Simple Past
Use for:
Examples: She walked to school everyday. I ate pizza yesterday. They visited the zoo after it was closed to the public. Form: Infinitive (base verb) + ed = simple past (regular verbs) walk + ed = walked visit + ed = visited Note: Ate is irregular |
Past Continuous (also known as past progressive)
Use for:
Examples: She was walking to school when she realised it was a Saturday. I was always eating pizza back then. They were visiting the zoo but had to leave early. Form: auxiliary (simple past "to be") + present participle of verb = past continuous was + walking = was walking was + eating = was eating were + visiting = were visiting |
Past Perfect Use for:
Examples: She had walked all the way to school before I realised it was Saturday. I had eaten all of the pizza by the time you arrived. They had visited the zoo the week before Tommy arrived. Form: auxiliary (simple past "to have") + past participle of verb = past continuous had + walked = had walked had + eaten = had eaten had + visited = were visiting I had eaten all of the pizza by the time you arrived. Past Present <-------|------------------ | ------------------|-----> ate pizza arrived now |
Past Perfect Continuous (also known as past perfect progressive) Use for:
Examples: She had been walking to school most days before she broke her leg. I had been eating pizza most nights since the kitchen was being fixed. They had been visiting the zoo monthly but stopped once Tommy got his fear of lions. Form: auxiliary (past have + past perfect "to be" ) + present participle of verb = past perfect continuous had + been + walking = had been walking had + been+ eating = had been eating had + been + visiting = had been visiting I had been eating pizza most nights until the kitchen was renovated. Past Present <-------|---------|----------|----------------| ------------------|-----> ate pizza ate pizza ate pizza Kitchen now |