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simple Past tenses
Simple & Progressive
Past Simple tense
Rationale:
Occurred at a particular time in the past
Positive | affirmative
Structure
Person | V2 | details
V2 = Past verbs = verb + ed, usually
walk - walked | talk - talked
work - worked | endure - endured
V2 Exceptions ;
run - ran | think - thought (thot)
eat - ate | break - broke
do - did | bring - brought (brot)
make - made | ride - rode
drink - drank | feed - fed
write - wrote | get - got
I read (red) it yesterday.
This dog ran away last night.
You walked faster last week.
They sat down nicely for dinner.
We worked on it last month.
We signed up for English lessons yesterday afternoon.
Negative
Structure
Person | did | not | verb
Contraction = didn't
I didn't write this.
You did not read this.
They did not watch that.
He did not drive my car yesterday.
She didn't dance the competition.
Question
Structure
Did | Person | verb | ...?
Did you write this?
Did your dog eat my shoe?
Did you get that?
Did she bake my cake?
Did he cook my dinner?
Negative Questioning
Structure
Did | Person | not | verb
Did I not make myself clear?
Did this lady not play last night?
Did you not listen to me?
Did she not play along?
Did they not wait up?
Past Progressive tense
Rationale:
Was happening over
durations in the past
Positive | affirmative
Past2B - Past Verb 'To Be'
[was / were]
I / She / he / it was
You / we / they were
Structure
Person | Past2B | verb + ing
I was reading it all night long.
This car was running all day long.
You were walking faster all last week.
They were sitting down nicely for dinner.
We were working on it last month.
Negative
Structure
Person | Past2B | not | verb + ing
I was not reading it all night long.
This car was not running all day long.
You were not walking faster at all.
They were not sitting down nicely.
We were not working on it last month.
Question
Structure
Past2B | Person | verb + ing | ..?
Was I reading it all night long?
Was this car running all say long?
Were you walking faster than last week?
Were they sitting down nicely at dinner?
Were we working on it last month?
Negative interrogative
Structure
Past2B | Person | not
verb + ing | ..?
Was I not reading it all night long?
Was this car not running all day long?
Were you not walking faster than last week?
Were they not sitting down nicely at dinner?
Were we not working on it last month?
Was I not making myself clear?
Was this lady not playing last night?
Were you not listening to me at all?
Was she not playing along very well?
Were they not waiting up for you?
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