Tenses, Aspects and Voice 2: Past and Past Progressive

Tenses, Aspects and Voice 2: Past and Past Progressive

Let's start with some theory, shall we?

Just like with Present, let's first talk about be in past!

Past: be (positive forms)

• I/He/She/It was in Rome yesterday.

• You/We/They were in Rome yesterday.

Past: be (full negative forms)

• I/He/She/It was not in Rome yesterday.

• You/We/They were not in Rome yesterday.

Past: be (short negative forms)

• I/He/She/It wasn't in Rome yesterday.

• You/We/They weren't in Rome yesterday.

Past: be (questions)

• Was I/he/she/it in Rome yesterday?

• Were you/we/they in Rome yesterday?

Easy peasy

lemon squasy

Get ready for the first Past task!

Use the correct form of be in Past!

Multiple Choice

They (be) teenage sweethearts in Stoke where they grew up. [W_newsp_tabloid]

• was

• wase

• be

• were

Multiple Choice

Those waters (be not) particularly dangerous. [W_advert]

• was not

• was'nt

• were'nt

• were not

Multiple Choice

It (be) home, the only home he could remember. He was going to miss it. [W_fict_prose]

• was

• were

• 'was

• 'were

Multiple Choice

They (be not) especially close, Becky and her aunt, but they got on well enough. [W_fict_prose]

• wasn't

• weren't

• weren't not

• wasn't not

Multiple Choice

We (be) the last people Frankie visited before flying home [W_newsp_tabloid]

• was

• were

• 'was

• 'were

You're doing absolutely fine

Let's explore all the other verbs now!

Study the forms and spelling rules!

Past: positive

• I/He/She/It/You/We/They worked in Rome yesterday.

• Spelling: Typically, add -ed

Past: positive

• I/He/She/It/You/We/They lived in Rome last year.

• Spelling: Add -d if the word ends in -e

Past: positive

• I/He/She/It/You/We/They studied in Rome last year. BUT played

• Spelling: Take away -y and add -ied if the word ends in consonant + y

Past: positive

• I/He/She/It/You/We/They stopped in Madrid on their way to Rome last year.

• Spelling: Sometimes double the final consonant

Irregular verbs in the Past

• Some verbs do not take any rules. You just have to learn them. For example, swam, NOT swimmed.

• Check this resource for a list of irregular verbs: https://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/irregular-verbs.html

Past: full negative form

• I/He/She/It/You/We/They did not work in Rome last year.

Past: short negative form

• I/He/She/It/You/We/They didn't work in Rome last year.

Past: questions

• Did I/he/she/it/you/we/they work in Rome last year?

Past: uses

• Completed states/actions in the past

• Albert Einstein was a physicist.

• I travelled to Rome last year.

You. Are. Awesome!

Keep going!

Now use the verbs in the Past!

Multiple Choice

'Where on earth (he get) egg and pickle sandwiches?' asked Omero. [W_misc]

• did he get

• he got

• he gotted

• was he get

Multiple Choice

He began it, but then he (stop) because he (decide) it (be not) an interesting enough story. [W_pop_lore]

• stop, decide, be not

• stoped, decided, was not

• stopped, decided, were not

• stopped, decided, wasn't

Multiple Choice

I (be) late and we (decide) to call a taxi. [W_ac_soc_science]

• were; did decide

• was; decided

• was; decide

• was; was decide

Multiple Choice

'I swear it to you. He (not do) it! Nor did I!' [W_fict_prose]

• not do

• did'nt

• wasn't

• did not

Multiple Choice

'Oh?' Alexei (raise) his eyebrows.' I (not know) you were looking in my direction, Khan.' [W_fict_prose]

• raiseed, didn't know

• raised, didn't know

• raised, did'nt know

• raised, wasn't know

You've got this!

Past down; Past Progressive coming up!

Past with the Progressive aspect

Past Progressive: positive forms

• I/He/She/It was working in Rome yesterday at 3.

• You/We/They were working in Rome yesterday at 3.

Past Progressive: full negative forms

• I/He/She/It was not working in Rome yesterday at 3.

• You/We/They were not working in Rome yesterday at 3.

Past Progressive: short negative forms

• I/He/She/It wasn't working in Rome yesterday at 3.

• You/We/They weren't working in Rome yesterday at 3.

Past Progressive: questions

• Was I/he/she/it working in Rome yesterday at 3?

• Were you/we/they working in Rome yesterday at 3?

Over to you!

Choose the correct Past Progressive form

Multiple Choice

He (behave) as the hunter he would soon become. [W_fict_prose]

• was behaving

• behaving

• were behaving

• were behaveing

Multiple Choice

They seemed angry with the therapist although (not saying) this openly. [W_ac_medicine]

• wasn't saying

• weren't saying

• wasn't saing

• weren't saing

Multiple Choice

I could see them quite clearly now. They (not looking) at us. They (face) each other. [W_fict_prose]

• were not looking; were facing

• were not; were not facing

• was looking; was facing

• looked; faced

Multiple Choice

He has short ginger hair, and is clean shaven with freckles. He (wear) baggy jeans and a striped blue sweatshirt. [W_news_script]

• wearing

• were wearing

• were wear

• was wearing

Multiple Choice

He (shout) at the top of his voice into the microphone buy save for a few in the front of the crowd, nobody could hear a word because someone had cut the amplifier cable. [W_fict_prose]

• was shouting

• shouting

• did shouting

• was shoutting

Forms - done

Well done!

Let's look at uses and spelling rules now!

Well done!

The spelling rules for Past Progressive are the same as for Present Progressive

Past Progressive: spelling

• Typically, add -ing (I was working yesterday at 3)

• Take away final -e (I was living in Rome last month)

• Some words double the final consonant (I was swimming. He was stopping)

Past Progressive: uses

• Action in progress at some time in the past.

• I was working in Rome yesterday at 3. At that moment, my brothers were working from home.

Past vs Past Progressive: compare!

• Finished actions vs Actions in progress at some time in the past.

• I travelled to Rome last year. While I was in Rome, I was studying Italian.

Past vs Past Progressive: compare!

• I was walking to the shop when I saw a cat.

• James was walking along Brivibas street when he entered a shop

The final challenge is coming up!

Use Past or Past Progressive!

Multiple Choice

I (forget) that plastic card, didn't I? [S_conv]

• forgetted

• forget

• forgot

• was forgetting

Multiple Choice

Anyway, um, where (I be)? Well, er, I think that's everything. [W_misc]

• was I

• were I

• I were

• I was

Multiple Choice

They played all sorts of tricks while they (learn) and then when they came upstairs, Victor was doing an exhibition dance, a tango. [W_fict_prose]

• were learning

• did learning

• learnt

• learned

Multiple Choice

'Don't worry,' Alexandra said, 'I (not talk) to you.' [W_fict_prose]

• didn't talk

• wasn't talking

• didn't talked

• did not talking

Multiple Choice

On that occasion, too, my father (sleep) when I entered. [W_fict_prose]

• sleeping

• was sleeping

• slept

• sleeped

Multiple Choice

'Take this coffee to her.' Lee (take) the coffee from his hand and Philip switched the torch off. [W_fict_prose]

• taked

• was taking

• was takeing

• took

Multiple Choice

Although he (not take) the trophy this year, has done so on many previous occasions. [W_misc]

• didn't take

• not taking

• didn't took

• wasn't taked

Multiple Choice

Then, when the boy (not look) in his direction he hurled it towards the pool. [W_fict_prose]

• didn't look

• wasn't look

• wasn't looking

• didn't looked

Multiple Choice

'Well, it (be not) there, was it?' 'I (see not) it.' [W_fict_prose]

• was not; was not seeing

• was not; was not see

• wasn't; didn't see

• wasn't did not saw

Multiple Choice

For example, one of the pictures shows Marlon playing in the band. What (Fateha/do) at that moment? [W_misc]

• did Fateha do

• Fateha did

• was Fateha doing

• did Fateha doing

Wow, phew, this is done. Maybe it was tough,

...but you are tougher!