Past tenses MODULE Before you start 11 Read the article about Marco Polo. Look at the highlighted grammar examples. MARCO POLO Marco Polo lived from 1254 to 1324. His father was @ trader and often {veld to distant countries. in 1271 Marco left Venice with his father to go on a long voyage to the East. Clearly, journeys Used 16 take much longer then than they do now, and it was only after they fad jeenliraveling for three years that they arrived in China, at the palace of the great Kublai Khan, The Emperor remembered Marco's father from when he had Waited before and he welcomed the travellers. \While he was living in China, Marco eetned the language, and WOuld often {2¥e) on business for the Emperor. After several years Marco and his father decided to leave China, and they WERE TGSEUSSING their wishes with the Emperor wien a message arrived from the king of Persia, who wanted to matty Kublai Khan's daughter. Marco the wedding group, so, after twenty- four years away, Marco Polo arrived back in Venice in 1295. | and his ater decided to accompany | | 2. Now read the sentences and choose the correct words in italics. The Highlighted grammar examples will help you. 1 travelled / did travel a lot when I was younger. > Unit 30 We have worked / worked in Venice from 2006 to 2008. > Unit 30 We visited a lot of museums while we stayed / were staying in Beijing. > Unit 31 They were having / had dinner when the police knocked on the door. > Unit 31 Fiona was working at Harrods when / while she met her husband. > Unit 32 People used to travel / used to travelling by ship a lot in those days. > Unit 33 When Simon was at college, he had / would sleep late every day. > Unit 33 didn’t want to join you because I saw / had seen the film before. > Unit 34 We had been using / been used the machine for days without any problems. > Unit 35 3 check your answers below. Then go to the unit for more information and practice. Butsn uaoq 6 uses pey g PINOM Z [AeHO}pasng Dy ¢ Burney oom 7 Fudeys am g paxiomz parleaen 130 Past simple Estevanico was the fist black explorer to reach North America. He lived in the sixteenth century. He travelled to Amenca with some Spanish explores, as a slave. When they arrived, they explored Texas and New Mexico and he learned several native American languages. He became a free man in 1536 and died in 1539. sd, learn —* learned | 1 Regular and irregular verbs Most verbs add -ed to the infinitive to form the past simple: stay sta POSITIVE | Istayed witli my fiend last night. He learned native American lenquages. They failed the exam, NEGATIVE did not (didn't) stay with her last night. She did not (didn’t) learn any languages: We did not (didn’t) fail the exam. QUESTIONS Did you stay with hier? (Yes, did) Did she learn any languages? (No, she didn’t) Which exam did they fail? Many common verbs are irregular, e.g. be + was/were, do did, 30 + went, have + had, make made, put put, say said, see -+ saw, take took, tll + told Spelling rules for regular verbs > page 350 Irregular verbs > page 348 A. the pronunciation of the -ed ending depends on the sound that comes before it, for example © fad! after /t/ and Jal: started, waited, added, ended ‘* A/after the sounds /pi,/f/, , Is, fl/fl: worked, stopped, passed, finished ® /d/ after all the other sounds: tried, planned, lived, listened Pronunciation > 1.11 2. Past simple for past actions and situations We use the past simple for * a single completed action in the past: He died in 1539. Did you see t peated actions in the past: He learned several native Anverican languages. Caroline phoned her fami every day when she was on holiday « a series of actions (when one thing happens after another) in the past: We arrived in Rome at cleven o‘clack and took a taxi to Franco's apartment, Then we went to the square and looked round the shops, but we didn’t buy anything. « situations that finished in the past: He lived from 1500 to 1539. Children didn’t have so ‘many electronic toys when I was young. ln last night? 3 Past simple + adverbs of time; when, after We often use adverbs of time to say when a past action happened, for example *# ago: We arrived at the airport ten minutes ago. (ten minuites before now) + for (with petiods of time): The economic crisis lasted for two years © last week/month/year: Mariela started college last month, We had a general election last year We can also use when/after + past simple When they arrived, they explored Texas and New Mexico After Rory left home that morning, he went to work asPractice Use the list on page 348 to help you complete these exercises, 1 Write the past forms of these irregular verbs. 0 be aidnere 3 go 6 sal 1 become 4 hear 7 take 2 aive 5 meet 8 travel 2 Read more about Estevanico and put the verbs in brackets into the past simple. {3H Listen and check Estevenico (0) AE...) bor in North Aca over 500 years 250, n 1490, He fest (i). (become) a slave at the age of twenty-three after being captured by some reread ae Tr (el) hm to Andres Dorantes de Caranza, a plan fe Span ar Dorantes (3) (hear) stories about the New World and in 1527, he and Estevanico (4) Goin) an expedion to cess the lant. Things) (not go) quite as planned and they (6 (G0)fistto Hispaniola, then Cuba, then Tidad, and finally to whatis now Frida an into Tes. For eght years Dorantes and Estevarico (7) (explore) the new land and) ade] with the native Americas, then they ® (rave) to New Spain (exc), where Dorantes fal (1) (give) Estevarico his freedom in 1536, Sadly he (11) (not ero) it forlong ashe 2) (ein 1539, 3. Write sentences in the past simple, using the words below. {HEX Listen and check. 0 when / be / last major festival / your country? Wher was the last majar festival in, your. countey?. 00. when / Kate / finish / race / feel / exhausted When Kate finished the. race, she fle. exhausted. slave trade / stop / over 200 years ago who / you / like most / your last school? we / not understand / lecture / last week when / you / take / your last exam? when / Jack / arrive / tell / us the news why / you / start / learning English? Now answer questions 0, 2, 4 and 6 from Exercise 3 about yourself. (0) The. lat. maine festival. my. cowry as. ew Yeas Oy @ ® ©31 Past continuous 1 Form POSITIVE I was waiting for you. | econ \| They were living at home. NEGATIVE I was not (wasn’t) waiting long. He was not (wasn't) travelling then. ya Stark was a travel | __ We were not (weren't) living there. spent much of her life traveling in UETONS) Were ger ean) page 350 Forte books tr oey pre Pronunciation > 1.12 —<— 2. Past actions and situations ‘We use the past continuous # to describe an action or situation happening at or around a time in the past I wasn't feeling well that day, so I diin’t go out with the others. «© for temporary past situations: We were living in Beijing at the time of the 2008 Olympics. (We don't live there now.) ‘* for two actions/situations happening at the same time? While Rob was playing his match, I was waiting in the car outside As with the present continuous (> Unit 28.2), we can use the past continuous to criticise another person’s actions, often with always: Karla was always complaining about someth wg or other. 3 Interrupted actions We use the past continuous and the past simple together to show that one action (past simple) interrupts another action (past continuous): es a eT ter = a and it hit the car (The continuous action stops. rived. ion doesn't stop.) 4 Plans that did not happen The past continuous of verbs like plan, hope, intend shows that the action did not happen: We were planning to come to your party, but Mike was ill so we couldn't make it Iwas hoping to study medicine, but my grades weren't high enough so Ecouldn’t. was going to > Unit 45.1 5. Background situations We often use the past continuous to describe a ‘background! situation in the past: When we arrived atthe beach, the sun wasn’t shining. We also use the past continuous to ‘set the scene’ for a story or account of something that happened; the actions that follow are in the past simple: Danna was living in Istanbul that summer. Ik was working at the same sclool as her. As soon as they met, they immediately got on with each othe A. We dont usualy use continuous forms of state verbs (eg ke, se, hear, think, are) (> Unit 28:3 92Practice Write the words in the correct order to make sentences. Put the verbs in the past continuous. atthat man you why stare ? Why..w not work during the strike there they where you at the start of the year live ? not feel yesterday evening I very well heavily it rain and the rivers rise she talk always while I watch TV (EQN Read the article and choose the correct words in italics. CELE Listen and check. ‘3.50pm. yestercyalage meta (ST) was crashing to Earn near the smal own of Kartel, Texas, Many local peopl (1) was / were doing things oH Cutie and (2) were seaig / saw it happen, Here are a couple of their reports: jin'Texas. 118) washed / was washing my car when | (4) noticed / was noticing a bright light in the sky. 1(6) dh now / wasnt knowing what it was." "We (] were / i crving home from the shopping mal when we (7) hear / were hearing a oud bang, When we looked up we could see smoke: corring from the mide of a neat fk.” It seems that whatever poopie (8) did/ were ding, they (9) stopped / were ‘stopping and (10) rsshed / were rusting tothe ste ofthe crash. Local police said thet this was folsh but that nobody was hurt. ‘crashes, 3 KEENE complete the conversation with words and phrases from the box. There are four extra words or phrases. EEX Listen and check. always asked became didn’t know fell played was always asking was becoming was hoping wasintending was planning was playing wasn’t knowing weren’t planning aula When's your trip to Namibia? Isn’t it soon? sue Well, 1 (0) nas, ingenaing,... to go in April, but everything's changed. You see, I @ to go with Jana, from work, but she broke her wrist a while ago. ata 1(2) that. sue Yes, she (3) netball with some people from work in November when she (4) over, She landed on her wrist, and it was quite a bad break. Aula Mmm, but surely she’s had enough time to recover? sur Yes, well, that wasn't the only problem. She was really starting to get on my nerves. wus Oh, why? sue She (5) stupid questions, things like: ‘Should I take my hairdryer?" We (6) to go to Ibiza, after all! Auta Oh dear .. sue So... the broken wrist (7) a good excuse! Are you going away this year? Ata Oh, wel, I (8) to visit my friend in Crete for a couple of weeks, but we hadn't discussed it and she’s just told me that she's coming back soon Reema eenLivingstone wi famous for his work in Africa. While he was searching forthe source ofthe River Nile, he disappeared, He had been quite I, so people were woried about him, but he was found by Henry Stanley. He was still trying to find the source of the Ne when he died in 1273. 1 Completed or unfinished actions? PAST SIMPLE PAST CONTINUOUS: We use the past simple for single or ‘We use the past continuous to describe an repeated completed actions in the past: _ unfinished action at or around a time in the past: We arrived at the hotel at three o'clock. ‘When we arrived at the hotel, the maid was «leaning our room. He went on many expeditions to Africa, He was searching for the source of the Nile 2. Interrupted past or series of past actions? We use the past continuous for an action in progress when something else happened! White te was searching for the source ofthe River Nile, he disappeared ‘Were you playing football when you sprained your ankle?’ ‘No, I wasn't doing anything lke that. Iwas running downstairs anu I tripped over my trousers!” A. We use win + past simple, followed by past simple, when one action happened AFTER another one. Compare When Isabel joined us, we watched a DVD. (= Isabel came and then we watched a DVD.) When Isabel joined us, we were watching a DVD. (= We were already watching a DVD at the time Isabel came) 3) when and while We can use either whcs or while before an unfinished action or the interrupted past. It means ‘during the time’ The post came when I was having my breakfast. While he was searching for the source of the River Nile, he disappeared. We can use when before the unfinished (continuous) ot the completed (simple) action: He was trying to find the source of the Nile when he died i 1873 He died in 1873 when he was trying to find the source of the Nile A. We don't use while before a completed action X While-the post certs having ae breaks Y When the post came, 1 was having my break ¥ The post came while/when Iwas having my breakfast We can use as instead of while As/While I was driving to work this morning, I saw a deer by the side of the road.Practice Look at the pictures and complete the sentences, using the verbs in brackets. Use the past simple or past continuous. EDEKEI Listen and check. 0 When we arrived at the resort, 2 mas, rining..... (ative, fall 1 We when the storm (cun, start) 2 We for shelter when the storm (can, start) 31 the bank when the robber (eave, arrive) 41 the bank when the robber (leave, arive) Read the article and choose the correct words in italics Listen and check. Steve Fosssss Si Fost was away ckng facets, en as a bey ne 1050. Ar sone yearn bushes ta (Geoar was baghning his wal known adres, ter oueing to Ergin Chana salle eae he Wot. But Fostt bet his eet in bo ar—nhota baloos, der ad it arch 112005 e 1) broke / as treating te recor ron-to fing wren te ew rund ne werd 67 hours wt sloping fort Ayear ater 0s bo Dteeted/ nas tomo obrek orate logos et, Pe had io sp case Feral eng had feted bth bokeh road ery Foserts avers con put nin dange=in 108, she raved / wa ain round the wad abaon,eaost ed) wil / fen he balon ftom sy. nthe ond, es rote it rat 5) ook/ was arg is He =h was yng asl ane aoe the Nevada Desert in Sptemoe 2007 whan te (8 sappowed/ wes deappewring. Noone couldn him en, sme ‘ments ar, ake) waked / was wakrg trough he mounas i sothen Calls wren re inciced / was rev soe poral tems which} babrged/ wore baorgng to te acre, {rc son ators earch pty (10 ound / was tng the wreckage o he pm Some ene lle Feasts body vas turds achonues wer oe, QS 2g = = i = 4 =] 71 e =) 3 Write true answers to the questions, What were you doing, or what was happening when © you received your last text message? LNA Wateing TV 1 you received your last text message? 2 you lost something important? 3 you saw something unusual? 4 you heard some shocking news? 5 you lost your temper? pr33 used to and would h Fiennes is an explorer, He used to be but started exploring in the 1960s | when he was younger, he used to goon vey. | clfficult expeditions and he would take risks hat many other explorers wouldn't. for erample, he attempted to walk o the North Pole, alone and unsupported. Form of used to POSITIVE, | /used/to work there He used tobe a Soldier | We Used to have'a cat. NEGATIVE I did not (didn’t) Use to work.* He did not (didn’t) use to be an explorer They did not (did't) use to havea cat QUESTIONS Did you use to work? (Yes Idid)) Did they use to have a cat? (No, they didnt) Where did he use to work? Itis aso possible to form the negative and question with used to didn't used to / dil you used to? There is no present form of used! to: X Fuse-to-ge-to-work-by-bus: I go to work by bus Do not confuse used to do with be/get used to doing I'm used to spending time on my own. (= 'm often alone; it isn’t unusual for me.) Tused to spend tinwe on my own. (= | spent time on my own in the past; I don't any more.) used to We use used fo + infinitive to talk about regular past actions that do not happen now: Tused to take the bus to work every day. (But now I take the train.) People used to write a lot of letters. (But now they send emails.) We often use adverbs of frequency (e.g. always, once a week, every year) with used to: Lalways used to swim before breakfast. We often used to hold parties for our friends. We never used to stay up lute wher we were young! (= We didn’t use to stay up late.) We also use used to + infinitive when we talk about past situations that are no longer true: He used to be a solder. (But now he's an explorer.) France used to have a king, Pronunciation > 1.13 would We can also use would + infinitive to talk about regular past actions that do not happen now: When we first moved here, people would stop and talk in the street. They don’t no When we start descriptions of past actions with used to, we usually continue with would: When he was younger, he used to go on very difficult expeditions and he would take risks Would is used for past actions, not situations; X Frevice-weuddhaveaking: / France used to have a king. Pronunciation > 1.14 used to or past simple? We often use used to, not the past simple, when we want to emphasise a difference between, the past and the present: My sister works in a office now but she used to work on a farm We use the past simple for « single actions in the past: X Lused-4o-have-amexantdast week. [had an exant last week. «periods of time: x He-wsed to-be hi Greece fortiwo-years, J He was in Greece for two years. # a number of times: x Wesed-o-switn-in-the pool twice when-we-stayed there. ¥ We swam in the pool twice when we stayed therPractice Choose the correct words in italics. In two sentences, both answers are possible. ‘When we lived in the country, people in shops woud (ese to omuch trendlier When I was a child we didn’t use / weren't used to fly - we couldn't afford it. o/ Did you use to wear a uniform at your last school? When Matt was in his twenties, he used t / would play ughy every Sunday Last week we interviewed / used to nterview over twenty candidates Did you use to/ Would you have dark hae when you were 4 gil? In the nineteenth century people worked / used to work longer hours than they do now [SEIS complete the text with the verbs in brackets. Use the past simple, used to ‘or would. (Remember not to repeat used to too much.) JERIB Listen and check. The greatest mountain climber of all time? Reinhold Messer often calledthe erates movin enber ofall ike We fet poson w clin a fourteen peaks of ver 8,000 ete. Messner was bor near Bolzano, tly, n 1944, This rea)... used #2 belona. (elon) tothe Ausian Emp andi sill German-speaking When Reinhold was a chi he .. (go) climbing in the Dolomite Mountains with his father aed bros. HE 2) _ (Become) avery 004 climber a «young tee Heit). (limb he Himalayas in 1970, hoe thi ‘expedition was a tragedy because his brother Dae (ie) onthe way down, soe was welcome othe mounts: be () ¢ {clint vit onl iat cguipment. he vrei (OO EERE) ay OUR nd 0 - ltks)any extonygen =a aime when i ‘as thought impossible climb he highs prs without oxygen, Apa. from mountaineering, Messner (8)... make) a tumterof Arce and Anta cosngs Find six more mistakes and correct them. Tick (¥) the correct sentences. QOERE Listen and check. take Messner didn't use to fakiig extra oxygen when he climbed, When we went to Nepal, I used to climb to Everest Base Camp once. When we were children, we'd often visit our grandparents at the weekends People today use to spend a lot of time on their computers. Did they use to have electric lighting in the 1800s? Centuries ago people would be a lot shorter than today. We never use to stay at school for lunch in those days. Before the 1960s men wouldn't have long hai, Were you used to learn French when you were at school? Use the words in brackets to write about things that have changed in your life. © (holidays) 1 (holidays) 2 (music) 3 (friends) o © Go online for more practiceAPPENDIX 2 Common irregular verbs (1) A-Z list INFINITIVE PAST TENSE PAST PARTICIPLE | INFINITIVE PAST TENSE PAST PARTICIPLE | be was/were been keep kept kept | become became become Jean learner | | begin began begun learned learned | i break broke broken leave left left | bring brought —_—brought lend Jent Jent | build built built let let let | burn burnt/ burnt/ lose lost lost burned bumed make made made buy ought bought mean meant meant \ catch caught caught meet met met choose chose chosen pay paid paid come came come put put put cost cost cost read read read cut cut cut ride rode ridden aig dug dug ring rang rung dive dived dived (dove AmE) | rise rose risen do did done ur ran mun | draw drew drawn say said said dream dreamt! dreamt/ see saw seen dreamed dreamed sell sold sold dink rank dank send Sent set drive drove driven shine shone shone | cat ate eaten show showed shown | fall fell fallen sing sang sung feel felt felt sit sat sat | fight fought fought sleep slept slept | | find found found speak spoke spoken | | fly flew flown spell spelt/spelled spelt/spelled | | forget forgot forgotten spend spent spent | | forgive forgave forgiven stand stood stood ) freeze froze frozen steal stole stolen | get got got (gotten AmE) | swim swam, swum give gave given take took taken g0 went gone teach taught taught | grow grew grown tell told told | have had had think thought thought } hear heard heard throw threw thrown hide hid hidden understand understood understood hit hit hit wear wore worn hold held held win won won hurt hurt hurt write wrote written 348APPENDIX2 GRAMMAR CHECK Common irregular verbs (2) list of forms 1 Past tense form = past participle INFINITIVE PAST TENSE PAST PARTICIPLE buy bought bought say said said send sent sent sleep slept slept tell told told win won won | 2 Infinitive + (e)n INFINITIVE PAST TENSE ——_—PAST PARTICIPLE beat beat beaten draw drew drawn eat ate eaten know knew known take took taken 3 Past tense form + (e)n INFINITIVE PAST TENSE PAST PARTICIPLE break broke broken choose chose chosen forget forgot forgotten hide hid hidden speak spoke spoken 4 No change INFINITIVE PASTTENSE ——_—PAST PARTICIPLE cost cost cost hit hit hit hurt hurt hurt put put put read read read * For read, the spelling doesn’t change, bt 5 Vowel change the pronunciation does: /risd/ /red/ /red) INFINITIVE PAST TENSE PAST PARTICIPLE begin began begun drink drank drunk ring rang rung swim, swam swum, 6 Two participle forms INFINITIVE PAST TENSE PAST PARTICIPLE burn burnt/burned —_burnt/burned dream dreamt/dreamed —dreamt/dreamed. learn learnt/learned —_learnt/learned spell spelt/spelled spelt/spelled 349