Transcript Past Tense - English Zone 072

Past Tense
Simple Past
Past continuous
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Wednesday, 19 March 2008
English has two ‘past’ tense
• We use simple past for complete finished
actions. We often use it in stories.
I wrote ten letters yesterday.
A man walked into a police station and asked the
way to Oak street.
• We use the past progressive to talk about actions
which were unfinished at a past time.
“What were you doing at 10.00 last night?”
“I was writing letters.”
Which is correct? , or both?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
 I losed your address.
 I lost your address.
 I broke a window.
 John broke a window.
 The rain stoped.
 The rain stopped.
 You never visitted me in hospital.
 You never visited me in hospital.
 When did everybody go?
 When did everybody went?
 When John and his family did arrive?
 When did John and his family arrive?
 Who said that?
 Who did say that?
Simple Past
(+) They created a new design of a tower.
(-) They didn’t create a new design of a tower.
(?) Did they create a new design of a tower?
Yes/no Q.
(?) Who created a new design of a tower? 
Wh- Q.
(?) What did they create?  Wh- Q.
Use Verb II for (+)
Use DID +Verb I for (-) and (?)
Questions without did
Who phoned? What happened?
• Compare :
• ‘Who SUBJ phoned? “ Sue SUBJ phoned.’
(NOT ‘Who did phone?’)
• ‘Who OBJ did you see? “ I saw Sue OBJ.’
• ‘ What SUBJ happened? “ Something SUBJ
nice happened.’ (NOT ‘What did happen?’)
• ‘What OBJ did he say? “ He said
something OBJ nice.’
I. Underline the correct form
• Who gave / did give you that ring ?
• What wanted John? / did John want ?
1. Who said / did say that ?
2. What made / did make that noise ?
3. What fell / did fall out of your bag ?
4. What put you / did you put in the soup ?
5. Who told / did tell you ?
II. Complete the questions
• ‘Somebody heard me.’ ‘Who heard you?’
• ‘I heard somebody.’ ‘Who did you hear?’
1. ‘I phoned somebody.’ ‘Who ………………?’
2. ‘I broke something.’ ‘What ………………..?’
3. ‘Reno played something.’ ‘What…………...?’
4. ‘Something broke the window.’ ‘What……..?’
5. ‘Something fell off the chair.’ ‘What………..?’
Past Progressive
S + be + V ing + O + Complement
was/were
• We use the past progressive for actions which
were not complete at a past time.
Example:
• Sue was leaving in France when her uncle died.
• At 4.50 pm yesterday I was reading my book.
• The printer wasn’t working right when I tried to
print my thesis.
Note!!
We often use the past progressive and the simple past
together, for example with while.
• Past Progressive : Longer situation.
• Simple Past
: Complete shorter action that
happened during the longer situation.
Example :
At 6.15, when you phoned, I had / was having a shower.
Exercise :
• I (hear, not) __________ the thunder during the storm
last night because I (sleep) __________
• I (have, almost) __________ a car accident last night. I
(drive) __________ down Washington when suddenly I
(see) __________ a car in my lane. It (come) __________
right at my car
SIMPLE PAST or PAST CONTINUOUS ?
1. I (drive) along the road when a dog (run) out in front
of the car.
2. She (listen) to Mozart at 8 o’clock last night.
3. He (study) at home last night because he (be) tired.
4. Gaudi (die) while he (work) on the Sagrada Familia.
5. I (find) myself in a difficult situation last Tuesday.
6. She (come) up behind me while I (look) at the view.
7. When I (be) a boy I (want) to be a fireman.
8. They (walk) along the mall when they (come) to the
jeweller’s. While they (look) in the window, two men
(enter) the shop and (rob) it.
9. It (happen) while I (live) in London two years ago.
10.The last time I (see) her she (lie) on the beach in the
Algrave.