20 Examples of Past Tense in English

20 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

20 Examples of Past Tense

1.I went to elementary school in Texas. (Past Simple)

2.I went on vacation to Spain this summer. (Past Simple)

3.I went swimming in the sea yesterday. (Past Simple)

4.I bought a new computer last week. (Past Simple)

5.I watched this movie with my sister. (Past Simple)

6.They were very tired last week. (Past Simple)

7.I passed the math exam. (Past Simple)

8.Yesterday the mechanic fixed my car. (Past Simple)

9.I worked for 3 hours yesterday. (Past Simple)

10.You were watching television last night. (Past Continuous)

11.I was washing the dishes when the phone rang. (Past Continuous)

12.As she was not reading the book, Mary came. (Past Continuous)

13.Was it raining yesterday evening? (Past Continuous)

14.The phone rang while I was taking a bath. (Past Continuous)

15.The baby had cried before her father came. (Past Perfect)

16.Had the water boiled when you went to kitchen? (Past Perfect)

17.I had never seen such a nice beach before I went to Hawaii. (Past Perfect)

18.Had she come late to the school? (Past Perfect)

19.By the time I returned home, he had already left. (Past Perfect)

20.Until he went to England, he had not spoken English. (Past Perfect)