Past Tense is used in the sentences that denote an action that has already happened in the past. The four kinds of tenses that are present in this are as follows:
Simple Past Tense
| Structure: Subject + Verb 2 (V2) + Object |
This tense is used to express the following:
- To describe an action that took place at any specific point in the past.
- He spoke to me an hour ago.
- Kohli scored a century in the last match.
- Narendra Modi became PM of India in 2014.
- We watched a movie yesterday.
- Long ago, there lived a king.
- Even though the adverb or the period of time is not mentioned in the sentence, past tense can be used simply to indicate that the action took place in the past.
- I watched Cricket at the stadium.
- Rahul didn’t sleep well.
- Federer won the match.
Past Continuous
| Structure: Subject + Was/ Were + Verb 1 (V1) + ing + Object |
Past continuous tense was expressed in sentences containing an action that was happening at some time in the past.
- I was watching Soccer on TV last night.
- He was working as a teacher during this time last year.
- I was visiting London in May last year.
Past Perfect
| Structure: Subject + Had + Verb 3 (V3) + Object |
The past perfect tense describes an action completed at a certain period in the past.
- I had met him in New York in 2005.
- He had written a book when he was 10 years old.
When two past actions are mentioned in a single sentence, in order to distinguish both of them, the earlier action is described in the past perfect and the other action, in the simple past tense.
- The train had already left by the time he reached the station.
- The movie had already started by the time we entered the theatre.
- Martin had called me before he came to my place.
- I had deposited the money in the bank when Raj met me to borrow some.
Past Perfect Continuous Tense
| Structure: Subject + had been + verb 1 + ing + object |
This shows an action that started in the past and continued for a period of time till some action happened in the past. We can use Past perfect continuous like the past perfect in combination of simple past.
- Mary had been working as a nun for 30 years, when she passed away in 2015.
- Rahul had been waiting for the bus for half an hour, when his friend picked him up.
To learn about the types, structures and examples of Present tense, click here
To learn about the types, structures and examples of future tense, click here.
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