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The Past tenses examples and exercises




The Past tenses examples and exercises

The past simple is used for

A-   Completed spast action at a known time. The time can be stated or understood:

• He bought his car last month.       

• She worked there as a teacher.

B-   with when, enquiring about past time:

• When did you last see her?

C-   for habitual past actions and states:

 • She always wanted to be loved.

D-   for a definite period of past time:

• They spent five years in York.

 

The past continuous is used for :

A-    

Continuous past actions sometimes interrupted by the past simple:

     • He was just getting into bed when the phone rang. or setting the scene for a story:

     • The sun was shining and the birds were singing as he walked down the lane.

B-     simultaneous past actions:

• She was ironing while he was bathing the baby.

C-    Repeated past actions:

 • I was always trying to save my pocket money.

D-    Past intentions, often not carried out:

• She was planning to ring her friend, but she forgot

 

The past continuous is used for

A-   A past action that happened before a past simple action:

• She had worked in Bonn before she moved to Stuttgart.

B-   An action that happened before a stated time:

• He had completed the work by teatime.

But if two past actions are close in time or closely connected, we often avoid the use of the past perfect:

• When he reached the airport, he checked in immediately.

 

The past perfect continuous is used to:

A-   Stress that a past perfect action was continuous or repeated. 

B-   Remember that many verbs do not have a continuous form

 

Exercise:

 Complete the sentences with the correct past tense of the verb in brackets.

1-Helena (receive) hospital treatment for a year before the doctors finally (tell) her their diagnosis.

2-The party chairman only (make) a statement after there (be) a lot of speculation in the press.

3-Julia (try) several computer dating agencies by the time she (meet) and (fall in love) with George.

4-Sharon eventually (find) the job she (want) last year, although she (graduate) the year before.

5-The official I (ask) to speak to (not be) there. Apparently he (go) abroad on business.

6-When the doctor (arrive) at the scene of the accident, he (realise) the victim still (breathe).

7-The workmen (spend) all morning digging the trench, and by lunchtime they (finish) it.

8-When the ship (hit) the reef, most of the crew (play) cards, and the passengers (have) dinner.

9-It (rain) and (begin) to get very cold as I (set out) on my long walk home.

10-When she (be) a child, she always (want) to do the most dangerous things.

11-l suddenly (recognise) the town square. I (be) there ten years before.

12-When my friend (open) the door, I (feel) like hitting him. I (ring) his doorbell for at least twenty minutes!

13-When Oscar (go back) into the room, his colleagues still (quarrel) about the coffee.

14-I (not answer) the phone immediately, because I (try) to finish some work.

15-When you (get) your first job?

16-Between 1989 and 2000 they (work) in three different countries, and (move) house five times.




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