21 98 Past simple and continuous; used to and would The earliest films were made by the Lumiére brothers in France in the late nineteenth century, but they were very different from most films today: they all used to be very short, black and white only, and they didn’t use to have any sound. Completed actions and situations (past simple) We use this for completed actions in the past: Julius Caesar invaded Britain in 55 BCE. If the context is clear, it is not necessary to give a past time reference: But Caesar's troops failed to defeat the indigenous tribes. (in $5 BCE) We use the past simple for « actions happeningat the same time: At the junction I took the left turn while Micky took the right. # Tepeated:actions: My brother applied for a visa six times before he got one. # sequences. of actions: Silverman ran to the car, jumped in and raced off into the night. ‘© one action resulting in-another: Wall Street traders lost a fortune when the Asian markets collapsed. (Zhe markets collapsed with the result that the traders lost a fortune.) «© states inthe past: We lived just outside Oxford for several years, but we didn’t like it much. Common time expressions used with the past simple are ago, last (week/month), (the day before) yesterday, the other day/week and conjunctions such as when, (just) as, while and after: Theard the news hours ago. Mum called me just after you left this morning. The door opened and the director came in Gust) as I finished my presentation. Differences between past simple and present perfect > Unit 23.6 Past actions and situations in progress (past continuous) The past continuous describes an action in progress at a point of time in the past; the action began before this point of time and continued after it: We didn’t hear the intruder because we were sleeping on the top floor that night. At the time of our arrival the city was going through a period of rapid expansion. We often use the past continuous to show that a past action was @ temporary: During my training was earning a lot less than my wife * changing ordeveloping: His symptoms were becoming more pronounced each day. © providing a background to completed-past-actions: — 4E(S. 7 Darkness was falling over the city as James hurried back to college ... We can use the past continuous for two-actions in progress-at-the same time We were watching the sky and listening for the first sounds of the dawn chorus We usually use the past simple for repeated actions in the past, but we can use the past continuous if we want to emphasise that-the-repeated-actions:took place overa temporary period: She received chemotherapy on a weekly basis. (repeated action) For the first three months she was receiving chemotherapy on a weekly basis. (repeated action, but only-forthree months) As with the present continuous, we can use the past continuous (with always and other adverbs) to talk about repeated-actions that happened-very often, or to express annoyance (> Unit 20.2): The track was so rough that we were continually mending punctures. They never saved their money. They were always borrowing cash from us.3. Interrupted actions We use the past continuous to contrast an ongoing action with a single (past simple) event which interrupts it: Seventy cars were crossing the bridge when the supports collapsed into the river. We can put elther clause first, and we can use when, while or as to introduce the interrupted action: ‘Messengers arrived with the news of Mary’s plot when/while(as Queen Elizabeth was hunting. A We use when (not-while) to introduce the interrupting (past'simple) action: x Blizaboth-wash ile rnessen, ved oh pee Y Queen Elizabeth was hunting when messengers arrived with the news of Mary's plot. If the background action finishes just before the event which interrupts it, we prefer to use the past perfect continuous Unit 22.1) 4 Other uses of the past continuous ‘We can use the past continuous to describe pastarrangements that may or may not have taken place: Nancy was taking the next flight to Paris so she had to cut short the interview. (Nancy had an existing arrangement to take a flight to Paris.) ‘We often use verbs such as plan, expect, hope for unfulfilled arrangements: Were you expecting to have a meeting this morning? I’m afraid I’m too busy today. Future in the past and unfulfilled pasts > Unit 29 ‘We can make requests, suggestions. and questions-more tentative-and polite by using the past continuous. We often use the verbs think and wonder: We were wondering if you would like to join us. (= Would you like to join us ...?) Were you planning on going somewhere else later? (= Are you planning on ...2) 5 used to and would Both used to and would describe actions which happened regularly in the past but nodonger happerr or nowhappen with more or less frequency: They used to get paid every three months. (Now they get paid weekly.) $x We would getup early every Thursday to go to the market. (Wedon't now.) © To avoid confusion with other uses of would, we usually mention the past time or situation: He would give her a lift to work in the days before she passed her test. ‘We often continue with would after a past narrative has started with used to: Dad used t0 travel a lot on business. He would be away for weeks at a time, and he'd always bring presents back with him, J We use used ta, but not would, to describe past states which have changed: Lithuania used to be part of the Soviet Union. (It isn’t now.) ‘There didn’t use* to be any crime around here in the old days. (There is now.) X The capital-of Nigeria-would-be Lagos but now it's Abujac ¥ The capital of Nigeria used to be Lagos but now it’s Abuja. A. We use the pastsimple-NOT-used 10, for « periods-of time: They lived in Darwin for six years. (X Phepatsed-to-tive---for-six-yedts:) anumber of times: We visited them there three times. (x Wewsad-to-visit-themn—three-tinies.) AL Don't confuse used to-+ infinitive with be/get used to which means ‘be/become accustomed to’ Tused to live alone. (= {lived alone at a time in the past.) ) He wasn’t used to living on his own. (= He wasn’t accustomed to it.) * Many people now use didn’t used to and did (you) used fo in negatives and questions, although this was considered to be non-standard in the past211 rast sivece ano contiuoUs USED TO AND WOULD Practice 4 match the underlined words in 1-10 with the explanations A-I 8 ‘They ran the same test eight times before they found the bug in the software. a ‘The soldier was trying to deactivate the land mine when it exploded While we were at university, we would often go to the capital to take part in a ical demonstrations e 4 Food was in short supply throughout the war. 85. Claire jumped out of her chair, ran to the balcony and grabbed the screaming child. 1&6 The whole time that | was talking, the one child in the audience was howling! f\ 7 Lorenzo the Magnificent died in Florence in 1492. od 5&8 We had a busy morning. Steve answered the phone calls and | dealt with the emails. Se A day out for the family used to cost considerably less than it does now. F See ‘The fire was raging through the whole night. “A.A single or completed action in the past. “BLA sequence of different, completed actions in the past. S€ Two actions which happened at the same time in the past Ae same action repeated several times in the past. ev state existing for some time in the past. a Ran action in progress in the past. BS one action interrupted by another, shorter action. ‘Siw actions in progress atthe same time in the past I A description of a past situation which is different now. past action that happened frequently but no longer happens. e Read the text and choose the correct verb form in italics. If both forms are correct, choose both. {)BEE Listen and check. ras) add Saturday morning cinema, oF the pictures, as we called it then. | remember the first time my mother (2) allowed / used to allow me t0 go, when I was about ten. It @) was | would be so exciting! That wes with my bio brother, of course; she didn't (4) use to allow /Glfovnme to go on see te se From’ a on, ist Lused (13) were queuing | used to queuing some of the go every Saturday morning, as long as Dac older children would go and buy sweets. jeadaéd / was eaming money at the time — his it’s amazing to think now what a bargain it Work ()as / used to Be a bit erratic (14 G95) woLbe1 can't emember Fon och My brother and | (8) would always Lalways used to we paid, but we (15) used to get! a up with a big group of friends and about three films of different types. There'd Be d go / we were going to the local flea pit~ bea ory 3f parts pf serials, and then a main it me would be a really old cinema, which feature. It st used ta.be realy good value. probably why the Saturday kids’ pictures Then we'd all leave the cinema hungry, despite the 02 9f the highlights of life when | was a child Qwwere} me lunch that Whwere/ used to be held there! We sweets, and troop back home for the (12) would always Lalivays used to.get there ut mothers had spent the morning making. That about half an hour before the doors opened was the main point of course — to get us out of the so we could get the best seats, and while we house for a few hours! 1003 Past reasons We often use the past-perfect to describe the reason for a past action or situation: David didn't join the agency as he'd signed up with a rival firm. The survivors looked painfully thin, They had been living on emergency rations since the accident. 4 Sequence of past actions We can use the past perfect with the:past-simple-to- make a sequence of events clear. ‘We use the past perfect for the earlier action and the past simple for the later one: When we got back, the babysitter had put the children to bed. 830 930 v v ee The babysitter had put the children to bed. We got back. Notice the difference if both verbs are in the past simple: When we got back, the babysitter put the children to bed. 9.00 9.10 0 Ohad pat 9 Es Waele The ty et he che tad We can use just with the past perfect to show that the earlier action .was-very-rece We wanted to talk to the manager in charge but she'd just left. Or we can use already to show that the action happened sooner than we expected: When we got back, we were shocked to find that the babysitter had already gone home. A. We con't usually use the past perfect if the sequences obviousand-the-irstaction makes the second happen: [had opened the door and let him in.] ¥ Lopened the door and let him in, (He was able to come in because I opened the door.) We can use either the past perfect or the past simple with time conjunctions, e.g. after, before, as soon as, wher: She ushered me out of the room as soon as I paid/had paid my subscription. With before + past perfect the action in the past simple happens first: © left university before I'd finished the course 1 was taking. © We can use this pattern for a past action which prevented: later-action-from-happening She sacked him before he’d had a chance to explain his behaviour, 5 Other uses Basa We can use the past perfect with ives, ordi a last, etc), , etc. + ever: remember seeing ‘Nightmare on Elm Street’ when I was only eighteen. It was the most frightening film I'd ever seen. They wanted us to go on the higher slopes but it was only the second time we'd ever done any skiing. We use the past perfect with verbs such as hope, expect, want, plan, think about, wish to describe past intentions which were unfulfilled: They had hoped to get to the summit, but Travers fel ill at base camp. We'd been planning the merger for weeks when we received the news that it was all off. Remember that we don’t usually use the continuous form with state verbs: Suzie had wanted to leave her job and start her own business, but then she was offered a fantastic promotion and decided to stay. State verbs > Unit 25.1 10322 102 Past perfect simple and continuous Award-winning film star Grace Kelly had been acting on stage and in television for three years before she made her first Hollywood movie. But by the age of twenty-si she had given up her film career to live as a royal princess in Monaco Actions and situations before a time in the past We use the past perfect simple to describe a.single.action, or.repeated.actions, completed before-atime inthe past: The new owners found that the timbers had been patched up several times. ‘We often include a specifietime-reference, such as a clause with when or by the time By the age of twenty-six, Grace Kelly had given up her film career. We also use this form to describe a situation which. existed -before a-pastevent: At the time of her trial last year, Hinkley had been in prison for eight months. ‘We use the past perfect continuous to describe an ongoing'situation or action which continued up to, or stopped just before, a-time-in-the past, often with before or by the time: Grace Kelly had been acting for three years before she made her first movie. ‘We often use the continuous with for or since when we want to focus.on.the duration. of arvaction: Kubrick had been trying to get the film made for more than twenty years. The eager fans had been waiting in line for over six hours/since the early hours of the morning. We don’t usually use the past perfect continuous for actions and background situations still’onitinting at the same time as the past simple narrative. We prefer to use the past continuous We were living in New York when John was made redundant, (an ongoing situation at the time of the redundancy) Compare these examples: Jane cae the boys in fo lunch Jane called the boys in for lunch, 1ey were playing in the garden. They had been se YE Pa TEES tia peyangin the garden. Completed and ongoing actions ‘The past perfect simple often refers to a completed.action, whereas the past perfect continuous may refer to an action that was still ongoing at the time of the statement: The leaves had fallen from the trees early that year and they were completely bare. The leaves had been falling from the trees and the ground underfoot was very slippery. We do not mention the number of times that we have done an action when we use the past perfect continuous: A Fill id onl ben witching PIC ihiee ttlak Week ¥ Jill had only watched TV twice that week. (repeated action: past perfect simple)