10 Examples of Past Tense in English
Past Simple Tense
Simple Past Tense indicates an action which is completed at a definite time in the past.
| POSITIVE (+) | NEGATIVE (-) | QUESTION (?) |
| I started | I did not start | Did I start |
| You started | You did not start | Did you start |
| He started | He did not start | Did he start |
| She started | She did not start | Did she start |
| It started | It did not start | Did it start |
| We started | We did not start | Did we start |
| You started | You did not start | Did you start |
| They started | They did not start | Did they start |
Past Continuous Tense
Past Continuous Tense indicates an action which started in the past and continued in a certain time period.
| POSITIVE (+) | NEGATIVE (-) | QUESTION (?) |
| I was starting | I was not starting | Was I starting |
| You were starting | You were not starting | Were you starting |
| He was starting | He was not starting | Was he starting |
| She was starting | She was not starting | Was she starting |
| It was starting | It was not starting | Was it starting |
| We were starting | We were not starting | Were we starting |
| You were starting | You were not starting | Were you starting |
| They were starting | They were not starting | Were they starting |
Past Perfect Tense
Past Perfect Tense indicates a past action which is completed before another past action.
| POSITIVE (+) | NEGATIVE (-) | QUESTION (?) |
| I had started | I had not started | Had I started |
| You had started | You had not started | Had you started |
| He had started | He had not started | Had he started |
| She had started | She had not started | Had she started |
| It had started | It had not started | Had it started |
| We had started | We had not started | Had we started |
| You had started | You had not started | Had you started |
| They had started | They had not started | Had they started |
Past Perfect Continuous Tense
Past Perfect Continuous Tense indicates a past action which started in the past and continued to happen after another action and time in the past. Namely, Past Perfect Continuous Tense tell us “how long the action had continued”. ” the duration of the action” is emphasized more in this tense.
| POSITIVE (+) | NEGATIVE (-) | QUESTION (?) |
| I had been starting | I had not been starting | Had I been starting |
| You had been starting | You had not been starting | Had you been starting |
| He had been starting | He had not been starting | Had she been starting |
| She had been starting | She had not been starting | Had he been starting |
| It had been starting | It had not been starting | Had it been starting |
| We had been starting | We had not been starting | Had we been starting |
| You had been starting | You had not been starting | Had you been starting |
| They had been starting | They had not been starting | Had they been starting |
10 Examples of Past Tense in English
1.I went to elementary school in Texas. (Past Simple)
2.I went on vacation to Spain this summer. (Past Simple)
3.Yesterday the mechanic fixed my car. (Past Simple)
4.I worked for 3 hours yesterday. (Past Simple)
5.You were watching television last night. (Past Continuous)
6.I was washing the dishes when the phone rang. (Past Continuous)
7.As she was not reading the book, Mary came. (Past Continuous)
8.Was it raining yesterday evening? (Past Continuous)
9.I had never seen such a nice beach before I went to Hawaii. (Past Perfect)
10.Until he went to England, he had not spoken English. (Past Perfect)
