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In this unit I could learn that there are four past tenses. Understanding these tenses and uses can really help you with academic reading, listening, speaking, and writing. Below, I’ll go over each past tense and its uses, with examples. Simple Past Form: Take the base verb and change the word form to the past tense form. Usually this means adding /ed/ to the end of the word Past Continuous Describing a past action that hasn’t been completed yet EXAMPLES: I was trying to fix the car this morning, but I’m not done with the repairs yet. At 11pm, I was still working on my homework. Describing a past action that was interrupted by another action EXAMPLES: The radio station was broadcasting music when the music was interrupted by an important announcement. Past Perfect Form: had+ past form of a verb When describing a series of actions, use past perfect to describe the action that happened first EXAMPLE: I had gone home; then I read a book and fell asleep. When you are describing two past actions that take place at the same time, you can use past perfect tense to describe the shorter action. EXAMPLE:She had burned herself while she was cooking dinner. Describing a past action that was finished in a specific time period EXAMPLE: The science team had conducted research as recently as last month. Past Perfect Continuous Form: had + been + verb + ing Describing an action that began further in the past than other actions, but overlaps with actions that began later. EXAMPLE: I had been eating dinner when I thought about what I would do on the weekend. Describing a past action that was interrupted or stopped by another action. EXAMPLE: He had been driving in his car for more than two hours, but then he stopped to rest Describing an action that caused a later action. EXAMPLE: The water had been running from the faucet, and it got all over the floor.