"Past" refers to any event that happened before the present time.
Past Time
A time in the past (General or specific)
The Simple Past
Use the simple past to express a state, event, or action at a specific time in the past or a general time in the past. You must use past participles when you use verbs in the simple past.
- Some past participles:
- bowl --> bowled
- slap --> slapped
- admire --> admired
- wish --> wished
- cry --> cried
- Jon's father admired his son's work ethic and wished him well.
- Justin Bieber liked the idea, so he advertised for a bride on the internet.
The Past Progressive
Use the past progressive to express an action that was in progress (not finished) at a time in the past.
| Subject | Was | Base Form + Ing | |
| Justin | was | considering | marriage. |
- Justin's sister said she was looking for someone really special.
Past Time
A time in the past (indefinite)
The Present Perfect
Use the present perfect (have/has + past participle) to express a state, event, or action at an indefinite time in the past.
| Have / Has | Past Participle | ||
| How many of you | have | thought | that this would be a wonderful idea? |
- How many students have ever considered skipping a class?
Be careful! -> Don’t use the present perfect with a past time expression.
- Correct: Justin got married several months ago.
- Incorrect: Justin has gotten married several months ago.
Exercise
Open the exercise to begin the activity. Follow the instructions in the document.