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PAST SIMPLE TENSE
PAST SIMPLE TENSE
(a) I walked to school yesterday.
(b) John lived in Paris for ten years, but now he lives in Rome.
(c) I bought a new car three days ago.
(d) Rita stood under a tree when it began to rain.
(e) When Mrs. Smith heard a strange noise, she got up to investigate.
(f) When I dropped my cup, the coffee spilled on the floor.
The simple past indicates that an activity or situation began and ended at a particular time in the past.
If a sentence contains when and has the simple past in both clauses, the action in the when clause happens first.
In (a) both actions occurred at the same time, but one action began earlier and was in progress when the other action occurred.
In (d): My studying began before 8:00, was in progress at that time, and probably continued.
Sometimes, the past continuous is used in both parts of a sentence when two actions are in progress simultaneously.
PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE
PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE
(a) I was walking down the street when it began to rain.
(b) While I was walking down the street, it began to rain.
(c) Rita was standing under a tree when it began to rain.
(d) At eight o’clock last night, I was studying.
(e) Last year at this time, I was attending school.
(f) While I was standing in one room of our apartment, my roommate was having a party in the other room.
PAST PERFECT TENSE
PAST PERFECT TENSE
(a) Sam had already left by the time Ann got there.
(b) The thief simply walked in. Someone had forgotten to lock the door.
(c) Sam had already left when Ann got there.
(d) Sam had left before Ann got there.
The past perfect expresses an activity that was completed before another activity or time in the past.
In (c) and (d) First: Sam left.
Second: Ann got there.
The past perfect continuous emphasizes the duration of an activity that was in progress before another activity or time in the past.
This tense may also express an activity in progress close in time to another activity or time in the past.
PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS
PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS
(a) The police had been looking for the criminal for two years before they caught him.
(b) Eric finally came at six o’clock. I had been waiting for him since four-thirty.
(c) When Judy got home, her hair was still wet because she had been swimming.
(d) I went to Jane’s house after the funeral. Her eyes were red because she had been crying.
Exercise 1.
Past Simple vs. Past Continuous
I am sitting in the class right now. I ____________(sit) in the class at this exact time yesterday.
I don’t want to go to the zoo today because it’s raining. The same thing happened yesterday. I __________(not want) to go to the zoo because it ____________(rain).
It was beautiful yesterday when we went for a walk in the park. The sun __________(shine). A cool breeze _________(blow). The birds _____________(sing).
My brother and sister __________(argue) about something when I ____________(walk) into the room.
While Mrs. Emerson _________(read) the little boy a story, he _________(fall) asleep, so she _________(close) the book and quietly ___________(tiptoe) out of the room.
It __________(snow) when I _______(get) up this morning. The children next door __________(make) a snowman, so I quickly ________(put) on some warm clothes and ___________(race) outside to help them.
While we ____________(watch) TV, I ____________(fall) asleep.
As we ____________(cross) the street, a policeman ____________(stop) us.
It ___________(begin) to rain while we _____________(wait) for the tram.
Exercise 2.
Past Simple vs. Past Perfect
1. Sam ____________(be) a newspaper reporter before he ___________(become) a businessman.
2. I ______________(feel) a little better after I ________________(take) the medicine.
3. I was late. The teacher _________________(give, already) a quiz when I _____________(get) to class.
4. It was raining hard, but by the time class ____________(be) over, the rain ________________(stop).
5. Yesterday at a restaurant, I ______(see) Pam Donnelly, an old friend of mine. I _________(not see) her for years. At first, I _______(not recognize) her because she __________(lose) a great deal of weight.
6. I had an awful hangover because I ___________(drink) too much the night before.
7. I cooked a chicken curry for some friends, but I _________(not find) out until the next day that I __________(give) them all food poisoning.
8. When I __________(come) downstairs this morning, I couldn’t believe my eyes. The children __________(do) all the washing-up, and they ___________(make) breakfast for me.
9. He _______(give) me back the book, _________(thank) me and _______(say) that he _______(enjoy) it very much; but I __________(know) he _________(not read) it because most of the pages ____________(be) still uncut.
10. He _________(look) at her and ___________(wonder) where he _______________(see) her before.
11. When I _______(go) back to the shop, they __________(sell) the book I _____________(want).
12. When we ________(get) to the station, we ______(find) that the 8 o’clock train ____________(already, leave).
Exercise 3.
Past Simple, Past Continuous, Past Perfect, Past Perfect Continuous
1. Bill (paint)______ his front door when the telephone (start)______ ringing. He (answer)______ the phone and (speak)_______ to his friend. Later he (notice)_____ that he (leave)_________ red fingerprints all over the phone.
2. ‘(Tony, ring)_______ you last night?’ ‘Yes. He (wait)_____ for days for you to phone him but since you (not phone)___ he (sell)_____ his motorbike to someone else.’
3. ‘Your hair (look)______ different last night.’ ‘I know – I (want)_______ to dye it red, but I (not pay)_____ attention when I (buy)______ the dye and I (not realize)_____ until it (be)______ too late that I (buy)__the wrong colour.’
4. One day my sister (call)___ me. She (not know)_______ what to cook for a dinner party she (give)____ that evening and she (want)_____ some advice. I (give)____ her some simple recipes but I (be)____ surprised that she (not contact)_____ our mother. When I (ask)_____ why, she (reply)_____, ‘She’s one of the guests.’
5. Last Friday I (walk)___ to work when I (see)_____ an old friend I (not see)_____ for a long time. I (throw)______ my arms around him. He (stare)____ at me with an open mouth. To my horror I (realise)_______ I (mistake)_____ him for my friend.
Exercise 4.
Past Simple, Past Continuous, Past Perfect, Past Perfect Continuous
When I _____________(open) the door I _________________(see) a man on his knees. He clearly ______________________(listen) to our conversation and I __________________(wonder) how much he __________________(hear). I ________________(see) a small notebook and a pen in his hands. So he ______________________(take) notes of our conversation all the time!
The notes were written in a foreign language so I _________________(turn) to the stranger and ___________________(ask) him to translate. But he _________________(throw) his hat over my eyes and ran off down the corridor. By the time I ________________________(come) to myself he ___________________________________(disappear) round the corner.
Exercise 5.
Past Simple, Past Continuous, Past Perfect, Past Perfect Continuous
Last year Tim and Lilly (decide)_____ to buy a house. They (save up)________ for ages, and by the end of May they (put by)_______ enough for the deposit on a house. They (live)__________ in a tiny flat at the time and Lilly (insist)______ that she (want)_______ a house with a big garden. They (search)_______ for a few days when they (find)_____ exactly what they (look for)_______ - a two-bedroomed house in nearly an acre of a garden. Unfortunately the owner (ask)____ much more than they (be)_____ willing to pay, and when they (look)_____ more closely at the interior, they (see)_____ that whoever (live)_____ there before, (make)______ an absolute mess of the walls and floors. Still, Lilly (like)____ the garden and the location so much that she (manage)____ to convince Tim that despite the price, it (be)_______ the perfect house for them.
Exercise 6.
Past Simple, Past Continuous, Past Perfect, Past Perfect Continuous
Last summer some friends and I (arrange)______ to go camping. We (look)______ forward to going for weeks when finally the date of departure (arrive)_______. We (load)_____ the car with our luggage and (set off)______ early in the morning. The weather was perfect, the sun (shine)______ brightly and the wind (blow)_____ gently. There (not be)_____ a cloud in the sky. Shortly afterwards, while we (travel)____ along the motorway, we (notice)______ that the car (make)_______ a strange noise. Pete, who (drive)_______ very fast, suddenly (stop)__ the car. Everyone (get out)_____ and (go)_____ round to the back of the car. To our surprise the boot was wide open – whoever (load)__ the luggage (not close)_______ it properly, and everything (fall out)_____!
Exercise 7.
Translate into English.
1. Повечето ми приягели не бяха там. Бяха си заминали.
2. Не можах да я позная, тъй като се беше променила много.
3. Жената ми беше непозната. Не я бях виждал преди.
4. Тя не беше много добра на тенис, защото не беше играла преди.
5. Шефът на Мери беше много изненадан, защото тя беше закъсняла за работа.
6. Дадох й цветята, които бях купил за нея.
7. Те си тръгнаха след като си бяха свършили работата.
8. По-малкият ми брат беше изял цялата торта преди да се приберем.
9. Току що си бяхме легнали, когато някой почука на вратата.
10. Учителят беше ядосан, защото учениците не си бяха научили урока.
11. Не бях завършил писмото, когато започна да вали.
12. Беше ли си научил урока, когато ти се обадих?
Exercise 8.
Translate into English.
1. Когато погледнах през прозореца видях, че беше валяло.
2. Когато погледнах през прозореца, валеше.
3. Том беше задъхан. Беше тичал.
4. Опитах се да хвана Том, но не можах. Той тичаше много бързо.
5. Джим беше наколеничил на пода. Търсеше си химикалката.
6. Бяхме вървяли по шосето около 20 минути, когато една кола накрая спря.
7. Когато пристигнах всички седяхя около масата и вечеряха.
8. Когато пристигнах всички седяхя около масата. Вечеряха от около половин час.
9. Когато пристигнах, Ана ме чакаше.
10. Тя беше ядосана, защото аз закъснях и тя ме беше чакала много дълго време.
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