Diana Funtana ESL Productions Short Grammar Lesson

Diana Funtana ESL Productions Short Grammar Lesson http://dianafuntanaesl.com

Grammar Lesson: Past Tenses #1 In English there are three tenses you can use to talk about actions and experiences in the past: • simple past: I lived • past continuous: I was living • past perfect: I had lived

Grammar Lesson: Past Tenses #1 How you make the simple past of to be: The simple past is probably the easiest and simplest verb tense to form and use in English. I / he / she / it was wasn't you / we / they were weren't Was I / he / she / it ? Were you / were / they ?

Grammar Lesson: Past Tenses #1 Examples: I was at a party last weekend. Yesterday the weather wasn't as nice as it was the day before. You were a good student when you were in school. The streets were very icy on the drive home last night, and it's a wonder there weren't more accidents. Was our last test on Thursday or Friday? Where were you yesterday morning? Why wasn't Gerald at the last meeting? Who was that with you at the party last weekend?

Grammar Lesson: Past Tenses #1 How to make the simple past of regular and irregular verbs: The simple past is easy to form—just add ed—because there is no change for each person. However, the negative and interrogative forms are a little tricky, and of course there are regular and irregular verbs. These you can learn from a table in a good grammar book. Regular verbs Irregular verbs I lived / didn't live had / didn't have you worked / didn't work went / didn't go he / she / it talked / didn't talk took / didn't take we showed / didn't show knew / didn't know they tried / didn't try left / didn't leave Did I live / work / talk / show / try ? you have / go / take / know / leave ?

Grammar Lesson: Past Tenses #1 When you use the simple past: You use the simple past to report: • facts that began, ended or were true in the past • single or repeated actions in the past It is important to remember that these facts and actions both began and ended in the past, and generally we know when or what time or in which order these actions happened. Some common time expressions you can associate with the simple past are: • yesterday • yesterday morning / afternoon / evening • last night / week / month / year / weekend / meeting / class • two days / five hours / six years / some time ago • the other day You can also use the simple past with clauses beginning with: when, after, before, as soon as, once, while

Grammar Lesson: Past Tenses #1 Examples: We got to the party at 8:00 and stayed until 11:30. Everyone had a really good time. I didn't have time to call you yesterday afternoon because we had a lot of work. When Sarah arrived at the airport, she checked in and then went through security. Did your friend meet you after class? What did you do last weekend? Why didn't somebody call the police when the fire started? How long ago did you move here? Who told you that silly story?

Grammar Lesson: Past Tenses #1 Practice #1: Change the verbs in parentheses into the simple past, and pay special attention to negative and interrogative forms. Examples: We (go) to the cinema last night and (see) the new Star Wars movie, but I (not like) it. We went to the cinema last night and saw the new Star Wars movie, but I didn't like it. How long ago you (graduate) from college? How long ago did you graduate from college? When I (lose) my cell phone, someone on the bus (turn) it into the Lost and Found. (Be) I ever relieved! When I lost my cell phone, someone on the bus turned it into the Lost and Found. Was I ever relieved!

Grammar Lesson: Past Tenses #1 Practice #1 (Feel) you the earthquake that (happen) last night around 11:40? Yes, we (do). We (be) in bed, and it (wake) us up. We (feel) the house shake. It (sound) like something (fall) on the roof. It (be) really scary. Did you feel the earthquake that happened last night around 11:40? Yes, we did. We were in bed, and it woke us up. We felt the house shake. It sounded like something fell on the roof. It was really scary.

Grammar Lesson: Past Tenses #1 Practice #1 How your trip (be) to Ireland? Oh, it (be) very interesting. We (travel) all over the country and also (spend) some time in Dublin. We (stay) in Bed & Breakfast places and (meet) a lot of friendly people. We really (have) fun there! How was your trip to Ireland? Oh, it was very interesting. We travelled all over the country and also spent some time in Dublin. We stayed in Bed & Breakfast places and met a lot of friendly people. We really had fun there!

Grammar Lesson: Past Tenses #1 Practice #1 Yesterday evening Janet (hear) a strange noise outside. She (go) to the window and (look) out, but she (not see) anything, so she (return) to the living room. After she (sit) down, there (be) the same noise again, so she (call) her neighbour. Yesterday evening Janet heard a strange noise outside. She went to the window and looked out, but she didn't see anything, so she returned to the living room. After she sat down, there was the same noise again, so she called her neighbour.

Grammar Lesson: Past Tenses #1 How you make the past continuous: The past continous consists of: the past of to be + the present participle (verb + ing) I / he / she / it was watching wasn't reading you / we / they were walking weren't looking Was I / he / she / it watching ? Were you / we / they looking ?

Grammar Lesson: Past Tenses #1 How you use the past continuous: The past continuous functions like all continuous verb tenses, in that it describes an action that began in the past, and was still on-going and unfinished at a later point in time. Earlier past Past Later past Examples: I fell asleep at 10:00 and woke up at 6:00. (Therefore) I was sleeping at 2:00. Janet started work at 9:00 and finished for lunch at 12:00 (Therefore) She was working at 9:10 / 10:30 / 11:15 / 11:45.

Grammar Lesson: Past Tenses #1 However, you don't usually talk about an action that was happening at a specific point in time unless you are a police detective interviewing suspects or witnesses, or one of the suspects or witnesses. Example: Detective: What were you doing at 8:00 (the time of the murder)? You: Well, I was having a drink in the hotel bar with a friend of mine.

Grammar Lesson: Past Tenses #1 More often, you use the past continuous in conjunction with the simple past to describe on-going actions that were interrupted by another action. Here you can think of the past continuous as a LONG unfinished action, and the simple past as a SHORT finished action. The conjunction when is usually used with the short action, and while with the long action. Long: Janet worked from 9:00 until 12:00. Short: The phone rang at 10:30. When the phone rang, Janet was working. Long: I went for a walk in the park from 8:00 to 8:30. Short: I saw you at 8:10. While I was walking in the park, I saw you. Note: When you want to talk about the duration of an action (that is from what time it began until it ended), you use the simple past.

Grammar Lesson: Past Tenses #1 In the previous examples the long action in the past continuous carried on until a later point in time. It is also possible to use the past continuous for actions that began in the past and were on-going at a later point in time, but that then stopped. Examples: The students were talking when the teacher came into the room (and then they stopped talking). I was reading when you asked me a question (and then I stopped reading and answered). While we were watching the movie, the power went out (and then we stopped watching).

Grammar Lesson: Past Tenses #1 You can also use the past continuous for two unfinished long actions that were going on at the same point in time. Examples: While we were watching the movie, we were sitting on the sofa and eating popcorn. While the teacher was explaining a grammar point, several students weren't listening because they were playing around with their cellphones. Someone was playing very loud music while I was trying to study.

Grammar Lesson: Past Tenses #1 Simple past or past continuous? To master the use of the simple past and the past continuous you have to ask yourself: • which action happened at a particular point in time (simple past), and took a short time • which action began earlier and was unfinished (past continuous), and took a long time Short actions Long actions fell asleep was / were sleeping stood up was / were standing sat down was / were sitting said / asked was / were talking turned on / off was / were listening came / left was / were going started / finished was / were reading / playing / watching

Grammar Lesson: Past Tenses #1 Practice #2: Put the verbs in parentheses into the simple past or the past continuous. Examples: When I (open) the door, a strange man (stand) there. When I opened the door, a strange man was standing there. While Sam (paint) the ceiling, he (fall) off the ladder and (break) his arm. While Sam was painting the ceiling, he fell off the ladder and broke his arm. What you (do) when the accident (take) place? What were you doing when the accident took place?

Grammar Lesson: Past Tenses #1 Practice #2: I (read) the newspaper when the phone (ring). I was reading the newspaper when the phone rang.

Grammar Lesson: Past Tenses #1 Practice #2: While we (walk) to the park, it (begin) to rain so we (run) under a tree and (wait) for it to stop. While we were walking to the park, it began to rain so we ran under a tree and waited for it to stop.

Grammar Lesson: Past Tenses #1 Practice #2: Robert (not answer) the phone when I (call) because he (take) a shower downstairs and (not hear) it. Robert didn't answer the phone when I called because he was taking a shower downstairs and didn't hear it.

Grammar Lesson: Past Tenses #1 Practice #2: When Janice (come) home and (turn) on the light, everyone (hide) behind the sofa because it (be) her birthday and all her friends (have) a surprise birthday party. When Janice came home and turned on the light, everyone was hiding behind the sofa because it was her birthday and they were having a surprise party.

Diana Funtana ESL Productions Short Grammar Lesson