What Is the Past Tense?

(with Examples)
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What Is the Past Tense? (with Examples)
The past tense describes a past event or a state of being. For example:
I jumped in the lake.
(past event)
I was happy.
(past state of being)
The tense of a verb is determined by when the action took place. The three
main tenses are:
past tense
present tense
future tense
Examples of the Types of Past Tenses
The past tense is categorized further depending on whether the action was in
progress or has been completed. The four past tenses are:

Your score:
Click on the verb in the past tense:
A. will run
B. ran
C. am running

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The 4
Past
Tenses
Examples Uses
simple past
tense
I went.
The Martians
landed near the
aqueduct.
The simple past tense is used to describe a
completed activity that started in the past
and ended in the past.
past
progressive
tense
I was going.
He was painting
the door when a
bird struck the
window.
The past progressive tense is used to
describe an on-going activity in the past.
Often, it is used to set the scene for
another action.
past
perfect
tense
I had gone.
Silverfinger had
taken the pill
before the team
reached him.
The past perfect tense is used to
emphasize that an action was completed
before another took place.
past
perfect
progressive
I had been going.
She had been
painting the door
before the dog
scratched it.
The past perfect progressive tense is used
to show that an on-going action in the past
has ended.
Diagrams for the Four Past Tenses
The infographics below show how each past tense is formed and a quick
overview of how each one is used:
Simple Past Tense

For example:
I played when I was younger.
Past Progressive Tense

For example:
I was playing for an hour.
Past Perfect Tense

For example:
I had played already.
Past Perfect Progressive Tense

For example:
I had been playing since I was ten.
< Back Glossary of Terms
See also:
What are verbs?
Past tense
Present tense
Future tense
Tenses
Simple past tense
Past progressive tense
Past perfect tense
Past perfect progressive tense
Simple present tense
Present progressive tense
Present perfect tense
Present perfect progressive tense
Simple future tense
Future progressive tense
Future perfect tense
Future perfect progressive tense
Glossary of grammatical terms

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