Past tenses

We often use the past simple tense for single completed events and past states and we use the past continuous for temporary or interrupted actions. We use the past perfect tense for actions which happened before a time in the past.

PAST SIMPLE

. completed past actions
Julius Caesar invaded Britain in 55 BC.

. past states
The Incas did not heave written script.

PAST CONTINUOUS

. actions in progress at a time in the past
We did not hear him come in because we were sleeping on the top floor that night.

. past temporary and changing situations
His symptoms were becoming more pronounced as time went by.

. past background situations
Night was falling over the beleaguered city.

. past interrupted actions
They were crossing the bridge when the earthquake struck

. past arrangements
Nancy was taking the next flight.

PAST PERFECT SIMPLE

. actions and states before a time in the past
By the third month the rebels had taken most of the province

. an earlier action in a past sequence
When we got back the babysitter had gone home

. unfilfilled intentions
They had hoped to reach the summit but Travelers fell it.

PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS

. an ongoing to station up to or just before a time in the past
He had been dreading this meeting for weeks.

PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE

. ongoing sattes and actions
. ongoing times, or actions which may be repeated in the future
. with superlatives
. with adverbs
. past action with present relevance
. recent actions
. with time clauses

PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS

. ongoing states and actions
. ongoing actions or states which are temporary or may change
. focus on the duration of a continuing action
. recent actions
. explaining a present result ( focus on the activity )