Sunday mornings.
 I need to know right now.
 She says she doesn't know who did it, but I don't believe
her.
 He doesn't want to speak to you again.
 This doesn't taste very good, does it?

USE 6 : Observations and declarations
We commonly use the Simple Present with other verbs to
make observations and declarations in the course of
conversation:
 I hope/assume/suppose/promise everything will be all
right.
 I declare this exhibition open.

Structure of sentence – Rules
Positive Sentence
• Subject + Main verb + Object
• Subject + 1st form of verb (or base verb) + Object
Note : If the subject in a sentence is “he, she, it, singular or
proper noun” then “s” or “es” is added to the first form of
verb or base form in the sentence.

Examples :
 I write a letter.
 He gets up early in the morning.
 Sun rises in east.
 I sing a song.
 He drinks water.
 They read lessons.
 John reaches home in time.
 Water maintains its surface level.

Negative Sentences
• Subject + auxiliary verb +NOT + Main verb +object
• Subject + Do not/Does not + 1st form of verb (or base
form) + object
Examples :
 I do not write a letter.
 He does not get up early in the morning.
 Sun does not rise in east.

Note : In negative sentence auxiliary verb “do or does”
along with “not” is used. If the subject in a sentence is “he,
she, it, singular or proper noun”, then “Does not” is used
after subject in sentence. If subject is “I, we, they, you or
plural” then “Do not” is used after subject in sentence. “s”
or “es” is not added to main verb in negative sentence.

Interrogative Sentence
• Auxiliary verb + Subject + Main verb + Object
• Do/Does + Subject + 1st for of verb (or base verb) +
Object
Examples :
 Do I write a letter?
 Does he get up early in the morning?
 Does sun rise in east?

Note: If the subject in a sentence is “he, she, it, singular or
proper noun” the sentence is started with Auxiliary verb
“Does”. If the subject in a sentence is “I, we, they, you or
plural” the sentence is started with auxiliary verb “Do”. “s”
or “es” is not added to main verb in Interrogative sentence.

Time signal :
 Always
 Often
 Every day
 When
 Seldom
 Usually
 Sometimes
 Generally
 Etc

Present Continuous Text
It is used to express a continued or ongoing action at
present time. It expresses an action which is in progress at
the time of speaking. For example, a person says, “I am
writing a letter”. It means that he is in the process of
writing a letter right now. Such actions which are
happening at time of speaking are expressed by present
continuous tense. Present Continuous tense is also called
Present progressive tense.

Formula :
I/You/They/We + To Be (am/are) + V 1 (ing)
He/She/It + To Be (is) + V 1 (ing)
Examples :
 I am playing volley ball now.
 We are studying English now.
 He is falling in love with me now.

When should we use the Present
Continuous Tense ?
USE 1 : Now
Use the Present Continuous with Normal Verbs to express
the idea that something is happening now, at this very
moment. It can also be used to show that something is not
happening now.
Examples :
 You are learning English now.
 You are not swimming now.
 Is he sitting or standing?

USE 2 : Longer Actions in Progress Now
In English, "now" can mean : this second, today, this
month, this year, this century, and so on. Sometimes, we
use the Present Continuous to say that we are in the
process of doing a longer action which is in progress;
however, we might not be doing it at this exact second.
Examples :
 I am studying to become a doctor.
 I am not studying to become a dentist.

USE 3 : Near Future
Sometimes, speakers use the Present Continuous to
indicate that something will or will not happen in the near
future.
Examples :
 I am meeting some friends after work.
 Is he visiting his parents next weekend?
 Isn't he coming with us tonight?

USE 4 : Repetition and Irritation with "Always"
The Present Continuous with words such as "always" or
"constantly" expresses the idea that something irritating or
shocking often happens. Notice that the meaning is like
Simple Present, but with negative emotion. Remember to
put the words "always" or "constantly" between "be" and
"verb+ing.“
Example :
 She is always coming to class late.
 He is constantly talking. I wish he would shut up.

REMEMBER Non-Continuous Verbs/ Mixed Verbs
It is important to remember that Non-Continuous Verbs
cannot be used in any continuous tenses. Also, certain non-
continuous meanings for Mixed Verbs cannot be used in
continuous tenses. Instead of using Present Continuous
with these verbs, you must use Simple Present.
Examples :
 She is loving this chocolate ice cream. Not Correct
 She loves this chocolate ice cream. Correct

ADVERB PLACEMENT
The examples below show the placement for grammar
adverbs such as: always, only, never, ever, still, just, etc.
Examples :
 You are still watching TV.
 Are you still watching TV?
ACTIVE / PASSIVE
Examples :
 Right now, Tom is writing the letter. Active
 Right now, the letter is being written by Tom. Passive

Structure of sentence
Positive Sentence
• Subject + auxiliary verb + main verb-ing (Present
participle) + object
• Subject + am/is/are + (1st form of verb or base verb +
ing) + object
If the subject is “I” then auxiliary verb “am” is used after
subject in sentence.
If the subject is “He, She, It, singular or proper name” then
auxiliary verb “is” is used after subject in sentence.

If subject is “You, They or plural” then auxiliary verb “are”
is used after subject in sentence.
The participle “ing” is added to the 1st form of verb i.e.
going (go) writing (write).
Examples :
 I am playing cricket.
 He is driving a car.
 They are reading their lessons.

Negative Sentence
• Subject + auxiliary verb + not + main verb-ing
(Present participle) + object
• Subject + am/is/are + not + (1st form of verb + ing) +
object
Rules for using auxiliary verbs (am or is or are) after
subject in negative sentences are same as mentioned above.
Examples :
 I am not playing cricket.
 He is not driving a car.
 They are not reading their lessons.

Interrogative Sentences
• Auxiliary verb + Subject + main verb-ing (Present
• Am/is/are + Subject + (1st form of verb or base verb
+ ing) + object
For making interrogative sentences, the sentence is started
with auxiliary verb rather than putting auxiliary verb inside
the sentence. If the subject is “I” the sentence starts with
auxiliary verb “am”. If the subject is “He, She, It, singular
or proper name” the sentence starts with auxiliary verb
“is”. If subject is “You, They or plural” the sentence starts
with auxiliary verb “are”.

Examples :
 Am I playing cricket?
 Is he driving a car?
 Are they reading their lessons?
Time Signal :
 Now
 Right now
 At present
 To day

Present Perfect Tense
It is used to expressed an action which happened or
completed in past but usually the action which happened or
completed at a short time before now (near past) not a very
long time before now. Specific time such as two years ago,
last week or that day is usually not used in the sentences of
in this tense. It means that this tense expresses the action
whose time when it happened, is not exactly specified but
it sounds to refer to some action that happened or
completed in near past.

Nominal Form :
I/We/You/They + Have + been
He/She/It + Has + been
Examples :
 I have been to China before.
 She as been shot by me just now.
 He has been married.
 We have been to Indonesia before.

Verbal Form :
I/We/You/They + Have + V 3
He/She/It + Has + V 3
Examples :
 I have eaten.
 We have sung Indonesia Raya together.

Perfect Tense ?
USE 1 : Unspecified Time Before Now
We use the Present Perfect to say that an action happened
at an unspecified time before now. The exact time is not
important. You CANNOT use the Present Perfect with
specific time expressions such as: yesterday, one year ago,
last week, when I was a child, when I lived in Japan, at that
moment, that day, one day, etc. We CAN use the Present
Perfect with unspecific expressions such as: ever, never,
once, many times, several times, before, so far, already,
yet, etc.

Examples :
 I have seen that movie twenty times.
 I think I have met him once before.
 There have been many earthquakes in California.
 People have traveled to the Moon
 People have not traveled to Mars.
 Have you read the book yet?
 Nobody has ever climbed that mountain.
 A: Has there ever been a war in the United States?
B: Yes, there has been a war in the United States

How Do You Actually Use the
Present Perfect?
The concept of "unspecified time" can be very confusing to
English learners. It is best to associate Present Perfect with
the following topics:
TOPIC 1 : Experience
You can use the Present Perfect to describe your
experience. It is like saying, "I have the experience of..."
You can also use this tense to say that you have never had
a certain experience. The Present Perfect is NOT used to
describe a specific event.

Examples:
 I have been to France.
This sentence means that you have had the experience of
being in France. Maybe you have been there once, or
several times.
 I have been to France three times.
You can add the number of times at the end of the
sentence.
 I have never been to France.
This sentence means that you have not had the experience
of going to France.
 I think I have seen that movie before.

TOPIC : 2 Change Over Time
We often use the Present Perfect to talk about change that
has happened over a period of time.
Examples :
 The government has become more interested in arts
education.
 Japanese has become one of the most popular courses at
the university since the Asian studies program was
established.
 My English has really improved since I moved to
Australia.

TOPIC 3 : Accomplishments
We often use the Present Perfect to list the
accomplishments of individuals and humanity. You cannot
mention a specific time.
Examples :
 Man has walked on the Moon.
 Our son has learned how to read.
 Doctors have cured many deadly diseases.

TOPIC 4 : An Uncompleted Action You Are Expecting
We often use the Present Perfect to say that an action
which we expected has not happened. Using the Present
Perfect suggests that we are still waiting for the action to
happen.
Examples :
 James has not finished his homework yet.
 Susan hasn't mastered Japanese, but she can
communicate.
 The rain hasn't stopped.

TOPIC 5 : Multiple Actions at Different Times
We also use the Present Perfect to talk about several
different actions which have occurred in the past at
different times. Present Perfect suggests the process is not
complete and more actions are possible.
Examples :
 We have had many major problems while working on this
project.
 She has talked to several specialists about her problem,
but nobody knows why she is sick.

Time Expressions with Present Perfect
When we use the Present Perfect it means that something
has happened at some point in our lives before now.
Remember, the exact time the action happened is not
important.
Sometimes, we want to limit the time we are looking in for
an experience. We can do this with expressions such as: in
the last week, in the last year, this week, this month, so far,
up to now, etc.
Examples:
 Have you been to Mexico in the last year?

NOTICE
"Last year" and "in the last year" are very different in
meaning. "Last year" means the year before now, and it is
considered a specific time which requires Simple Past. "In
the last year" means from 365 days ago until now. It is not
considered a specific time, so it requires Present Perfect.
Examples :
 I went to Mexico last year.
I went to Mexico in the calendar year before this one.
 I have been to Mexico in the last year.
I have been to Mexico at least once at some point between
365 days ago and now.

USE 2 : Duration From the Past Until Now (Non-
Continuous Verbs)
With Non-Continuous Verbs and non-continuous uses of
Mixed Verbs, we use the Present Perfect to show that
something started in the past and has continued up until
now. "For five minutes," "for two weeks," and "since
Tuesday" are all durations which can be used with the
Present Perfect.
Examples :
 Mary has loved chocolate since she was a little girl.

ADVERB PLACEMENT
Examples :
 You have only seen that movie one time.
 Have you only seen that movie one time?
ACTIVE / PASSIVE
Examples :
 Many tourists have visited that castle. Active
 That castle has been visited by many tourists. Passive

Structure of Sentence
Positive Sentence
• Subject + Auxiliary verb + main verb (past
participle) + Subject
• Subject + has/have + 3rd form of verb or past
participle + subject

auxiliary verb “has” is used after subject in sentence.
If subject is “You, They or plural” then auxiliary verb
“have” is used after subject in sentence.
Examples :
 I have eaten meal
 She has learnt a lesson

Negative Sentence
• Subject + Auxiliary verb + NOT + main verb (past
• Subject + has/have + NOT + 3rd form of verb or
past participle + subject
Examples :
 I have not eaten meal.
 She has not learnt a lesson.
 They have not bought a new car.

Interrogative Sentences
• Auxiliary verb + Subject + main verb (past
• Has/have + Subject + 3rd form of verb or past
participle + subject
Interrogative sentence starts with auxiliary verb. If the
subject is “He, She, It, singular or proper name” then the
sentence starts with auxiliary verb “has”.
If subject is “You, They or plural” then the sentence starts
with auxiliary verb “have”.

Examples :
 Have I eaten meal?
 Has she learnt a lesson?
 Have they gone to school?
 Have they bought a new car?
 Have I started a job?
 Has it rained?

Time Signal :
 Once
 Already
 As yet
 Since 1970
 At last
 Since
 Since yesterday
 Finally
 Just

Present Perfect Continuous
It is used to express a continued or ongoing action that
started in past and is continued until now. There will be a
time reference, such as “since 1980, for three hours etc”
from which the action has been started. A sense of time
reference is found in these sentences which gives an idea
that action has been continued from some time in past till
now. Such time reference or sense of time reference is the
identity of Present perfect continuous tense because it tells
that action has started from a particular time in past. For
example, “He has been reading in this school since 2005”,
so the it means that he has started his education in this
school in 2005 and he is studying in this school till now.

Note: If there is not time reference or sense of time
reference then it is not Present perfect continuous tense
because there is no hint about the time of action when it
started in past and it seems just an ongoing action at
present time which resembles “present Continuous tense.
So the reference of time differentiates between Present
perfect continuous tense and Present continuous tense.

Rules: An auxiliary verb “has been or have been” is used
in sentence. 1st form of verb (base verb) +ing (present
participle) is used as main verb in sentence.
“Since” or “for” is used before the “time reference” in
sentence. If the time reference is exactly known such as
1995, 4 O’clock then “since” is used before the time in
sentence. If the time reference is not exactly known such as
three hours, six years, four days, then “for” is used before
the time in sentence. Time reference such as 3 hours or 5
days is not exactly known because we don’t know that
about which three hours a day is told in sentence or about
which 5 days in a month is told in sentence. While the
1995 is exactly known time

Formula :
I/We/You/They + Have + Been + V 1 + ing
He/She/It + Has + Been + V 1 + ing
Example :
 I have been working here for two days
 They have been trainig English for year
 She has been looking fior me since morning
 Have you been waiting here for two hours?
 You have not been waiting here for two hours.

Perfect Continuous Tense?
USE 1 : Duration from the Past Until Now
We use the Present Perfect Continuous to show that
something started in the past and has continued up until
now. "For five minutes," "for two weeks," and "since
Tuesday" are all durations which can be used with the
Present Perfect Continuous.
Examples :
 What have you been doing for the last 30 minutes?
 Why has Nancy not been taking her medicine for the last
three days?

USE 2 : Recently, Lately
You can also use the Present Perfect Continuous
WITHOUT a duration such as "for two weeks." Without
the duration, the tense has a more general meaning of
"lately." We often use the words "lately" or "recently" to
emphasize this meaning.
Examples:
 She has been watching too much television lately.
 Have you been exercising lately?
 Mary has been feeling a little depressed.

IMPORTANT
Remember that the Present Perfect Continuous has the
meaning of "lately" or "recently." If you use the Present
Perfect Continuous in a question such as "Have you been
feeling alright?", it can suggest that the person looks sick
or unhealthy. A question such as "Have you been
smoking?" can suggest that you smell the smoke on the
person. Using this tense in a question suggests you can see,
smell, hear or feel the results of the action. It is possible to
insult someone by using this tense incorrectly

REMEMBER Non-Continuous Verbs/ Mixed Verbs
continuous tenses. Instead of using Present Perfect
Continuous with these verbs, you must use Present Perfect.
Examples :
 Sam has been having his car for two years. Not Correct
 Sam has had his car for two years. Correct

ADVERB PLACEMENT
Examples :
 You have only been waiting here for one hour.
 Have you only been waiting here for one hour?

ACTIVE / PASSIVE
Examples :
 Recently, John has been doing the work. Active
 Recently, the work has been being done by John. Passive
NOTE : Present Perfect Continuous is less commonly used
in its passive form.

Positive Sentence.
• Subject + Auxiliary verb + main verb (Present participle)
+ Object + Time reference
• Subject + has been/have been + (1st form of verb or base
verb + ing) + object + time reference
auxiliary verb “has been” is used after subject in sentence.
If subject is “You, They or plural” then auxiliary verb
“have been” is used after subject in sentence.

Examples :
 He has been watering the plants for two hours.
 I have been studying since 3 O’clock.
 It has been raining for three days.
 I have been living in America since 2003.
 He has been playing cricket for two hours.
 They have been watching television since 6 O’clock.
 She has been working in this office since 2007.

Negative Sentence.
• Subject +”Not” between the Auxiliary verb + main verb
(present participle) + Object + Time reference
• Subject + has not been/have not been + (1st form of verb
or base verb + ing) + object + time reference
To make negative sentence, the word “not” is written
between the auxiliary verbs, so it becomes like “has not
been or have not been”. The rule for using auxiliary verb
“has been or have been” in negative sentences is as same
as mentioned above.

Examples :
 He has not been watering the plants for two hours.
 I have not been studying since 3 O’clock.
 It has not been raining for three days.
 I have not been living in America since 2003.
 He has not been playing cricket for two hours.
 They have not been watching television since 6 O’clock.
 She has not been working in this office since 2007.

Interrogative Sentence.
• Auxiliary verb + Subject + Auxiliary verb + main verb
(present participle) + object + time reference
• Has/have + Subject + been + (1st form of verb or base
verb+ing) + object + time reference
Interrogative sentence starts with auxiliary verb. If the
subject is “He, She, It, singular or proper name” then the
sentence starts with auxiliary verb “has” and auxiliary verb
“been” is used after subject
If subject is “You, They or plural” then the sentence starts
with auxiliary verb “have” and “been” is used after subject.

Examples :
 Has he been watering the plants for two hours?
 Have I been studying since 3 O’clock?
 Has it been raining for three days?
 Have I been living in America since 2003?
 Has he been playing cricket for two hours?
 Have they been watching television since 6 O’clock?
 Has she been working in this office since 2007?

Time signal :
 To night
 If
 Before
 Next
 When
 While
 Until
 Soon
 After

Simple Past Tense
It is used to express an action that happened or completed
in past, usually a very little time before speaking, or action
which is just completed. Time of action is not specified in
terms of long time ago or short ago but it make a sense that
the action has done a little time ago. For example, a person
says, “I watched a movie”, it means the speaker of this
sentence watched a movie a little time ago or little time
ago in the same day.

Nominal Form :
You/They/We + To be (were)
I/He/She/It + To be (was)
Examples :
 I was here last night.
 They were happy last week.
 Did you call Debbie?
 You did not call Debbie.

Verbal Form :
I/You/We/They/He/She/It + V 2
Examples :
 I went last week.
 She went to Bali yesterday.
 He bought sugar yesterday.

When should we use the Simple
Past Tense?
USE 1 : Completed Action in the Past
Use the Simple Past to express the idea that an action
started and finished at a specific time in the past.
Sometimes, the speaker may not actually mention the
specific time, but they do have one specific time in mind.
Examples :
 I saw a movie yesterday.
 I didn't see a play yesterday.
 Last year, I didn't travel to Korea.
 Did you have dinner last night?

USE 2 : A Series of Completed Actions
We use the Simple Past to list a series of completed actions
in the past. These actions happen 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and so
on.
Examples :
 I finished work, walked to the beach, and found a nice
place to swim.
 He arrived from the airport at 8:00, checked into the hotel
at 9:00, and met the others at 10:00.
 Did you add flour, pour in the milk, and then add the
eggs?

USE 3 : Duration in Past
The Simple Past 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, all year, etc.
Examples :
 I lived in Brazil for two years.
 They sat at the beach all day.
 They did not stay at the party the entire time.
 A: How long did you wait for them?
B: We waited for one hour.

USE 4 : Habits in the Past
The Simple Past can also be used to describe a habit which
stopped in the past. It can have the same meaning as "used
to." To make it clear that we are talking about a habit, we
often add expressions such as: always, often, usually,
never, when I was a child, when I was younger, etc.
Examples :
 I studied French when I was a child.
 He didn't play the piano.
 Did you play a musical instrument when you were a kid?
 They never went to school, they always skipped class.

USE 5 : Past Facts or Generalizations
The Simple Past can also be used to describe past facts or
generalizations which are no longer true. As in USE 4
above, this use of the Simple Past is quite similar to the
expression "used to."
Examples :
 She was shy as a child, but now she is very outgoing.
 He didn't like tomatoes before.
 Did you live in Texas when you were a kid?
 People paid much more to make cell phone calls in the
past.

IMPORTANT When-Clauses Happen First
Clauses are groups of words which have meaning but are
often not complete sentences. Some clauses begin with the
word "when" such as "when I dropped my pen..." or "when
class began..." These clauses are called when-clauses, and
they are very important. The examples below contain
when-clauses.
Examples :
 When I paid her one dollar, she answered my question.
 She answered my question when I paid her one dollar.

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 paid her one
dollar, and then, she answered my question. It is not
important whether "when I paid her one dollar" 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 paid her one
dollar.
Example :
 I paid her one dollar when she answered my question.

ADVERB PLACEMENT
Examples :
 You just called Debbie.
 Did you just call Debbie?
ACTIVE / PASSIVE
Examples :
 Tom repaired the car. Active
 The car was repaired by Tom. Passive

Structure of sentences
Positive Sentence
• Subject + main verb (past simple) + object
• Subject + 2nd form of verb (past simple) + object
Examples :
 I killed a snake.
 He ate a mango.
 He gave me a gift.
 They went to cinema.

Negative sentences
• Subject + (auxiliary verb + not) main verb (base
form) + object
• Subject + did not + 1st form of verb or base form +
object
In negative sentence “did not” is written and the 1st form
of verb (base verb) is used instead of using 2nd form (or
past simple verb).
Examples :
I did not kill a snake.
He did not eat a mango.

Interrogative sentences
• Auxiliary verb + subject + main verb (base verb) +
object
• Did + subject + 1st form of verb (or base verb) +
object
Interrogative sentence starts with “did” and the 1st form of
verb (base verb) is used instead of using 2nd form (or past
simple verb).
Examples :
 Did I kill a snake?
 Did he eat a mango?

Time Signal :
 Yesterday
 Last night
 An hour ago
 Two days ago
 Last Monday
 Last year

Past Continuous Tense
It is used to express a continued or ongoing action in past,
an ongoing action which occurred in past and completed at
some point in past. It expresses an ongoing nature of an
action in past. For example, “he was laughing.” This
sentence shows ongoing action (laughing) of a person
which occurred in past. Past continuous tense is also called
past progressive.

Formula :
I/He/She/It + was + V 1 + ing
We/You/They + were + V 1 + ing
Examples :
 You were studying when she called.
 Were you studying when she called?
 You were not studying when she called.
 I was writing a lesson all day, yesterday.

When should we use the Past
Continuous Tense?
USE 1 : Interrupted Action in the Past
Use the Past Continuous to indicate that a longer action in
the past was interrupted. The interruption is usually a
shorter action in the Simple Past. Remember this can be a
real interruption or just an interruption in time.
Examples :
 I was watching TV when she called.
 When the phone rang, she was writing a letter.
 While we were having the picnic, it started to rain.
 What were you doing when the earthquake started?

 I was listening to my iPod, so I didn't hear the fire alarm.
 You were not listening to me when I told you to turn the
oven off.
 While John was sleeping last night, someone stole his car.
 Sammy was waiting for us when we got off the plane.
 While I was writing the email, the computer suddenly
went off.
 A: What were you doing when you broke your leg?
B: I was snowboarding.

USE 2 : Specific Time as an Interruption
In USE 1, described above, the Past Continuous is
interrupted by a shorter action in the Simple Past.
However, you can also use a specific time as an
interruption.
Examples:
 Last night at 6 PM, I was eating dinner.
 At midnight, we were still driving through the desert.
 Yesterday at this time, I was sitting at my desk at work.

IMPORTANT
In the Simple Past, a specific time is used to show when an
action began or finished. In the Past Continuous, a specific
time only interrupts the action.
Examples :
 Last night at 6 PM, I ate dinner.
I started eating at 6 PM.
 Last night at 6 PM, I was eating dinner.
I started earlier; and at 6 PM, I was in the process of
eating dinner.

USE 3 : Parallel Actions
When you use 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 :
 I was studying while he was making dinner.
 While Ellen was reading, Tim was watching television.
 Were you listening while he was talking?

 What were you doing while you were waiting?
 Thomas wasn't working, and I wasn't working either.
 They were eating dinner, discussing their plans, and
having a good time.
 I wasn't paying attention while I was writing the letter, so
I made several mistakes.

USE 4 : Atmosphere
In English, we often use a series of parallel actions to
describe the atmosphere at a particular time in the past.
Example:
 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. One customer was yelling at a secretary and
waving his hands. Others were complaining to each other
about the bad service.

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. The concept is very
similar to the expression "used to" but with negative
emotion. Remember to put the words "always" or
"constantly" between "be" and "verb+ing.“
Examples :
 She was always coming to class late.
 He was constantly talking. He annoyed everyone.

While vs. When
Clauses are groups of words which have meaning, but are
often not complete sentences. Some clauses begin with the
word "when" such as "when she called" or "when it bit
me." Other clauses begin with "while" such as "while she
was sleeping" and "while he was surfing." When you talk
about things in the past, "when" is most often followed by
the verb tense Simple Past, whereas "while" is usually
followed by Past Continuous. "While" expresses the idea
of "during that time." Study the examples below. They
have similar meanings, but they emphasize different parts
of the sentence.

Examples :
 I was studying when she called.
 While I was studying, she called

REMEMBER Non-Continuous Verbs / Mixed Verbs
continuous tenses. Instead of using Past Continuous with
these verbs, you must use Simple Past.
Examples :
 Jane was being at my house when you arrived. Not
Correct
 Jane was at my house when you arrived. Correct

ADVERB PLACEMENT
Examples :
 You were just studying when she called.
 Were you just studying when she called?

ACTIVE / PASSIVE
Examples :
 The salesman was helping the customer when the thief
came into the store. Active
 The customer was being helped by the salesman when the
thief came into the store. Passive

Positive sentences
• Subject + auxiliary verb + Main Verb (present
• Subject + was/were + (1st form of verb or base
verb +ing) +object
If the subject is “he, she, It, I, singular or proper noun”
then auxiliary verb “was” is used. If subject is “you, we,
they or plural” then auxiliary verb “were” is used.

Examples :
 She was crying yesterday.
 They were climbing on a hill.
 They were laughing at the joker.
 He was taking exam last month
 You waiting for him yesterday
 She was working in a factory.
 It was raining yesterday.

Negative sentences
• Subject + auxiliary verb + NOT + Main verb
(present participle) + object
• Subject + was/were + NOT + (1st form of verb or
base verb +ing) +object
Rules for using auxiliary verb after subject are same as
mentioned above.
Examples :
 She was not crying yesterday.
 They were not climbing on a hill.

Interrogative sentences
• Auxiliary verb + Subject + Main verb (present
• Was/were + Subject + (1st form of verb or base
verb +ing) +object
The interrogative sentence starts with the auxiliary verb. If
the subject is “he, she, It, I, singular or proper noun” then
the sentence starts with auxiliary verb “was”. If subject is
“you, we, they or plural” then the sentence starts with
auxiliary verb “were”.

Examples :
 Was she crying yesterday?
 Were they climbing on a hill?
 Were they laughing at the joker?
 Was he taking exam last month?
 Were you waiting for him yesterday?
 Was she working in a factory?
 Was it raining yesterday?

Time Signal :
 When
 While
 As
 All day
 Etc.

Past Perfect Tense
It is used to express an action which has occurred in past
(usually, a long time ago) and action which has occurred in
past before another action in past.
For example,
I had lived in America. (The sense of time in this sentence
refers to a completed action in past and especially a long
time ago)

The students had gone before the teacher came. (The first
part of sentence “The student has gone” is sentence of past
perfect tense, it says about an action which occurred before
another action in past which is “the teacher came”. The
second part “the teacher came” is sentence of past simple
tense. So such a sentence which express an action in past
before another action in past comprises two parts where
the first part of sentence is past perfect tense)
Rules. Auxiliary verb “had” is used in sentence. 3rd form
of verb (past participle) is used as main verb in sentence

Nominal Form :
I/You/They/We/She/It + Had + Been
Examples :
 He had been at home
 You had been there a long time

Verbal Form :
I/You/They/We/He/She/It + Had + V 3
Examples :
 I had left before my parents come
 They had left before you arrived

When should we use the Past
Perfect Tense ?
USE 1 : Completed Action Before Something in the Past
The Past Perfect expresses the idea that something
occurred before another action in the past. It can also show
that something happened before a specific time in the past.
Examples :
 I had never seen such a beautiful beach before I went to
Kauai.
 I did not have any money because I had lost my wallet.
 Tony knew Istanbul so well because he had visited the
city several times.

 Had Susan ever studied Thai before she moved to
Thailand?
 She only understood the movie because she had read the
book.
 Kristine had never been to an opera before last night.
 We were not able to get a hotel room because we had not
booked in advance.
 A: Had you ever visited the U.S. before your trip in 2006?
B: Yes, I had been to the U.S. once before.

USE 2 : Duration Before Something in the Past (Non-
Continuous Verbs)
With Non-Continuous Verbs and some non-continuous
uses of Mixed Verbs, we use the Past Perfect to show that
something started in the past and continued up until
another action in the past.
Examples :
 By the time Alex finished his studies, he had been in
London for over eight years.

 They felt bad about selling the house because they had
owned it for more than forty years.
Although the above use of 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 :
 She had visited her Japanese relatives once in 1993 before
she moved in with them in 1996.

MOREOVER
If the Past Perfect action did occur at a specific time, the
Simple Past can be used instead of the Past Perfect when
"before" or "after" is used in the sentence. The words
"before" and "after" actually tell you what happens first, so
the Past Perfect is optional. For this reason, both sentences
below are correct.
Examples :
 She had visited her Japanese relatives once in 1993 before
she moved in with them in 1996.
 She visited her Japanese relatives once in 1993 before she
moved in with them in 1996.

HOWEVER
If the Past Perfect is not referring to an action at a specific
time, Past Perfect is not optional. Compare the examples
below. Here Past Perfect is referring to a lack of
experience rather than an action at a specific time. For this
reason, Simple Past cannot be used.
Examples :
 She never saw a bear before she moved to Alaska. Not
Correct
 She had never seen a bear before she moved to Alaska.
Correct

ADVERB PLACEMENT
Examples :
 You had previously studied English before you moved to
New York.
 Had you previously studied English before you moved to
New York?

ACTIVE / PASSIVE
Examples :
 George had repaired many cars before he received his
mechanic's license. Active
 Many cars had been repaired by George before he
received his mechanic's license. Passive

Positive sentence
• Subject + auxiliary verb + main verb (past
• Subject + had + 3rd form of verb or past participle +
object
Examples :
 He had taken the exam last year.
 A thief had stolen my watch.

Negative sentence
• Subject + auxiliary verb + NOT + main verb (past
•Subject + had + not + 3rd form of verb or past
participle + object
“Not” is written after auxiliary verb in negative sentence.
Examples :
 He had not taken the exam last year.
 A thief had not stolen my watch.
 They had not visited a doctor.

Interrogative sentence
• Auxiliary verb + subject + main verb (past participle)
+ object
• Had + subject + 3rd form of verb or past participle +
object
Interrogative sentence starts with auxiliary verb “had”
Examples :
 Had he taken the exam last year
 Had a thief stolen my watch?
 Had it rained heavily last month?

Time Signal :
 Before
 After
 Until
 As soon as

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