Past Simple, Past Continuous, Past Perfect & Past Perfect Continuous

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 3

Past tenses

past simple, past continuous, past perfect simple, past perfect continuous

Narrative tenses

I can use

the past simple,

past continuous,

and past perfect

to tell a story that 

happened in the past.

We use these to make sure we don't bore someone to death when describing a story & to make the sequence of events clear :)

Example - boring.

Last night, I walked home. I saw a car driving very fast towards a red light. I looked at the driver. I saw him talking on the phone.

He didn't stop at the traffic light, and another car crashed into him.

The police arrived. The police asked what happened.

I told them that the driver didn't see the light bc he was on his phone.

• Example - clear and rich!
  Last night, I was walking home when I saw a car driving very fast towards a red light. I looked at the driver and I could see that he was talking on the phone. He didn't stop at the light and another car crashed into him. When the police arrived, they asked me what had happened and I told them that the driver had been using his phone.

Narrative tense

PAST SIMPLE = describe the main events in chronological order

PAST CONTINUOUS = to set the scene & to describe actions/situations in progress

PAST PERFECT = describe events that happened earlier in the past

PAST PERFECT CONTINOUS = describe things that were going on earlier in the past

Example - clear and rich!

Last night, I was walking home when I saw a car running very fast towards a red light. I looked at the driver and I could see that he was talking on the phone. He didn't stop at the light and another car crashed into him. When the police arrived, they asked me what had happened and I told them that the driver had been using his phone.

Past Simple, Continuous & Perfect

Past Simple: an action started and finished in the past.

I spent the entire holiday at home with my boyfriend.

Past Continuous: an action that happened over a longer period of time.

Joshua was living in New York for over two months last year.

Past Perfect: an action that happened before another one.

Farrah had gone doctor before she realized she wasn't sick.

Tom couldn't play because...

1. he had forgotten his trainers
2. he forgot his trainers

The referee blew his whistle and...

1. the game started.
2. the game was starting.

Sue and Jenny were excited because...

1. they didn't go to a football match before
2. they hadn't been to a football match before

It was snowing when ...

1. the marathon began
2. the marathon had begun

It was snowing when ...

1. the marathon began
2. the marathon had begun

By the time the art critics arrived, the sculptor...

1. had already finished carving the marble statue.
2. had still finishing the details on the statue.
3. was finished the concept for the statue.
4. completed the sculpture while they were watching.

While the graphic designer ______ the new logo, the client called with additional changes.

1. was creating
2. created
3. had created

The illustrator was exhausted because she ______ character concepts for hours before the meeting.

1. was sketching
2. had sketched
3. had been sketching

The fashion designer ______ a new collection inspired by Renaissance art last season.

1. was designing
2. designed
3. was designed
4. had designed

By the time the exhibition opened, the curator ______ all the paintings in their correct places.

1. arranged
2. had arranged
3. was arranging

Match the tense and when we use this tense

a past event that was in progress 

an event in the past that happened before another past event

events in the past of which we know when they happened and that they are finished

an event that had been going on before another event in the past

past simple

past perfect

past continuous

past perfect continuous

The illustrator’s hand was sore because she (draw) digital illustrations for ten hours straight.

I missed my ferry. When I arrived at the port, it (leave).

Linda (eat, already) when she arrived at my house.

He phoned me as soon as he (left) the hospital.