Unit 2
Grammar
Past Simple
Structure: Subject + verb (2nd form or ed)
• For regular verbs, add -ed:
I played football yesterday.
• For irregular verbs, use their second form:
She went to the store.
Past Simple
We use the past simple to:
1)describe finished actions or situations in the
past.
I went to Irleand last year.
She visited her parents last week.
Past Simple
We use the past simple to:
2) to say that one thing happened after another.
When the teacher came in, we took out our
books.
She finished her homework, packed her bag,
and left the house.
Past continuous
Structure: Subject + was/were + Verb (-ing)
• I was watching TV at 8 p.m.
• They were playing football yesterday
afternoon.
Past continuous
We use the past continuous to:
1) talk about activities in progress at a moment in
the past.
At 4 o'clock this afternoon I was watching TV.
Past continuous
We use the past continuous to:
2) describe scenes in a story or description.
They were all wearing coats because it was
bitterly cold.
Past continuous
We use the past continuous to:
3)talk about an activity in progress in the past that was
interrupted by another activity.
I was listening to music
when my father suddenly ran into the room.
past habits
Used to- describes past habits or states that no
longer happen or are no longer true.
Can be used for both actions and states
We use used to to talk about past habits, things we did
regulary in the past but don’t do now.
We cannot use used to to talk about single events in
the past (in this case we use past simple).
Used to examples:
I used to play football every weekend, but i stopped
after i got injured.
Explanation: In the past, playing football was a regular
habit. Now, I don’t do it anymore.
They used to be best friends.
Explanation: Their friendship was true in the past but not
now.
past habits
Would- describes past habits or reapeated actions but not
states.
We use would to talk about past habits, things we did regulary in
the past but don’t do now.
We cannot use would to talk about single events in the past, because
would shows something that happened again and again in the past
(like a routine or habit), not something that happened only one time.
In this case we use past simple).
You can’t use would for states like “be,” “know,” “like.”
Would examples:
When i was a child, my dad would read me bedtime
stories (repeated action in the past)
Every summer, we would go to my grandparent’s
house (repeated action or habit in the past)
Past perfect simple
Structure: Subject +had + verb (3rd form or ed)
For regular verbs, add -ed:
• For irregular verbs, use their third form.
Past perfect simple
We use the past perfect simple to talk about
actions that happened before another action or
actions in the past.
It gives importance to the completion of an
activity.
When the interview had finished, I left.
She had already left when I arrived.
Past perfect continuous
Structure: had + been + verb-ing
I was tired because I had been studying all night.
Past perfect continuous
We use the past perfect continuous to talk about actions
that happened before another action or actions in the past.
It gives importance to the duration of an activity.
I had been studying for two hours before my friend
called.
