Past Tense

Simple past is used for describing acts that have already been concluded and whose exact time of occurrence is known. Furthermore, simple

•Simple Past Tense is a kind of tense which is used to describe an event or action that happened already in a certain time in  the past

The pattern   : 

(+) Subject + verb II + complement

 (-)  Subject + did not + verb II +   complement

(?)  Did + subject + verb I

past is used for retelling successive events. That is why it is commonly used in storytelling

The examples :

(+)  I went to Tangkiling yesterday

(-)  I did not go anywhere last night

(?) Did you go last week?

Adverbs used : yesterday, last night, last week, two days ago, a few  minutes ago, last weekend, last month, last year, in 1984, etc.

•Past Continuous Tense is a kind of tense that is used to describe an event or an action which was happening in a certain time in the past

The pattern :  

(+) Subject + was/were +verb-ing+ complement

(-)  Subject + was not/were not+verb-ing+ complement

(?)  was/were+ subject + verb-ing+complement

The examples :

(+) He was writing a letter at eight  o’clock last night

(-) He was not writing a letter at seven o’clock last night

(?)  Were you writing a letter at eight last night?

 Adverbs used : at the time like this yesterday, at seven o’clock  last   night, etc.

Past Perfect Tense is a kind of tense that is used to describe an action or an event that started in a certain time in the past and completed or finished  till  certain time in the past too; or past perfect tense is used to express an action or an event that had happened before the other event or action happened

The pattern :

 (+) Subject + had+verb III+cmplement

 (-) Subject + had not+ver III+complement

 (?) Had + subject +verb III+complement

Examples:

(+) We had eaten before they came

(-) They had not eaten before we came

(?) Had they eaten before we came?