Simple past, past continuous, past perfect & past perfect continuous

1. When do we use them

1.1. Simple past

1.1.1. We use Simple Past if we give past events in the order in which they occured.

1.2. Past continuous

1.2.1. Is used to describe an action that was ongoing. This action may have been interrupted or another action also occurred

1.3. Past perfect

1.3.1. When we look back from a certain time in the past to tell what had happened before, we use Past Perfect.

1.4. Past perfect continuous

1.4.1. We use the past perfect continuous to show that an event or action in the past was still continuing.

2. Time words

2.1. Simple past

2.1.1. Yesterday; # years, weeks, months, days, hours ago; in (past year); last (month, week, year)

2.2. Past continuous

2.2.1. Last… (week, year, month, etc.) In 1984, 2015 ….. etc. Yesterday…. etc.

2.3. Past perfect

2.3.1. After, before, until, when, by, by the time

2.4. Past perfect continuous

2.4.1. already, before, for, just, never, not yet, once, until that day.

3. Auxiliary verbs

3.1. Simple past

3.1.1. Did

3.2. Past continuous

3.2.1. “to be” Was or Were

3.3. Past perfect

3.3.1. Had

3.4. Past perfect continuous

3.4.1. Had

4. Examples

4.1. Simple past

4.1.1. 1.I saw a movie yerterday 2. He didn't hear the telephone 3.Did you have dinner last night?

4.2. Past continuous

4.2.1. 1.She was starting 2.She wasn’t starting 3.Was she starting?

4.3. Past perfect

4.3.1. 1. You had told a long story to the children before they slept. 2.She hadn’t sent the email when she came back home. 3. Had he worked in the restaurant?

4.4. Past perfect continuous

4.4.1. 1.I could see that he had been crying. 2.They had not been taking good care of their health. 3. Had the children been acting strange?

5. Affirmative sentences structures

5.1. Simple past

5.1.1. subject + verb (in past form) + complement.

5.2. Past continuous

5.2.1. Subject + BE ( was / were ) + Verb-ING

5.3. Past perfect

5.3.1. Subject + had* + verb past participle + …

5.4. Past perfect continuous

5.4.1. Subject + had been + verb(-ing)

6. Negative sentences structures

6.1. Simple past

6.1.1. subject + did not + verb(infinitive) + complement.

6.2. Past continuous

6.2.1. Subject + BE ( was / were ) + NOT + Verb-ING

6.3. Past perfect

6.3.1. Subject + had not + past participle + …

6.4. Past perfect continuous

6.4.1. Subject + had not been + verb(-ing)

7. Yes / No questions structure

7.1. Simple past

7.1.1. did + subject + verb(infinitive) + complement + ?.

7.2. Past continuous

7.2.1. BE ( was / were ) + Subject + Verb-ING

7.3. Past perfect

7.3.1. Had + subject + past participle + …?

7.4. Past perfect continuous

7.4.1. Had + subject + been + -ing form of main verb ?