By: Doryl Sequena Cabiao
Tell me! Tell me!
What did you do yesterday?
What did you do last Saturday night?
Where were you last Sunday morning?
What did you do to celebrate your last birthday?
When did you graduate high school?
When did you learn to drive?
Why did you start taking classes at Oman College
of Health Sciences?
How did you learn to speak English so well?
Form
the form is the same for all persons
POSITIVE:
They arrived three weeks ago. – REGULAR
He left at three o’clock. – IRREGULAR
NEGATIVE:
I didn’t play football yesterday
I didn’t go home early on Saturday
INTERROGATIVE:
Yes/No questions:
Did you play football yesterday?
Did you go home early in Saturday?
WH-question – When did you learn last time?
Verb TO BE
Positive sentences:
I was in London last year
Negative sentences:
-They weren’t at home last weekend
Yes/No questions:
Were you ill yesterday?
Use
a finished action in the past
We met in 2007.
action that follow each other in a story
Mary walked into the room and stopped
a past situation or habit
When I was a child, we lived in a small house by the sea.
SIGNAL WORDS / TIME EXPRESSIONS
- last night, ....... ago, yesterday, the other day, in 1999,
when I was younger....
Form
Was / were + verb + -ing
They were driving to Paris.
I was writing my English homework all afternoon.
We weren’t waiting for a long time.
What were they doing?
Was your friend listening to the teacher?
What were the students doing when you arrived?
Use
to express a continuing incomplete activity in the
past
I was reading a book during the flight.
It was eight o'clock. I was writing a letter.
to express an interrupted past activity
When the phone rang, I was taking a shower.
While I was writing the email, the computer suddenly
went off.
Use
for descriptions / activities with background
descriptions
Jan looked beautiful. She was wearing a green dress.
It was a gloomy night. The leaves were dancing because
of the wind.
For 2 continuing events happening at the same
time
The students were writing notes while the teacher was
discussing the lesson.
When I walked into the office, several
people were busily typing, some were talking on the
phones
While and When
WHEN
used to talk about things in the past
Usually followed by simple past
WHILE
expresses the idea of "during that time”
Usually followed by present continuous
LOOK AT THESE SENTENCES
I was studying when she called.
While I was studying, she called.
Habits in the past
USED TO
refer to things in the past which are no longer true
Usually used when we make contrast with present
situation
I used to work in South Korea. Now, I am working in
Oman.
Asad didn’t use to like vegetables.
Did you use to work at Khoula Hospital?
Habits in the past
We also use past simple (+ frequency verb) to
describe a habitual action in the past
She went to school everyday when she was a child.
Now, let’s compare:
I used to play football everyday when I was a child.
I played football everyday when I was a child.
Past simple or continuous?
Sometimes both tenses are possible. The Past Simple
focuses on past actions as complete facts. The Past
Continuous focuses on the duration of past activities
Compare :
A: I didn’t see you at the party last night.
B: No. I stayed at home and watched the
football match.
A: I didn’t see you at the party last night.
B: No, I was watching the football match at
home.
A little practice
Last week I (decide)_____________ to invite some friends to
dinner. I (buy) _____________ lots of delicious food, including some
roasted beef and at about 6.00 I (cook) _____________ in the
kitchen. The sun (shine) _____________ and it was a beautiful
evening, so,I (open) _____________ the back door. Then the
telephone (ring) _____________. I (go) _____________ to answer it and
when I (come) _____________back the roasted beef wasn't on the
table. I (look) _____________ out of the window. A cat (sit)
_____________ on my garden wall and it (eat) _____________ my
roasted beef. What (can) _____________ I do? I (fill) _____________ a
pan with water and I went quietly outside. The cat (not look)
_____________ in my direction and it (enjoy) _____________ the
roasted beef so much that it (not hear) _____________ me. I (walk)
_____________ slowly up to it, I (want) _____________ to empty the
water over its head. A bit cruel. I know but the roasted beef (be)
_____________ very expensive, but at the last moment the cat heard
me and (escape) _____________in the neighbourhood.
A little practice
Last week I decided to invite some friends to dinner. I bought lots of
delicious food, including some roasted beef and at about 6.00 I was
cooking in the kitchen. The sun was shining and it was a beautiful
evening, so,I opened the back door. Then the
telephone rang. I went to answer it and when I came back the
roasted beef wasn't on the table. I looked out of the window. A
cat was sitting on my garden wall and it was eating my roasted
beef. What could I do? I filled a pan with water and I went quietly
outside. The cat wasn’t looking in my direction and it was enjoying
the roasted beef so much that it me. I walked slowly up to
it, I wanted to empty the water over its head. A bit cruel. I know but
the roasted beef was very expensive, but at the last moment the cat
heard me and escaped in the neighbourhood.
