NARRATIVE TENSES

When we narrate a story, we use:

● PAST SIMPLE
● USED TO
● PAST CONTINUOUS
● PAST PERFECT
● We use narrative tenses when telling a story, or
talking about situations and activities which
happened at a past time.

● When telling past events, DO NOT mix past and

present tenses
 PAST SIMPLE

○ to express a completed action at a definite

time in the past:
I woke up at half past seven yesterday, I had
a shower and ate some breakfast. I left home
at quarter past eight.
 PAST SIMPLE

○ to specify how long we did an action in the

past:
I lived in Leeds for ten months.
 PAST SIMPLE / USED TO

○to talk about repeated past actions:

We always went away in the summer.
We always used to go away in the summer.
 PAST SIMPLE / USED TO

○ to express past habits:

I woke up very early when I was a kid.
I used to wake up very early when I was a
kid.
 USED TO

o to describe past habits or routines which

are not true anymore.
I lived in San Francisco but
now I live in London.

I USED TO LIVE in
San Francisco but
now I live in London.
USED TO + BARE
INFINITIVE
 USED TO

I didn’t use to eat

salmon but now I
love it.
DIDN’T USE TO + BARE
INFINITIVE

In the past I didn’t eat

salmon but now I do
 USED TO vs THE PRESENT

Past habit Present habit

Past routine Present routine

I don’t usually eat

I usually ate at home at home.
but now I always eat out.

I use to eat
I used to eat at home at home.
but now I always eat out.
 PAST CONTINUOUS

o for an action which was in progress at a

stated time in the past.
At 1 o’clock in the morning, I was sleeping.
 PAST CONTINUOUS

o for a past action which was in progress

(longer action) when another action
interrupted it:
I was washing the dishes when I cut my
finger.
 PAST CONTINUOUS

o for two or more actions which were

happening at the same time in the past.
I was cooking the dinner while my daughter
was laying the table.
 PAST CONTINUOUS

o to give background information in a story

The sun was shining brightly and the birds
were chirping happily as I was walking to
work.
 PAST PERFECT SIMPLE

o to talk about the “earlier past”, i.e. things

which happened before the main events:
I got to the party late. When I arrived there,
everybody had already left.

We use it to make the narrative more

interesting and easy to read.