Language/English/Grammar/Express-Past

Here is a quick article on how to express the past tenses in English.

The simple past.

Talk about past events in a historic context using yesterday, or a date or time.

• He died in 1920.

The Present Perfect

Situate past events in relation to the present situation.

• I have just ordered a new TV

The Past perfect

When one past event has to be situated in a more distant past than another past event.

• You had studied French before you moved to Paris.

The past continuous

When something is happening before and after another action in the past.

• She saw her as he was driving away.
  • I was traveling alone yesterday. 
  • You were saying something to her last week.
  • He was feeling well yesterday.
  • She was walking alone. 
  • It was raining last night. 
  • You were telling me the truth. 
  • We were living in São Paulo last year. 
  • They were running in the park. 

Links

More information about Perfect Tenses

Related Lessons

• Abstract nouns and concrete nouns
• ADJECTIVES
• Punctuation
• At: place
• Alternate(ly) and alternative(ly)
• On: place
• CONJUNCTIONS → Addition
• I have been living or I have lived
• Positions of Adjectives in Sentences
• CONJUNCTIONS → A Choice or Alternative