definition of Past Tense is
a grammatical tense that places an action or situation in the past of the current moment (in an absolute tense system), or prior to some specified time that may be in the speaker's past, present, or future (in a relative tense system).
Purpose of Past Tense
The purpose of past tense verbs within the English language is to express activity, action, state, or being in the past.
Definition of Simple Past Tense
Simple Past Tense is a kind of tense which is used to describe an event or action that happened already in a certain time in the past .
Formula Past Tense
(+) Subject + verb II + complement
(-) Subject + did not + verb II + complement
(?) Did + subject + verb I
The examples :
• (+) I went to bandung yesterday
• (-) I did not go anywhere last nigth
• (?) Did you go last week?
Adverbs used : yesterday, last night, last week, two days ago, a few minutes ago, last weekend, last month, last year, in 1997, etc.
Definition of Past Continues Tense
Past Continuous Tense is a kind of tense that is used to describe an event or an action which was happening in a certain time in the past.
Formula Past Continues Tense
(+) Subject + was/were +verb-ing+ complement
(-) Subject + was not/were not+ verb-ing + complement
(?) was/were+ subject + verb-ing+ complement
The examples :
(+) She was writing a letter at seven o’clock last night
(-) She was not writing a letter at seven o’clock last night
(?) Were you writing a letter at seven last night?
Adverbs used : at the time like this yesterday, at seven o’clock last night, etc.
Definition of Past Perfect Tense
Past Perfect Tense is a kind of tense that is used to describe an action or an event that started in a certain time in the past and completed or finished till certain time in the past too; or past perfect tense is used to express an action or an event that had happened before the other event or action happened.
Formula Past Perfect Tense
(+) Subject + had + verb III + complement/object
(-) Subject + had not + verb III + complement/object
(?) Had + subject + verb III + complement/object
Example of Past Perfect Tense
• (+) We had eaten before they came
• (-) They had not eaten before we came
• (?) Had they eaten before we came?
