Grammar in Use "Past Tenses"

Grammar in Use

Past Tenses Past Simple, Past Continuous

Our objectives for today are:

• to develop our grammar skills
• to revise new vocabulary and use it in our speech

Past Simple

Past continuous

1

an action which was in progress at a stated time in the past;

we do not mention when the action started or finished. действие, которое происходило в установленный момент в прошлом;

мы не упоминаем, когда действие началось или закончилось.

a complete action in the past. законченное действие в прошлом

At five o’clock yesterday morning the plane was flying to Moscow from Rome.

The plane landed at the airport at nine o’clock yesterday morning.

(We do not know when it left or reached its destination.)

(The time is stated. The action is complete. The plane landed.)

Past Simple

Past continuous

2

actions which happened one after the other in the past. действия, которые происходили одно за другим в прошлом.

two or more actions that were in progress at the same time. два или более действия, которые выполнялись одновременно.

I saw a beautiful bird in the garden.

I went to get my camera.

The bird flew away.

I returned with my camera.

I was jogging while my brother was walking our dog.

Past Simple

Past continuous

3

to describe the atmosphere, weather or place before we describe the main event. чтобы описать атмосферу, погоду или место, прежде чем описывать главное событие.

to talk about the lives of people who are no longer alive. рассказывать о жизни людей, которых уже нет в живых.

The music was playing . Tom was lying on the sofa and doing nothing.

Albert Einstein made a lot of scientific discoveries.

Past Simple

Past Simple

Past continuous

to talk about an action that happened while another action was in progress. говорить о действии, которое произошло во время выполнения другого действия

We were still arguing when a bright flash of lightning appeared in the sky.

While I was talking on the phone, someone grabbed me and pulled me away from the tree.

longer action

shorter action

when + Past Simple

while + Past Continuous

Past Continuous

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Time markers

Past Simple

Past Continuous

while

when

as

all day/morning yesterday

at noon yesterday

the whole night yesterday

from 5 to 6 yesterday

yesterday

last night/week/month/year

two days/weeks/months ago

then

When … ?

How long ago...?

in 1992/1845

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