Past Tense
Past Indefinite or simple past tense
Structure-
1. Affirmative:-Subj. + V2nd+ obj. She sang a song.
2. Negative:- Subj. + did + not + v1st+ obj. She didn’t sing a song
3. Interrogative:- Did +subj. + v1st+ obj? Did she sing a song?
4. Interro & neg:-(i) Did +subj. + not + v1st+ obj?
Did she not sing a song?
(ii) Didn’t +subj. + v1st+ obj? Didn’t she sing a song?
(iii) Wh. + did +subj. + not + v1st+ obj? Why did she not sing a song?
(iv) Wh. + Didn’t +subj. + v1st+ obj? Why didn’t she sing a song?
Some Important Rules
Rule 1. It is used to indicate an action completed in the past. (often with an adverb/adverb of past time)
Examples
a. Saif met me yesterday.
b. We went to Delhi by train last month.
Rule 2. It is used to describe a past habit.
Examples
a. She always quarreled with me.
b. He called me every day.
Rule 3. It is used after expression as “it is time, it is high time, it is good time”.
Examples
a. It is time you should work hard. (incorrect)
b. It is time you worked hard. (correct)
Note:- If ‘to’ comes after it is time, it is high time, it is good time, we use first form of a verb.
Example
a. It is time to work hard. (correct)
Rule 4. We use simple past to indicate an unreal / imaginary situation with the help of these words- wish, if, as if, and as though.
Examples
a. If I was rich, I would gift you a bike on your birthday. (incorrect)
b. If I were rich, I would gift you a bike on your birthday. (correct)
c. She talks as if she was mad. (incorrect)
d. She talks as if she were mad. (correct)
e. He wishes he has a lot of money. (incorrect)
f. He wishes he had a lot of money. (correct)
See some more sentences of ‘If’
Structure
1. If + simple present tense, simple future tense
Example
If you look at her, you will take fancy to her beauty.
2. If+ simple paste tense, Subj. + would + V1st + obj.
Example
If you looked at her, you would take fancy to her beauty.
3. (i) If past perfect tense, subj.+ would have V3rd+obj.
or
(ii) had + subj+V3rd+obj, subj.+ would have V3rd+obj.
Examples
(i) If you had looked at her, you would have taken fancy to her beauty.
(ii) Had you looked at her, you would have taken fancy to her beauty.
Rule 5. Simple past is used to indicate preference with this structure.
Structure
Would rather + simple past
Examples
a. I would rather you take a taxi. (incorrect)
b. I would rather you took a taxi. (correct)
Rule 6. Yesterday, last day, last night, last month, last week, last year, ago, 2 days ago, 3 months ago etc. 1991, 1992, 1993 etc. These adverbs are used only in the simple past tense.
Examples
1. I have completed my graduation in 2014. (incorrect)
2. I completed my graduation in 2014. (correct)
3. The class has started 10 minutes ago. (incorrect)
3. The class started 10 minutes ago. (correct)
Past Continuous Tense
Structure-
1.Affirmative:- Sub + was/were + V1 + ing + obj.
She was singing a song.
2. Negative:- Sub + was/were +not+ V1 + ing + obj.
She was not singing a song
3. Interrogative:- Was/were + sub + V1 + ing + obj?
Was she singing a song?
4. Inter & neg:-
(i) Was/ were+sub+not+V1+ing + obj? Was she not singing a song?
(ii) Was/ were + not+ sub + V1 + ing + obj? .
Wasn’t she singing a song?
(iii) Wh + was/were + sub + not +V1 +ing + obj? .
Why was she not singing a song?
(iv) Wh + was/were + not +sub + V1 + ing + obj?
Why wasn’t she singing a song?
Important Rules
Rule 1. It is used to indicate an action going on at some time in the past.
Examples
1. When I saw her, she played with her hair. (incorrect)
2. When I saw her, she was playing with her hair. (correct)
3. He hurt his knee while he played football. (incorrect)
4. He hurt his knee while he was playing football. (correct)
Rules 2. It is also used to indicate two tasks occurring together.
Examples
1. While I was reading a novel, my sister cooked food. (incorrect)
2. While I was reading a novel, my sister was cooking food. (correct)
Past Perfect Tense
Structure-
1. Affirmative:- Subj. + had + V3 + obj. He had gone mad.
2. Negative:- Subj. + had + not + V3 + obj. He had not gone mad.
3. Interrogative :- Had +subj.+ V3 + obj? Had he gone mad?
4. intr & neg:-(i) Had +subj. +not + V3 + obj?
Had he not gone mad?
(ii) Had +not +subj.+ V3 + obj? Hadn’t he gone mad?
(iii) Wh +had +subj. +not + V3 + obj? How had he not gone mad?
(iv) Wh. +had +not +subj.+ V3 + obj? How hadn’t he gone mad?
Important Rules
Rule 1. It describes an action completed before a certain moment in the past.
Examples
1. They had earned a lot of money.
2. She had lost her book.
Rule 2. To show that an action happened before a specific time in the past.
Examples
1. He had established his institute before 2010.
2. I had never watched this movie until last week.
Rule 3. If two actions took place in the past, the former must be in the past perfect tense and the latter in the simple past.
Structure-
(i) Past perfect + before / when + simple past .
(ii) Simple past + after + past perfect .
Examples
1. When I had reached school, It started raining. (incorrect)
2. When I reached school, It had started raining. (correct)
3. She had taken her lunch when I had called her. (incorrect)
4. She had taken her lunch when I called her. (correct)
5. The train had departed before he had arrived at the station. (incorrect)
6. The train had departed before he arrived at the station. (correct)
7. He went to bed after he had taken dinner. (correct)
Past Perfect Continuous Tense
Structure-
1.Affirmative:- Subj. +had been + V1 + ing + obj. +since/for + time.
He had been reading newspaper since morning.
2. Negative:- Subj. +had +not + been + V1 + ing + obj. +since/for + time.
He had not been reading newspaper since morning.
4. Interrogative:- Had + subj.+ been + V1 + ing + obj. +since/for + time?
Had he been reading newspaper since morning?
5. (i) Inter & neg:- Had + subj.+ not + been + V1 + ing + obj. +since/for + time?
Had he not been reading newspaper since morning?
(ii) Had + not + subj.+ been + V1 + ing + obj. +since/for + time?
Hadn’t he been reading newspaper since morning?
(iii) Wh +had + subj.+ not + been + V1 + ing + obj. +since/for + time?
Why had he not been reading newspaper since morning?
(iv) Wh +had + not + subj.+ been + V1 + ing + obj. +since/for + time?
Why hadn’t he been reading newspaper since morning?
Important Rule
Rule 1. It is used for an action that started before a certain period in the past and continued up to that moment.
Examples
1. She had been working for a newspaper for 4 years.
2. They had been watching the movie for 2 hours.
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