Pre-Intermediate · Grammar Reference
Unit 3 — Past Tenses
past simple · past continuous · prepositions of time
3.1 Past Simple
Form
Regular verbs: verb + -ed work → worked, play → played
Irregular verbs have special forms: go → went, see → saw, buy → bought
| + | – | ? |
|---|
| all subjects | worked | didn't work | Did you work? |
Spelling: regular verbs
| Rule | Example |
|---|
| Most verbs add -ed | work → worked |
| Verbs ending in -e add -d | live → lived |
| CVC verbs: double consonant + -ed | stop → stopped |
| Verbs ending in consonant + -y: -ied | study → studied |
Use
- Completed actions in the past: She called me yesterday.
- A sequence of events: He woke up, had breakfast, and left.
3.2 Past Continuous
Form
was / were + verb-ing
| + | – |
|---|
| I / he / she / it | was working | wasn't working |
| you / we / they | were working | weren't working |
Use
- Action in progress at a time in the past: At 8 pm I was watching TV.
- Background action interrupted by another: She was cooking when he arrived.
3.3 Past Simple vs Past Continuous
Past Simple
He knocked on the door.Past Continuous
I was having a shower. I was having a shower when he knocked.📌 Note
Use
when + Past Simple for the interrupting action. Use
while + Past Continuous for the background action.
3.4 Prepositions in time expressions
| Preposition | Use | Examples |
|---|
| at | times, holidays | at 3 o'clock, at Christmas, at the weekend |
| on | days, dates | on Monday, on 5th June, on my birthday |
| in | months, years, parts of day | in July, in 2020, in the morning |