The Past Tenses

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The Past Simple
 He wrote the letter on Monday.
 Did he write the letter on Monday?
 He didn’t write the letter on Monday.

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The Past Simple
 To describe an action that took place at a
specific point in the past.
They left ten minutes ago.
 When we refer to habits or actions that
happened often in the past.
He travelled a lot when he was younger.
Time markers: ago/yesterday/last
week/month/year.
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Used to
 To express a habitual action or a situation
that existed in the past but is not practiced
anymore in the present.
 Jim used to consider mysteries fallacies.
 People didn’t use to encounter any
mysterious sightings around here.
 Did you use to believe in any sort of
supernatural power?
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 Used to
Construct sentences based on what people
used to believe many years ago.
 People/believe in/superstitions (affirmative)
 Many/not follow blindly/what
/foretellers/say/ (negative)
 Scientific explanations/exist/ancient times
(interrogative)

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Past Progressive Tense
 To express an action that was going on at a
definite time in the past.
At 6:00 pm, I was travelling along an
abandoned road.
 To show an action that was in progress
when another occurred.
The creature was crossing the road when we
surprised it.
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Past Progressive Tense
 To show two past actions happening at the
same time/simultaneously
Mum was watching TV while dad was
cooking dinner.
Time markers: when, while
as

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Exercises:
 We (wait) for the bus when it (start) to rain
yesterday.
 I (see) Laura as I (walk) down the street on
Monday.
 She (not hear) the door bell because she
(listen) to music.
 (you/sleep) when I (call)?
 The TV (be) on but he (not watch) it.
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 Past Perfect Tense
 To express an action that began and ended
before a definite time in the past.
By 6:00 pm, we had nearly gone half way.
 To express a past event that was completed
before another event in the past.
After we had spent the weekend in town, we
decided to return home.
The OLDER action is conveyed using past
perfect tense. 9
Past Perfect Progressive Tense
 To show an action that was in progress
before another in the past
 We had been traveling for half an hour
when we heard a distinct buzzing .

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