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Irregular Verbs

Irregular verbs do not form the past simple by adding -ed.

come - came

leave - left

go - went

put - put

Note: See the list of irregular verbs at the back of the book.

Past Continuous

Form

Affirmative:

I was, You were, He/She/It was, We/You/They were playing.

Negative:

I wasn’t, You weren’t, He/She/It wasn’t, We/You/They weren’t playing.

Interrogative:

Was I, were you, was he/she/it, were we/you/they playing?

Short Answers:

Yes, I/he/she/it was./No, I/he/she/it wasn’t.

Yes, we/you/they were./No, we/you/they weren’t.

Use

We use the past continuous:

  • for an action which was in progress at a stated time in the past. We do not know when the action started or finished. Linsday and Burt were playing chess yesterday at four o’clock. (We do not know when they started or stopped playing chess.)

  • for a past action which was in progress when another action interrupted it. We use the past continuous for the action in progress (the longer action) and the past simple for the action which interrupted it (the shorter action). Kenneth was reading when Jane arrived.

  • for two or more actions which were happening at the same time in the past (simultaneous actions). Martha was planting roses while Donald was washing the car.

  • to give background information in a story.

The sun was shining and the birds were singing as the children were walking through the woods.

Time expressions used with the past continuous: while, when, as, all day/night/morning, all day yesterday, etc.

When/While/As + past continuous (longer action) When + past simple (shorter action)

Past Continuous vs Past Simple

Past Simple

We use the past simple for:

  • an action which was completed at a stated time in the past.

They watched a film last night. (The time is stated. The action was completed.)

Philip finished university last year.

  • actions which happened immediately one after the other in the past.

First he chopped the meat and then he sliced the onions.

Time expressions used with the past simple: ago, yesterday, last month/week, in 1998, etc.

Past Continuous

We use the past continuous for:

  • an action which was in progress (i.e. was happening) at a stated time in the past. We do not know when the action started or finished.

At eleven o’clock this morning, Diana was studying. (We do not know when she started studying or when she finished.)

  • two or more actions which were happening at the same time in the past (simultaneous actions).

He was relaxing in the living room while his son was playing in the garden.

  • a past action which was in progress when another action interrupted it.

He was having a shower when the phone rang. (The phone interrupted his shower.)

Time expressions used with the past continuous: while, when, as, all day/night/ morning, all day yesterday, etc.

11. Used to/Would

We use used to:

  • to talk about past habits or things that do not happen anymore. Used to has the same form in ail persons, singular and plural. It is followed by the infinitive.

Alfred used to go cycling when he was young. (Alfred doesn’t go cycling anymore.)

  • We form questions with the auxiliary verb did.

Did Jack use to sleep a lot?

  • We form negations with the auxiliary verb didn’t.

Steven didn’t use to eat meat.

  • We can use the past simple instead of used to with no difference in meaning to talk about past habits.

hey used to live in Oxford. They lived in Oxford.

Note: T We can’t use used to for actions that happened at a stated time in the past.

She passed her examination yesterday. (NOT: She used to pass her examination yesterday.)

Affirmative:

I, You, He/She/It etc used to work.

Negative:

I, You, He/She/It etc didn’t use to work.

Interrogative:

Did I, you, he/she/it etc use to work?

Short Answers:

Yes, I, you, he/she/it etc did. No, I, you, he/she/it etc didn’t.

Would is used to describe past habitual actions, especially reminiscences, not past states.

Every day, we would have breakfast at the café overlooking the lake.

He used to be a farmer. (NOT: He would be a farmer.)

He used to be very happy. (NOT: He would be very happy.)