Past Tenses in English – contrasted

1. Use

Present
Past Past Perfect Present
Simple Past Past Perfect Perfect
Progressive Progressive Perfect**
Progressive**

result of an
action in the
past is
how long important in the action
something had beginning in
action was in present
the past been the past and
action finished progress at
equivalent of happening recently still continuing
in the past special time in
Present Perfect before completed (focus is on
the past
something else action the action)
happened
state beginning
in the past and
still continuing

2. Signal words

Present
Past Past Perfect Present
Simple Past Past Perfect Perfect
Progressive Progressive Perfect**
Progressive**

last ... while no unambiguous ones just all day

... ago yet the whole day

in 2010 never how long

yesterday ever since

already for

So far

up to now
 Present
Past Past Perfect Present
Simple Past Past Perfect Perfect
Progressive Progressive Perfect**
Progressive**

since

for

recently

3. Form

Simple Past Past Perfect Present Present Perfect

Past Progressive
Past Perfect Progressive Perfect** Progressive**

regular:
infinitive 
+ ed
had + p
irregular: have/has + 
was, were + infini ast had + been + infiniti have/has + been + infi
2nd past
tive + -ing particip ve + ing nitive + -ing
column of participle*
le*
the
irregular
verbs

* past participle:

 regular verbs → infinitive + -ed

 irregular verbs → 3rd column of the table of the irregular verbs

4. Examples

4.1. Affirmative sentences

Present
Past Perfect Present
Simple Past Past Progressive Past Perfect Perfect
Progressive Perfect**
Progressive**

She had bee
n
We were in the Joe was writing a She had read  They have bee
waiting for He has lived i
USA n e-mail at 5 a comic n
Jack for 30 n Melbourne
and visited Alask o'clock yesterday before she waiting for him
minutes since 2010.
a last year. evening. went to bed. for two hours.
when he
arrived.

4.2. Negative sentences

Past
Past Perfect Present Present Perfect
Simple Past Progress Past Perfect
Progressive Perfect** Progressive**
ive

Joe was 
not She had not 
writing a been
We were not in She had not r He has not liv
n e-mail waiting for They have not been wa
the USA ead a comic ed in
at 5 Jack for 30 iting for him for two
and did not visit  before she Melbourne
o'clock minutes hours.
Alaska last year. went to bed. since 2010.
yesterda when he
y arrived.
evening.
 4.3. Questions

Past
Past Perfect Present Present Perfect
Simple Past Past Perfect
Progressive Progressiv Perfect** Progressive**
e

Had she be
Was Joe writin Had she rea en
Were you in the Has he live
g an e-mail at 5 d a comic waiting for Have they been waiti
USA d in
o'clock before she Jack for 30 ng for him for two
and did you visit A Melbourne
yesterday went to minutes hours?
laska last year? since 2010?
evening? bed? when he
arrived?

** 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.