Tenses

5 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