Past tenses: time lines

This lesson revised past verb forms: past simple, past continuous, present perfect and past perfect. Note the difference in meaning between the following sentences in each pair.

1.

Past simple, past simple with a cause and effect relationship suggested.


Past simple, past perfect. Emma left before Dave arrived.


2.

Present perfect. The decorating is finished.


Present perfect continuous. We know the action is recent but we don't know if it is finished or not.


3.

Past continuous, past simple. As the action of crossing the road was taking place, the other action happened.


Past simple, past simple. The action of crossing the road happened as a direct result of seeing Michelle. The person may have crossed the road to speak to Michelle or to avoid her.


4.

Past simple. The homework is finished.


Past continuous. We know that the action was in progress but we don't know if it was completed or not.


5.

Past simple. He used to play for Arsenal but he doesn't now.


Present perfect. He started playing for Arsenal two seasons ago and he still does.


6.

Past simple, past simple. Consecutive actions. We waited for them to arrive before starting dinner.


Past simple, past perfect. The second action is completed before the first begins. We had already eaten our dinner by the time they arrived.