Simple Past Tense or Past Indefinite

Positive: Subject + Second form of Verb + object

Negative: Subject +did not + First form of Verb + object

Interrogative Did + Subject + First form of Verb + object + ?

· We use First form of Verb with did

For e.g. She did not allow her to leave home. (With did we use first form allow)

Use of Simple Past Tense or Past Indefinite

1. To express some past habits. When we taking about the past habit, we use words like usually, generally , always, sometimes, frequently, never, often
   • My grandfather went for a walk usually.
2. To express the actions which took place at past usually we use yesterday, last ____ in these sentences.

· I posted these letters yesterday.

Positive: Subject + was/were + First form of Verb with ing + object

Negative: Subject + was/were + not + First form of Verb with ing + object

Interrogative was/were + Subject + First form of Verb with ing + object + ?

• We use was with Singular subjects (He, she, it, Name, Dog, man etc.)
• We use were with you and other Plural subject (Dogs, Men etc.)

For e.g.

· He was going to market

· He was not playing cricket.

Use of Past Continuous Tense

1. To express an action this was in the progress at some point of time in the past.

· He was writing a letter

2. we also use past continuous in the sentences where past indefinite tenses (2^nd form of verb) is already used in the second sentence for e.g.

· The boys were making a noise when he entered the class.

Past Perfect Tense

Positive: Subject + Had + 3rd form of Verb + object

Negative: Subject + Had + not + 3rd form of Verb + object

Interrogative Had + Subject + 3rd form of Verb + object + ?

· For e.g. He had played cricket match.

Use of Present Perfect Tense

1. To express an action that has just been competed in the past we use words like by the end of this month, by six o’clock or by another action in the simple past.

· Mohit had left for the school by six o’clock.

2. We will have to use the past perfect tense where past indefinite tense was already used in first sentence

· I reached Mohit’s house, He had left for school.

Past Perfect Continuous Tense

Positive: Subject + had been + First form of Verb with ing + object + since/for

Negative: Subject + had+ not + been+ First form of Verb with ing + since/for

Interrogative Had + Subject +been+ First form of Verb with ing + object + since/for?

• We use since with definite time for e.g. since 2 o’ clock, since morning, since Tuesday
• We use for with indefinite time for e.g. for 10 days, for 2 months, for 2 hours

For e.g

• 1. He had been playing cricket match for ten years
  2. I had not been eating my food since morning.