B2 : English Grammar - The 4 Past Tenses
Below is an explanation on how to use the 4 tenses in the past. It will cover
- Past Simple
- Past Continuous
- Past Perfect
- Past Perfect Continuous
The 4 Past Tenses
The Four Past Tenses Explained
The term "past tense" is used for all past activities or past states of being. However, the past tense is categorized further depending on whether the action was in progress or has been completed. There are, in fact, four past tenses.
The 4 Past Tenses
Past Simple
Examples:
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I went to work.
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The Martians landed near the aqueduct.
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Uses: The simple past tense is used to describe a completed activity that started in the past and ended in the past.
Past Continuous
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I was going to work.
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We were painting the door when a bird struck the window.
The past progressive tense is used to describe an ongoing activity in the past. Often, it is used to set the scene for another action.
Past Perfect
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I had gone to work.
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Rover had eaten the pie before we got home.
The past perfect tense is used to emphasize that an action was completed before another took place.
Past Perfect Continuous
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I had been going to work.
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She had been painting the door before the dog scratched it.
The past perfect progressive tense is used to show that an ongoing action in the past has ended.
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Continuous = Progressive
External Link : https://www.grammar-monster.com/glossary/past_tense.htm
Activities Sheets for Past Simple, Past Continuous,
Past Perfect, and Past Perfect Continuous
Past Simple
Past Continuous
Past Perfect Continuous
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