Universidad Andrs Bello Facultad de Humanidades y Educacin Departamento de Ingls

Talking about the Past

There are several ways of talking about actions that happened in the past. These include the simple past, the past progressive, the present perfect, the past perfect, and the phrase used to. THE SIMPLE PAST You usually make the simple past by adding -ed to the end of the verb. For example: walk we wait they "ump ! walked ! we waited ! they "umped

#any common verbs have irregular simple past forms, and so you have to use a special ending, or change the verb in some other way. For example: go we buy they see ! went ! we bought ! they saw

You use the simple past to talk about an action which happened and finished in the past. There is a space between the time when the action happened, and the time when you are speaking or writing about it. $e kicked the ball into the net. went home early because had a headache. The police found a dead body in the river. You often use words or phrases such as at midnight, on Tuesday, in %&&', yesterday, and last year with the simple past, to draw attention to the time when something happened. For example: (ur visitors arrived yesterday. )here did you go last week* The war ended in %&+,. THE PAST PROGRESSIVE You make the past progressive by using was or were, followed by the main verb with an -ing ending, for example was looking, they were laughing. The past progressive is used in the following ways: 1. You use the past progressive when you want to talk about something that happened in the past, and continued to happen for only a limited period of time. )e were living in France at that time. was trying to get the waiter-s attention. The man was looking at me in a very strange way. 2. You use the past progressive to talk about something which continued to happen for a period of time, during which another thing happened. was watching T. when the phone rang. They met each other while they were staying in /ondon. 0ome verbs are not usually used in the progressive. 1on-t say, 2 was not believing him-. 0ay did not believe him.

1o not use the progressive with the following verbs: be believe know recogni3e remember understand wish have like love hate prefer want belong see agree disagree mean need deserve

THE PRESENT PER E!T You make the present perfect by using has or have, followed by the 2past participle- form of the main verb, for example have walked, she has gone, they have seen. The present perfect is used in the following ways: 1. You use the present perfect to talk about something that happened in the past and is finished, but which still affects the situation now. 0omeone has broken the window. 45607/T 8(): it is still broken, and needs to be mended9 The taxi has arrived. 45607/T 8(): someone needs to go and get into the taxi9 :ane-s hurt her hand, so she can-t write. 45607/T 8(): :ane can-t write9 You often use "ust and recently with the present perfect in this meaning. :ane-s "ust left, but you might catch her in the car park. n ;merican 6nglish, people often use the simple past instead of the present perfect in this sense. <ritish 6nglish -ve "ust seen =arol. You-ve already told me that. $ave they come home yet* ;merican 6nglish "ust saw =arol. You already told me that. 1id they come home yet*

2. You use the present perfect to say that something started to happen in the past, and has continued to happen up to now. There is a clear difference with the past tense, which you use when the action is finished. =ompare these sentences: present perfect: have lived in =hicago for many years. 4> still live there now9 simple past: lived in =hicago for many years. 4>?now? live somewhere else9 present perfect: :im has worked for us since %&&'. 4>?he? still works for us now9 simple past: :im worked for us from %&&' to %&&@. 4>?he? does not work for us any more9 1on-t say 2 am living here for %A years-, or 2 live here for %A years-. 0ay have lived here for %A years. ". You use the present perfect to talk about something that happened at some time in the past before now, but it is not important to say when it happened. 0he has had several "obs abroad. There have been problems with this system in the past. This meaning of the present perfect is often used in news reports. There has been a big earthBuake in :apan, and hundreds of people have been killed. You can emphasi3e this meaning by using ever in Buestions, or never in negative sentences. For example: $ave you ever visited 0cotland* -ve never been in a plane before.

f you give the date, year, or time when something happened, you must use the simple past, not the present perfect. For example: spoke to him yesterday. 8(T have spoken to him yesterday. They arrived in the 70 last week. 8(T They have arrived in the 70 last week. THE PRESENT PER E!T PROGRESSIVE You make the present perfect progressive by using have beenChas been, followed by the main verb with an -ing ending, for example have been living, she has been studying. The present perfect progressive has very similar meanings to the present perfect, but draws attention to the period of time during which the action has taken place. The present perfect progressive is used in the following ways: 1. You use the present perfect progressive to talk about something which has continued to happen for a period of time in the past, and which may still be happening now. $ow long have you been learning 6nglish* )e-ve been expecting them to arrive since last Thursday. 2. You use the present progressive to talk about something which has been taking place recently and which affects the situation now. DYou look tired.E D -ve been working really hard.E t-s been raining all week, so the ground-s very wet. 1on-t say 2 -ve been knowing :ohn for a long time-. 0ay have known :ohn for a ong time. 1o not use the following verbs in the progressive: be believe know recogni3e remember understand wish have like love hate prefer want belong see agree disagree mean need deserve

THE PAST PER E!T f you want to talk about a past action which took place before another past action, you can use had, followed by the past participle of the main verb. ;fter the visitors had left, we watched T.. They told me that the taxi had already arrived You can also use the past perfect in a 2progressive- form by using had been, and putting it in front of a main verb with an -ing ending. )e had only been driving for an hour when the car ran out of petrol. #sing the $ight ti%e &h$ases 'ith the &ast tense f you use words or phrases about time with the simple past, they must have a meaning which shows there has been a space between the time when the action or event happened and the time when you are talking or writing about it. For example: saw :ohn yesterdayCa week agoClast Tuesday. f you use other words or phrases about time with the present perfect, they must have a meaning which shows that the action has continued up to the present, and may still going on. For example:

haven-t seen :ohn since #ondayCso farCyet. 1on-t say 2 -ve seen him a week ago- or 2 didn-t see :ohn since #onday-. #SE( TO You use used to when you want to say that something happened in the past over a period of time, but it no longer happens now. t is found only in the past tense. You use used to with the basic form of the main verb, for example used to smoke, used to live, used to be. used to play football a lot when was at school. 0he used to smoke +A cigarettes a day. The club used to be very fashionable. They used to live in /os ;ngeles. n negatives, you say didn-t use to, or used not to. didn-t use to like spicy food. (5 used not to like spicy food. n Buestions, you say did 4youCsheC"ohn etc9 use to ... * 1id you use to smoke* )hat did she use to call him*

Past Tense e)e$*ise

INSTR#!TIONS+ So%e o, this te)t is '$itten in the &ast tense -e.g. .o *$e&t/ an0 so%e is '$itten in the &$esent tense -e.g. She &i*ks/. :o crept along to FrandmaGs room. 0he edged the door open and peeped inside. (n the bedside table stood the package. :o held her breath and walked to the table. The package was like a magnet. t seemed to draw her in. 0he had to know what was inside. 0he picks it up and feels the shape. n her mind she sees a thin necklace of pink cowrie shells. 0he knows it is wrong but it is too tempting. The paper at the edge of the package is loose. $er fingers itch. HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH