{"id":40700,"date":"2019-07-31T14:22:48","date_gmt":"2019-07-31T12:22:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/?p=40700"},"modified":"2019-07-31T14:22:48","modified_gmt":"2019-07-31T12:22:48","slug":"4-past-tenses-and-when-to-use-them","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/4-past-tenses-and-when-to-use-them\/","title":{"rendered":"4 Past Tenses and When to Use Them"},"content":{"rendered":"

Do you have difficulty with the past tenses in English? Do you know the difference between the past simple and past perfect? Knowing what they are and when to use them can be tricky<\/strong><\/em><\/span>, but don\u2019t worry we are here to help you with all your past tense doubts!<\/p>\n

We\u2019ll show you when to use them and give you some fun ways to practise them at home!<\/p>\n

So, let\u2019s start by looking at the four main past tense forms in English and their most common uses.<\/p>\n

\"Paste<\/p>\n

1. Past Simple<\/strong><\/span><\/h1>\n

 <\/p>\n

The first past tense you\u2019ll often learn in your English classes is the past simple.<\/p>\n

Form<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

For regular verbs we add -ed<\/em> to the infinitive form of the verb. E.g.<\/p>\n

\"Paste
\n\"Past<\/p>\n

Irregular verbs however, take a different form. There are hundreds of irregular verbs and you just have to learn them off by heart<\/strong><\/em><\/span>! Here are some of the most common:<\/p>\n

\"Past<\/p>\n

Use<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

The main use of the past simple is for finished actions in the past. For example:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • <\/i> I was<\/em> born in San Francisco.<\/span><\/li>\n

  • <\/i> I cleaned<\/em> my room.<\/span><\/li>\n

  • <\/i> I forgot<\/em> my key.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>
    <\/div>\n <\/p>\n

    We can use it with a finished time phrase like in the sentences below:<\/p>\n

      \n
    • <\/i> Yesterday<\/em> I went to the supermarket.<\/span><\/li>\n

    • <\/i> Last night<\/em> we watched the football.<\/span><\/li>\n

    • <\/i> The phone rang five minutes ago<\/em>.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>
      <\/div>\n <\/p>\n

      Other common time expressions you can use are:<\/p>\n

      last month, last week, last summer, in 1997, when I was a child, a long time ago, on Monday, in February etc.<\/em><\/p>\n

      We also use the past simple for the main action when telling a story.<\/p>\n

      E.g. I woke up<\/em> on my wedding day, I jumped<\/em> out of bed and immediately called<\/em> my brother. He didn\u2019t pick up<\/em> and so I began<\/em> to worry.<\/p>\n

      Let\u2019s see how much you\u2019ve learned!<\/p>\n

      Activity One<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

      We are going to test your knowledge of regular and irregular verbs! Watch this cartoon of Mr Bean making spaghetti. Then have a go at conjugating<\/strong><\/em><\/span> the verbs below into the past simple. Finally put the sequence in order they appear in the video!<\/p>\n

       
      \n