Past Tense Rules, Types & Examples | Complete English Grammar Guide

Past Tense 

Time of actions is past that is actions that happened in the past.

Types: 

• Past Indefinite or Simple Past Tense 
• Past Continuous Tense or Past Progressive Tense 
• Past Perfect Tense 
• Past Perfect Continuous Tense 

Past Indefinite or Simple Past Tense 

When it is used —

• Action that happened in the past 
• Past habits

Rule: 

Affirmative: Subject + Verb 2 ( past form) + Object + Remaining part 

Negative: Subject + did + not + Verb 1 ( base form) + Object + Remaining part 

Interrogative: Did + Subject+ verb 1 + Object + Remaining part ?

For past habitual action - 

Affirmative: Subject + would/ used to + Verb 1 + Object+ Remaining part.

Negative: Subject + would/ used + not + to + Verb 1 + Object+ Remaining part.

Interrogative: 

• Did + subject + use to + base verb + Object + Remaining part ?
• Would+ subject + base verb + Object + Remaining part ?

Examples:

1. Affirmative: He read the Mahabharata.
2. Negative: I used not to go to river for morning bath. (Past habit) 
3. Interrogative: Did they put up a tent beside a lake?
4. Negative: The tiger did not roar in the forest last night.

Past Continuous Tense 

When it is used — 

• Any action that was going on in the past

Rule:

Affirmative: Subject + was/were + Base verb (Verb 1) — ing + Object+ Remaining part.

Negative: Subject + was/ were + not + Base verb (Verb 1) — ing + Object+ Remaining part.

Interrogative: Was/were + Subject + Base verb (Verb 1) — ing + Object+ Remaining part ?

Examples:

1. Affirmative: They were planning an event.
2. Negative: I was not thinking about a math problem.
3. Interrogative: Was he playing chess with his grandpa?

Past Perfect Tense

When it is used —

• This tense describes an action in the past that happened before another action.

Rule:

Affirmative: Subject + had + Verb 3(past participle form) + Object+ Remaining part.

Negative: Subject + had + not + Verb 3(past participle form) + Object+ Remaining part.

Interrogative: Had + Subject + Verb 3(past participle form) + Object+ Remaining part ?

Examples 

1. Affirmative: I had read the book before my father came back to home.
2. Negative: I had not finished my homework before dinner.
3. Interrogative: Had it rained heavily before our train arrived?

Past Perfect Continuous Tense 

When it is used —

• It describes an action in the past which had been going on for a long time.

Rule:

Affirmative: Subject + had been+ base verb (verb 1) — ing + Object+ Remaining part.

Negative: Subject + had not +been+ base verb (verb 1) — ing + Object+ Remaining part.

Interrogative: Had + Subject + been+ base verb (verb 1) — ing + Object+ Remaining part ?

Examples:

1. Affirmative: They had been living in the nearby city before they settled in the village.
2. Negative: My sister had not paying attention when my mother asked her a question.
3. Interrogative: Had he been sleeping before the alarm rang?