Past Tenses in English – contrasted
1. Use
Simple Past | Past Progressive | Past Perfect | Past Perfect Progressive | Present Perfect** | Present Perfect Progressive** |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
action finished in the past | action was in progress at special time in the past | the past equivalent of Present Perfect | how long something had been happening before something else happened |
|
action beginning in the past and still continuing (focus is on the action) |
2. Signal words
Simple Past | Past Progressive | Past Perfect | Past Perfect Progressive | Present Perfect** | Present Perfect Progressive** |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
while | no unambiguous ones |
|
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3. Form
Simple Past | Past Progressive | Past Perfect | Past Perfect Progressive | Present Perfect** | Present Perfect Progressive** |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
regular: infinitive + ed irregular: 2nd column of the irregular verbs |
was, were + infinitive + -ing | had + past participle* | had + been + infinitive + ing | have/has + past participle* | have/has + been + infinitive + -ing |
* past participle:
- regular verbs → infinitive + -ed
- irregular verbs → 3rd column of the table of the irregular verbs
4. Examples
4.1. Affirmative sentences
Simple Past | Past Progressive | Past Perfect | Past Perfect Progressive | Present Perfect** | Present Perfect Progressive** |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
We were in the USA and visited Alaska last year. | Joe was writing an e-mail at 5 o'clock yesterday evening. | She had read a comic before she went to bed. | She had been waiting for Jack for 30 minutes when he arrived. |
He has lived in Melbourne since 2010. | They have been waiting for him for two hours. |
4.2. Negative sentences
Simple Past | Past Progressive | Past Perfect | Past Perfect Progressive | Present Perfect** | Present Perfect Progressive** |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
We were not in the USA and did not visit Alaska last year. | Joe was not writing an e-mail at 5 o'clock yesterday evening. |
She had not read a comic before she went to bed. | She had not been waiting for Jack for 30 minutes when he arrived. |
He has not lived in Melbourne since 2010. | They have not been waiting for him for two hours. |
4.3. Questions
Simple Past | Past Progressive | Past Perfect | Past Perfect Progressive | Present Perfect** | Present Perfect Progressive** |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Were you in the USA and did you visit Alaska last year? | Was Joe writing an e-mail at 5 o'clock yesterday evening? | Had she read a comic before she went to bed? | Had she been waiting for Jack for 30 minutes when he arrived? |
Has he lived in Melbourne since 2010? | Have they been waiting for him for two hours? |
** Both the Present Perfect and the Present Perfect Progressive are Present Tenses. But they also refer to the Past. That is the reason why they are listed here.