Summary English Tenses

1

ENGLISH TENSES

PAST (regular)
TENSE FORM USE
Completed actions
Past simple Infinitive + -ed Ago/last
Repeated actions in the past


Past actions and situations in progress
Repeated actions in the past in a temporary
period
Two actions in progress at the same time
Express annoyance or repeated very often
Was/were + -ing form of main Ongoing action that is being interrupted
Past continuous when/while/as
verb
Past arrangements
Plan, expect, hope = unfulfilled
arrangements
Polite question with think or wonder




Action (single or repeated) completed before
a time in the past
Situation that existed before a past event
Completed action
Past perfect
Had + past participle Reason for a past action/situation
simple
Sequence of past actions
State verbs




Ongoing situation or action which continued
up to, or ended just before, a time in the past
For/since to stress the duration of an action
Past perfect Had been + -ing form of main Ongoing action
continuous verb
Don’t use numbers
Reason for a past action/situation
Sequence of past actions