When we discuss events that happened before now, we choose tenses and structures based on when the action occurred, whether it’s complete or in progress, and its connection to other events or the present.
1. The Simple Past Tense
Use for completed actions at a specific time (stated or implied).
“I went to the park yesterday.” (Specific time)
“She lived in London for five years.” (Implied completed period)
“They finished the project last week.” (Specific time)
2. The Past Continuous Tense
Use for actions in progress at a specific past moment or overlapping actions.
“I was watching TV when you called.” (Interrupted action)
“They were playing in the garden all afternoon.” (Ongoing over a period)
“While she was cooking, he was reading a book.” (Simultaneous actions)
3. The Present Perfect Tense
Connects past events to the present; time is unspecified or unimportant.
- Experiences: “I have visited Paris twice.”
“She has read that book.”
- Changes Over Time: “He has grown so much since I last saw him.”
“My English has improved a lot this year.”
- Accomplishments: “We have finished the report.”
“She has won the competition!”
- Unfinished Actions (with for/since): “I have lived in California for ten years.”
“She has known him since childhood.”
- Recent Past with Present Results: “I have lost my keys.”
“It has rained, so the ground is wet.”
Key signals: ever, never, already, yet, just, recently, lately, so far, for, since.
4. The Past Perfect Tense
Highlights an action completed before another past action.
“I had finished my homework before my friends arrived.”
“She had never seen snow before she visited Canada.”
“By the time we got to the station, the train had already left.”
5. The Past Perfect Continuous Tense
Emphasizes duration of an action before another past event.
“He had been studying for hours before he took a break.”
“They had been waiting for the bus for twenty minutes when it arrived.”
“She was tired because she had been working all night.”
6. Using Adverbs & Time Expressions
Add clarity with words like:
- Specific points: yesterday, last week, in 2010, on Tuesday, at 3 pm
- Periods: for five years, during the summer, a long time ago
- Sequence: first, then, after that, finally
7. “Used to” & “Would”
Describe past habits or states no longer true:
“I used to play the piano when I was younger.”
“There used to be a big tree in our yard.”
“Every summer, we would go camping in the mountains.”
8. Storytelling & Narrative Techniques
In narratives, mix tenses for flow—use Simple Past to set the scene, Past Continuous or Perfect for background, and Present Perfect to tie past to now.
In Summary
The best tense for talking about past events depends on:
- When the action happened (specific vs. unspecified time)
- Completion: finished actions vs. ongoing or habitual actions
- Duration: emphasizing length of time
- Connection to the present or to other past events