PAST TENSE

1)      SIMPLE PAST TENSE

a.      Form

I/ WE/ YOU/ THEY

HE/ SHE/ IT         + PAST TENSE

b.      Use

1)      To express an activity in a definite time in the past

Example :

·         He was born in 1964

·         She came here yesterday

·         I saw good panorama last week.

2)      To express past habitual activities

Example :

·         Ali always worked hard when he was young

·         We always played basket ball during our academic years.

2)      PAST CONTINUES TENSES

a.      Form

I/ HE/ SHE/ IT                  + WAS + PRESENT PARTICIPLE

WE/ YOU/ THEY            + WERE + PRESENT PARTICIPLE

b.      Use

1)      To express an activity in the past which is interrupted by another activity.

Example  :

·         They were watching TV when some body knocked at the door

·         While i was bathing in the river i heard a ferful cry

2)      To express two activities in the past that happens in the same time.

Example  :

·         Ali was reading a magazine while Johan was writing letters.

·         When you called me. I was listening to the radio.

3)      PAST PERFECT TENSE

a.      Form

HAD + PAST PARTICIPLE

b.      Use

To express an activity which is completed before another activity in the past.

Example  :

·         He had arrived at home before it rained.

·         Anggi went home after she had bought some books.

·         I had copied my lesson before the exam began.

4)      PAST PERFECT CONTINOUS

a.      Form

HAD + BEEN + PRESENT PARTICIPLE

b.      Use

It use to denote an action beginning in the past time and was still in progress at certain time in the past also.

Example  :

·         When Bobby came, Kevin had been working for two hours.

·         Before he entered the exam, he had been studying hard for a month.

·         The children had been playing in the garden the whole morning, before their mother called me.