Transcript SPEAKING OR WRITING ABOUT THE PAST

SPEAKING OR WRITING
ABOUT THE PAST
• Most often we use the PAST TENSE, so use this
unless you have a special reason for choosing
another tense.
• We use the PAST CONTINUOUS for actions
which were in progress at some point in the past,
normally as part of the background to another
action. E.g. We were having dinner when suddenly
there was an enormous explosion
• We use the PAST PERFECT for an action earlier
than an action we have just mentioned or earlier
than the point in past time we are thinking about.
THE PAST PERFECTEXAMPLES
• I walked out of the door and went down the street.
I was feeling hungry because I had not had
breakfast (missing breakfast is an earlier event
than leaving home)
• Because I had forgotten to bring my identity card,
I was very nervous when the policeman
approached me (The focus is on the moment when
I saw the policeman, so past perfect for the earlier
event).
PAST TENSE v. PAST
CONTINUOUS
• Notice the difference between these two sentences:
When the teacher walked into the room, the
students shouted loudly (the shouting was an
event that came after the walking in)
When the teacher walked into the room,the
students were shouting loudly (the shouting did
not follow the teacher’s arrival but had started
before he came – it was part of the background to
his arrival)
THE PRESENT PERFECT
• We use this tense for a past action which
has some special connection to the present –
either because we are interested in the
present result (e.g.Have you had lunch – we
are interested in whether the person needs to
go for a meal NOW) or because the action
has continued up to the present (e.g. I have
lived here all my life)
PAST TENSE v. PRESENT
PERFECT
• If we mention the point in past time at which or before
which something happened, we must use the past tense.
• So we can only use the present perfect for something
which happened:
- at an unmentioned point (or points)
anywhere in the past
- at an unmentioned point (or points) between
a known earlier point in past time and the
present
- for all the time from a point in the past up till
now
FOR EXAMPLE…..
• I have visited Beijing (this could have happened at
any time in the past)
• I have seen Ho Ma Fan three times this week (this
could have been at any three points in the period
from the beginning of the week up till now)
• I have waited here for three hours (for the whole
of the period from three hours ago up until now)
SWITCHING FROM PERFECT
TO PAST
• We very often start by using the present
perfect (because we haven’t yet mentioned
the point in the past when the event
happened) but then switch to the past tense
when that point IS mentioned
E.g. Have you ever been to Shanghai?
Yes, I went there last year.
SPECIAL WORDS WITH THE
PERFECT
• In affirmative sentences:
for (I have known him for three years)
since (She has been ill since Monday)
already (They’ve already finished eating)
just (I’ve just finished writing a letter)
always (He has always been impatient)
recently (He has recently published a book)
SPECIAL WORDS WITH THE
PERFECT (2)
• In questions:
ever (Have you ever been to Mexico?)
how long (How long have you known Tom?)
yet (Have you had dinner yet?)
lately (Have you seen any good films lately?)
SPECIAL WORDS WITH THE
PERFECT (3)
• In negative statements:
for (I haven’t seen him for months.)
since (They haven’t been there since last year.)
yet (I haven’t found the book yet.)
lately (I haven’t been there lately.)
never (I have never eaten dog meat)
SPELLING RULES FOR PAST TENSE
• 1. We normally add –ed (e.g. ask > asked)
• 2. If the verb already ends in –e, just add –d
(e.g.like > liked)
• 3. If the verb ends in a consonant plus – y, replace
the –y with –ied (e.g. try > tried)
• 4. If the verb ends in a short vowel followed by a
single consonant, the consonant is often doubled
(e.g. drop > dropped)
PRONOUNCING –ed (CAREFUL!)
• Normally the sound is /d/
• After `d’ or `t’ the sound is
or I/

• After unvoiced consonant sounds except for
/t/ (i.e. after the letters `k’, `p’. `s’, `ch’ and
`sh’), the sound is /t/
The past tense is used when we `fix’ the
action in the past in some way by
• Stating the point at which an action occurred:
– He arrived in 1996
• Mentioning an action which happened at various
times in the past but doesn’t happen now
– Bill often went to play at Jill’s house
• Putting an action in a list of actions which
happened one after another
– I got out of bed, had a a quick shower and left the
house.
• Talking or writing about people who are no longer
alive
– Julius Caesar invaded Birtain in 55 B.C.
When we mention an action which
happened at various times in the past but
doesn’t happen any more now
• We can use EITHER ordinary past tense
– I often visited the British Museum when I lived in London
• OR `used to’
– I often used to visit the British Museum when I lived in London
– Negative: I didn’t use to visit the museum.
– Question: Did you use to visit the museum?