The Past Tense
The Past Indefinite Tense
Or
The Simple Past Tense
(Subject + II form of the Verb…)
In the Simple Past (Past Indefinite) Tense the second form of the
Verb is used :
as—He came here yesterday.
‘Did’ is used in the Interrogative and Negative sentences.
‘Did’ is also used to lay emphasis.
Only the first form of the Verb is used with ‘did’.
(i) In Interrogative Sentences [‘did is placed before the subject
and verb in first form after it ; as—]
(Did + Subject + I form of the Verb…?)
Did you show me your homework ?
(ii) In Negative Sentences [‘did not’ is put after the subject and
first form of the verb is used thereafter : as—]
(Subject + did + not + I form of the Verb…)
I did not apply for leave.
Exception—I never told a lie.
(This sentence means—I did not ever tell a lie)
Uses of the Past Indefinite Tense
The Past Indefinite (Simple Past) Tense is used :
(a) To express an action completed in the past with reference to
the time of speaking.
I saw many birds in the zoo.
(b) To express habitual or regular action in the Past.
Gandhiji always spoke the truth.
(c) To express an event which occurred at a particular point in the
Past.
My father came back home yesterday.
(d) To express an action which occupied a period of time in the
Past, but is now ended.
We lived in this house for ten years. (do not live now)
I stayed at the Green Hotel for two months. (not staying now)
(e) To express an action where some word, showing past action
(yesterday, ago. last, etc.) is given in the sentence, as,
He received your message yesterday.
I passed the S.S.C. Examination last year.
Incorrect Correct
1. He has passed the Secondary School 1. He passed the Secondary School
Examination in 1978. Examination in 1978.
2. They have left for Agra yesterday. 2. They left for Agra yesterday.
3. She has written a letter to her father 3. She wrote a letter to her father last
last evening.
evening.
4. Babar has founded the Mughal
Empire. 4. Babar founded the Mughal Empire.
1. I ………… your letter this morning. (receive)
2. How many deer ………… you ………… in the zoo ? (see)
3. My father ………… a new house last month. ( buy)
4. Prices ………… by forty per cent last year. (rise)
5. Columbus ………… America. (discover)
6. Thousands of people ………… their lives in the earthquake.
(lose)
7. When ………… you ………… from Allahabad ? (return)
8. A thief ………… into our garage last night. (break)
The Past Continuous Tense
(Subject + was /were + I form of the Verb + ing…)
(i) The Past Continuous Tense denotes an action going on in the
past. In order to form Past Continuous Tense we add Present
Participle(v1 + ing) to was or were ; as—
The train was running at full speed.
(ii) In Negative form [‘not’ is placed between the helping verb and the
principal verb ; as—]
(Subject + was/were + not + Verb + ing…)
She was not weeping.
(iii) In Interrogative form [the helping verb is placed before the subject ;
as—] (Was/were + Subject + Verb + ing + … ?)
Were the sheep grazing in the field?
Was/Were + subject + not + verb (ing form) + object?
• Examples:
1.Was he not playing football? (क्या वह फुटबॉल नह ीं खेल रहा था?)
2.Were they not studying for the exam? (क्या वे पर क्षा क तैयार नह ीं कर
रहे थे?)
Structure: Wasn’t /Weren't+ subject + verb (ing) + object?
Wasn't he playing football yesterday?
Weren't they studying for the exam?
Uses of the Past Continuous Tense
(i) The Past Continuous Tense is used to express an action that was happening in the Past at
the time of speaking. The time of the action may or may not be mentioned.
Examples: The old lady was crying at the top of her voice.
They were not making a noise.
(ii) The use of this tense with Simple Past Tense denotes that the previous action was going
on when the latter action took place; as—
My mother was cooking the food when I reached home.
1. The baby ………… in the room.(weep)
2. Children ………… a noise in the class.(make)
3. The students ………… their morning prayer when I reached their
school.(say)
4. My mother ………… when I returned home.(sleep)
5. The old lady ………… the Gita when the guests arrived. (read)
6. Mother ………… tea for us when the school bus homed. (prepare)
7. She found that the baby ………… bitterly. (cry)
