NARRATIVE

TENSES
PAST SIMPLE, PAST CONTINUOUS, PAST PERFECT & PAST PERFECT
CONTINUOUS
PAST SIMPLE

 COMPLETED actions in the past.

 Main events in the story
 e.g: When I got home, I heard a weird noise.

Past Present

I got home heard a noise

PAST CONTINUOUS

 WAS/WERE + VERB + -ING

 Describes an ction in PROGRESS:

At a specified time or point in the story

-e.g: Last night I was watching TV till late.

When another shorter action or event happend

-e.g: I was watching TV WHEN the phone rang/

- The phone rang WHILE I was watching TV.

Past Present

I was watching TV phone rang

PAST PERFECT SIMPLE

HAD + PAST PARTICPLE

Links the past to a point further back in the past

COMPLETED actions

Events/actions happened BEFORE another event/action in the story

E.g: People had left by the time I arrived in the party.
 Which action happened first??


Past Present

People had left

I arrived
PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS

HAD + BEEN + VERB + -ING

Longer actions

Actions started BEFORE the story began and continued to its beginning

BEFORE a point or action in the story

For/since

E.g: She had been living there for a week before they met.

Past Present

She had been living they met