Past tenses

Question 1

Past simple

Answer 1

We use the past simple to talk about consecutive actions or situations in the past, i.e. for the main events in a story.

Question 2

Past continuous

Answer 2

We use the past continuous (was / were + verb + -ing) to describe a longer continuous past action or situation which was in progress when another action happened, or to describe an action or situation that was not complete at a past time.

Question 3

Past perfect

Answer 3

We use the past perfect (had + past participle) to talk about the ‘earlier past’, i.e. things which happened before the main event(s)

Question 4

Past perfect continuous

Answer 4

We use the past perfect continuous (had been + verb + -ing) with action verbs (go, play, watch, etc.) to talk about longer continuous actions or situations that started before the main events happened and continued up to that point. Non-action verbs (e.g. be, have, know, like, etc.) are not normally used in the past continuous or past perfect continuous.