Exercise 1

THE USE OF ALL THE PAST TENSES COMPARED
Matching exercise

Match the items on the right to the items on the left.
The Past Simple is used to denote:
1) single completed actions
Sony and Philips invented the CD in the early 1980s.
2) repeated or habitual actions in the past
We moved house a lot when I was a child.
3) general truths about the past
Early clocks were usually very unreliable.
4) permanent situations and states in the past
Did the ancient Egyptians have more advanced technology than other civilisations?
5) two actions which happened at the same time in the past
The day was quite busy. She compiled a report, and he developed a presentation.

The Past Continuous is used to denote:
1) actions in progress at a time in the past
Were you chatting to Matt online at midnight last night?
2) temporary/ changing situations
At the time, I was working for a large software company in California.
I was getting frustrated with my Internet provider so I decided to change.
3) two actions in progress at the same time
While I was playing a computer game, my brother was doing his homework.
4) to sound polite and more tentative
I was wondering if I could ask you this question.
5) past arrangements
He was leaving that night.
6) annoying or amusing past habits
When she was young, Tina was always taking things apart to see how they worked.
7) to serve as a background for a single past action
We were talking about MP3s when Andrea mentioned her new music website.

Used to + infinitive
1) past actions which no longer take place
Did you use to get free milk at school?
2) past states which no longer exist
Lithuania used to be part of the Soviet Union.
Would + infinitive
1) past actions which no longer take place
We would get up early every Saturday.

The Past Perfect Simple is used to denote:
1) actions/ situations which happened before another past action or before a stated time in the past
Had you had your computer long before it broke down?
By the third month the rebels had taken most of the province.
2) actions which finished in the past and whose result was visible in the past
I beat Jason at International Captain because I’d played it a lot with my brother.

The Past Perfect Continuous is used to denote:
1) emphasis on the duration of an action which started and finished in the past before another past action
She’d been writing computer games for over ten years before she finally had a hit.
2) actions/ situations which lasted for some time in the past and whose result was visible in the past
The lake was near bursting point as it had been raining heavily for weeks.
People used to have very simple lives in those days.
She was talking on the phone when her boss came in.
Sam was in hospital because he had crashed his car.
They had been studying hard all morning, so they were tired.
I was cooking lunch while he was pouring the drinks.
We had been living in the house for a year before we decorated the kitchen.
Princess Diana did a lot of work for charity.
At two o'clock this afternoon they were having lunch at work.
First, she knocked on the door. Then, she went inside.
We had bought the tickets before we went to the theatre.