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In this unit the focus is on the 4 forms of the past tense: the past simple, past continuous, past perfect and past perfect continuous. 1. The past simple A. Form Regular verbs: Affirmative: subject + base form of verb + -ed or -d Negative: subject + did + not + base form of verb Question: did + subject + base form of verb Irregular verbs: only one simple past verb has 2 forms according to person: to be. I / he / she / it was You / we / they were For all other verbs the form stays the same no matter the person. B. Usages: it is used for actions completed at a specific time in the past. - A past action when the time is given. - When the time is asked about. - When the action already took place at a definite time even though this time is not mentioned. - Sometimes the time becomes definite because of a question and answer in the present perfect. Note: when students see the word ‘ago’ then the tense associated with it is most likely the past simple. 2. The past continuous A. Form Affirmative: subject + was / were + verb+ing Negative: subject + was / were + not + verb+ing Question: was / were + subject + verb+ing B. Usage: for actions in progress at a past time. - For interrupted past actions. - Used without a time expression to indicate a gradual development that took place in the past. - To express and action which began before that time and probably continued after it. - The continues tense in descriptions. 3. The past perfect A. Form Affirmative: subject + had + past particle Negative: subject + had + not + past particle Question: had + subject + past particle B. Usage - The past equivalent of the present perfect. The past viewed from another past viewpoint. Note: After and when are often used to show a past action has completely finished before another action in the past started. 4. The past perfect continuous A. Form Affirmative: subject + had + been + verb+ing Negative: subject + had + not + been + verb+ing Question: had + subject + been + verb+ing B. Usage: not that frequently used. - To talk about longer actions or situations in the past that had been going on continuously up to the past moment that we are thinking about. We don’t know or are not concerned with whether or not it continued after. A good unit to help me explain to students in simple terms when the use which past tense and why. I have made several of my students make some of the common mistakes mentioned. I will definitely use some of the activities for the activate stage next time I need to teach the past tenses to students.