Unit 40: VERBS & PAST TIME

Which one do you use?

SIMPLE?
Past?: He worked
Present perfect?: He has worked
Past perfect?: He had worked
OR
CONTINUOUS?
Past?: He was working
Present perfect?: He has been working
Past perfect?: He had been working


Simple formation


ACTIVITIES: did you finish them?

YES

I read my itinerary last night.
It was very exciting.

He had studied Arabic before, so
it was easy for him to understand.

The ice machine is OK now. They have repaired it.

She watched a pay-per-view movie last night.

STATES

I didn't know anybody there.

They liked the indoor pool more than anything else.

I believed all his stories.


Continuous Formation


ACTIVITIES: did you finish them?

IT IS NOT IMPORTANT or NO

I was reading my itinerary. That's why I missed the TV show.

He had been studying Arabic for four years and he wanted to practice.

Their hands are dirty because they have been repairing the ice machine.

She was watching a pay-per-view movie when the phone rang.

STATES

NOT I wasn't knowing

NOT They were liking

NOT I was believing

You cannot decide to do these things and then stop. They are not actions, so we cannot use the continuous formation.

NOTICE: If you want to show clearly that the state is now finished, you can use used to (Unit 38). For example:

I used to believe all his stories, but now I know he's a liar.

I didn't use to know anybody there, but now I have lots of friends.


Past simple


Are we interested in exactly when?

YES

I saw that pay-per-view movie yesterday.

Did you go to Winnipeg on your holiday?

He didn't ask for a wake-up call last night.

Is it important for now?

NO

I broke my leg, so I had to go to the hospital.

It wasn't a comfortable trip. I needed two days to recover from it.

Emily Carr, the famous artist, died at the age of seventy-three.
(This is history.)

Can it happen again?

NO

Pierre Berton wrote many books.
(He is dead now.)


Present perfect simple


Are we interested in exactly when?

NO

I've seen that pay-per-view movie. It's good.

Have you ever been to Winnipeg?

He has not asked for a wake-up call yet.

Is it important for now?

YES

Help! I think I've broken my leg.

It hasn't been a comfortable trip. I feel terrible.

Oscar Peterson, the famous pianist, has died at the age of eighty-two.
(This is news.)

Can it happen again?

YES

My friend Sam has written many plays.
(He may write more.)


NOTICE:

I was in Toronto for three days. (finished)

I have been in Toronto for three days. (unfinished)


Past perfect

Use past perfect when it is important to show what happened first (Unit 26).


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Exercise 40.1
Exercise 40.2
Exercise 40.3