The Simple Past Tense

By Ranjana S.

Image  Source: Internet

Form---Subject + Verb in the past.

• He+ sang + a song.
• The girls+ played + badminton.
• The guests + clapped+ loudly.

Read the following paragraph:

"It all happened suddenly. The van came straight out of the side road, and the van went into the back of it. The van driver didn't have a chance. It was the car driver's fault".

When do we use past tense?

To describe an action completed in the past. An adverb or adverbial phrase of past time (like yesterday, last night, five days back, four years ago, etc.) is usually added to sentences describing past action:

• I received your invitation yesterday.
• I left the institution five years ago.

To indicate a habitual action in the past: 

• My brother always stood first in class during his school days.
• The scientists devised many medicines for curing this disease.

A point to note:-

The phrase used to+ verb is sometimes used in the place of simple past tense to express action which was a past habit: 

• My friends used to go for a walk every morning.
• I used to go for excursions many years back.
• My brother used to stand first in class during his school days.

  

The Past Continuous Tense:

Read the following paragraph:

I went for a party yesterday. The host was welcoming the guests. We were dancing on all peppy songs. The kids were playing games and were enjoying all the attention. My friends and I were playing cards. The men were drinking. I enjoyed the party.

Form:-

• Subject + was/were +ing form
• He+ was+ writing+a letter.
• She +was+singing+a song.
• They+ were+ cleaning+ the room.

We use the Past Continuous Tense in the following cases:

To describe an action going on at a point of time or over a period of time in the past. It tells you that at a time in the past we were in the middle of an action.

• At 8 am this morning I was doing my homework.
• I was resting the whole day.
• They were washing their clothes in the morning.

To describe an action which was in progress when another action took place.

• The boys were swimming when father came.
• The girls were dancing when the lights went out.
• They were sleeping when the thief/intruder/burglar entered the house.

A point to note:-

With verbs not normally used in the continuous form, the simple past is used. 

For instance 'hear' is not used in the past continuous.

However, simple past can be used. 

• I was hearing it from my room.--------incorrect.
• I heard it from my office.-----------correct.
• I was smelling a rose.--------incorrect.
• I smelt a rose.--------------correct.
• It was appearing to be decent.--------incorrect.
• It appeared me to be decent.----------correct.

The Past Perfect Tense:

Read the following paragraph :

I felt really tired yesterday at work because Jimmie and I had been to a party the evening before. We hadn't gone to bed until after 2 a.m. I had taken a cab yesterday to work and I felt awful.

Form:-

• subject+had+past participle.
• He+ had + written+ a letter.
• They+ had+ ridden+the horse.
• She+ had+ drawn+ the picture.

When do we use Past Perfect Tense?

To indicate that an action was completed at some point in the past time before another action commenced or took place.

• When we reached the theater, the movie had started.
• The robbers had run away before the police arrived.
• The train had left, when I reached the station. 

If two actions occurred in the past (one past action earlier than the other past action), the Past Perfect is used for earlier past action (the train had left) and the Simple Past for the later past action. (I reached).

We can also say that Past Perfect means "past of the past".

Some more illustrations:

First action completed(past perfect)---The patient had died.

Second action took place( simple past)---before the doctor arrived.

Join the sentence:

• The patient had died before the doctor arrived.

First action completed(past perfect)---After he had left

Second action took place(simple past)---the party began.

Join the sentence:

• After he had left, the party began.