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Here is a summary of what I’ve learnt while reading the sixth unit which was about Past tenses.
First, I read that Past Simple’s form has the following structure :
-When the form is affirmative, it looks like this: (add -ed or -d to the base form of the verb).
-When the form is negative, it goes as follows: (add did not or didn't before the base form).
-When the form involves a question, the form is the following: (add did plus subject before the base form).
When using this tense, with all the verbs the form stays the same for all persons. The verb "being" is however an exception and has two forms according to person : “was” and “were”. I also read that many common verbs in English have an irregular simple past form.
While reading the sixth unit, I also found out about the Past Simple’s usages. It is used for actions completed at a definite time in the past and is therefore used for a past action when the time is given, when the time is asked about, when the action clearly took place at a definite time even though this time is not mentioned and, finally, when the time becomes definite as a result of a question and answer in the present perfect.
A good way to confirm that the tense is Past Simple is to check if the word “ago” was used. It’s also important to note that most mistakes or errors come from the use of “did” and “did not” for questions and negatives and the use of irregular verbs. There is often also confusion with the Present Perfect tense.
The sixth unit also covered the Past Continuous tense. Its form has the following structure:
-When the form is affirmative, it looks like this : (subject + was/were + verb+ing).
-When the form is negative, it goes as follows : (subject + was/were + not + verb+ing).
-When the form involves a question, the structure is the following : (was/were + subject + verb+ing).
I also read that the Past Continuous has the following usages :
-Interrupted past actions.
-Gradual developments that took place in the past when it’s used without a time expression.
-Gradual development that took place in the past where there is no time expression.
-Actions which began before that time and probably continued after it.
-Descriptions.
It is also important to note that the past continuous almost always requires some form of time reference. One of the few occasions when it is possible to use the Past Continuous without a specific time reference is with the gradual development usage mentioned above.
I also learned that, when using the Past Continuous, some of the typical errors or mistakes students make are :
-Omission of the verb "to be”.
-Omission of the “-ing”.
-Use of “-ing” with state verbs.
-Confusion with Past Simple.
Past Perfect is another tense that was described in the sixth unit and its form looks like this :
-When the form is affirmative, it looks like this : (subject + had + past participle).
-When the form is negative, it goes as follows : (subject + had + not + past participle).
-When the form involves a question, the structure is the following : (had + subject + past participle).
This tense is used when we need to represent actions that occurred before other actions in the past and when we’re referring to completely finished actions.
The last tense I read about is the Past Perfect Continuous. Its form goes like this :
-When the form is affirmative, it looks like this : (subject + had + been + verb+ing).
-When the form is negative, it goes as follows : (subject + had + not + been + verb+ing).
-When the form involves a question, the structure is the following : (had + subject + been + verb+ing).
This tense is not frequently used but has one major use which is 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. It also doesn’t matter whether or not it continued after.
Some of the mistakes or errors students make often are the following :
-Omitting “had” and “been” or forgetting to add “ing” to the main form.
-Confusing this tense with Past Perfect or Past Continuous.