What is Past Tense | Rules and Examples
Past tense is used to express any past action by adding ed with the regular verb forms. The past forms of transitive verbs and intransitive verbs are used for mentioning the past actions which started and finished in the past. No effect or result is left in present time for the past actions. To express someone’s emotional state, feelings of past we use past tense. In some cases, we can use adverbs referring time for showing the definite time period when an action ended in past. In this article, we will discuss each detail including all parts and application rules for using past tense correctly.
Simple past tense:
Simple past tense is used for referring any past activities by using the past forms of main verbs. In this case, past actions would be start and finish in past only, no result or effeccts should be remain for the present time. The simple structure for simple past tense is:
Subject+ main verb past form+ objects or other words.
The definite rules of using simple past tense are:
i) For the actions which just completed or finished in recent past.
Ex.
I did the job well.
I finished my homework.
ii) When an action is finished in the distant past.
Ex.
Ashoka was the great king of India.
iii) When any action is mentioned with definite time period of past.
Ex.
My cousin brother came here on Monday.
iv) To refer any habitual action of the past.
Ex.
She always used to carry an umbrella with her.
v) To express the past actions which was going on for some time.
Ex.
When mother cooked, I studied.
vi) When an action started and continued till the time of speaking about it.
Ex.
I went out to reach your house.
vii) To mentions the states of past time.
Ex.
In past years, we did not have smartphones.
viii) For a polite request to denote in present time.
Ex.
Would you please give me a glass of water?
ix) It is used for telling or writing stories.
Ex.
Once upon there lived a king in the palace.
Past continuous tense:
Past continuous tense or past progressive tense is used when an action started in the past and continued for certain time in the past. It may or may not be completed in the past. Be verb was and were will be used with verb+ ing for expressing actions in past continuous tense. Time mentioning adverbs can be used with the verbs of past continuous tense for showing the perfect time period. The structure of forming past continuous tense is:
Subject+ was/were+ verb-ing+ objects or other words.
Rules of using past continuous tense are:
i) To express an action which was happening in the past.
Ex.
It was raining heavily in yesterday evening.
We were playing cricket yesterday.
ii) Before any past action, the actions in progress of past is used.
Ex.
We were eating snacks when she came.
iii) Words like while, at the time will be used to mention two actions in progressive forms of the past.
Ex.
While I was singing, she was dancing.
iv) To express any habitual actions of the past with adverbs like always and continually.
Ex.
She was always misbehaving.
v) To refer any polite enquiry.
Ex.
I was wondering if you could give me a book.
Past perfect tense:
Past perfect tense is used to mention any past action and completed action. It means the actions must have to be started in past and completed in the past. When two actions are of the past and the actions are related to each other, happened the next one after completing the first one in separate time then past perfect tense will be used. Past perfect tense will be applied for the first action of the two completed actions. The common structure of past perfect tense is:
Subject+ had+ verb 3rd form+ objects or other words.
Rules of using past perfect tense correctly are:
i) When an action took place in past before another action of the past.
Ex.
The train ha left before we reached the station.
She left the house after she had locked the main door.
ii) It is used with or without time phrase for showing definite time limit.
Ex.
Each member of the team ha liked he.
iii) Time expressing adverbs like till, since, since, before, already will be used with this tense.
Ex.
We had already reached to the venue.
iv) In complex sentences time expressing conjunctions like when, as soon as, after etc. will be used with this tense.
Ex.
We cleared the hall when the guests had left the house.
v) In indirect speech after the verbs of past tense like said, told, asked etc. past perfect tense will be used in reported speech.
Ex.
She asked who had left the class early.
vi) With no sooner ..than, hardly.. when past perfect tense will be used.
Ex.
No sooner the teacher had left the room than the students started talking.
vii) To express unfulfilled hopes, wishes and desires of the past.
Ex.
I had hoped to attend our reunion party.
Past perfect continuous tense:
Past perfect continuous tense is used for two conditions which are: to describe the causation of other activities, to mention any time-based activity that happened in the past. Adverbs are also used in this tense as modifiers to mention the time of past. The structure of past perfect continuous tense is:
Subject+ had+ been+ verb-ing+ objects or other words.
Rules of applying past perfect continuous tense are:
i) When an action in progress is referred in the past for some time.
Ex.
She had been working all night for the project.
He had been studying for long time before the exam.
ii) When an action is not completed in the past but continued for long.
Ex.
When I reached home I saw my sister had been working for her project.
iii) To bring conclusion at the end of an action.
Ex.
Her face was red as she had been crying for some time.
FAQs:
1.) What is past tense?
Answer. Past tense is used to refer any past action or completed action which finished in the past.
2.) How to identify past tense simply?
Answer. We can easily identify past tense by viewing the past forms of verbs in sentence after subjects which are used to express the actions.
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