Comparison of Past Tenses

This is the same information that is covered in the chart on page 124 of

Grammar in Context 3

Simple Past Tense

Explanation:The simple past tense shows an

action that started and ended in the past. It does not show the

relationship to another past action. It can be used for a short action, for

example:

a. The mayor ordered the residents to leave.

It can be used for a long action that finished in the past, for example:

b. My grandmother lived in New Orleans for 30 years.

b. My grandmother lived in New Orleans for 30 years.

It can be used for a single action:

c. The hurricane hit land on August 29, 2006.

Or the simple past can be used for a repeated action in the past:

d. We visited New Orleans five times.

The Past Continuous Tense

Explanation:The past continuous tense shows

that something was in progress at a specific time in the past.

On August 26, the hurricane was approaching quickly.

As the water was rushing into the houses, residents ran to the roofs.

Alert! Crazy English!

“As” can mean “when” or “while.” In that case, this sentence:As the water was rushing into the houses, residents ran to the roofsmeansWhile the water was rushing into the houses, residents ran to the roofs.

However, “as” can also mean “because.” In that case, the sentence has a different meaning:As the water was rushing into the houses, residents ran to the roofsmight meanBecause the water was rushing into the houses, residents ran to the roofs(which is also true).

The Past Perfect Tense

Explanation:The past perfect tense shows the

relationship of an earlier past action to a later past action:

a. When the storm hit, most people had left.

The storm hit in the past (in August 2005.)

Most people left New Orleans before the storm hit.

You can also say:Most people (had) left New Orleans

before the storm hit.

b. By the time the rescue effort wasover, 1,800 people had died.

This means that 1,800 people had died before the rescue effort was

over.

b. By the time the rescue effort wasover, 1,800 people had died.

This means that 1,800 people had died before the rescue effort was

over.

Be careful!

Students often make mistakes with the verb “die” – maybe because grammar books don’t use it much since it’s an unpleasant subject.

“Die” is an intransitive verb. It is never passive:

My grandmother died in 1973.NOT **was died!

“Dead” is an adjective:

President Kennedy is dead. (adjective)

He died in 1963. (verb)

He has been dead for fifty years. (adjective)

Past Perfect Continuous Tense

Explanation:The past perfect continuous tense

is used with a continuous action that happened before another past

action. For is used to show the duration of the previous action.

Some people had been waiting for three days by the time they were

rescued.The Titanic had been traveling for

five days then it sank.

Present Perfect Tense

Explanation:The present perfect tense uses the present time as the starting point

and looks back.

Alert! Crazy English!

The uses of the present perfect are very complicated—probably one of the hardest things in the English verb system. We don’t have time to go over them all right now.

Generally, though, the present perfect is for a verb that is somehow connected with both the past and the present (or maybe future).

New Orleans has always been a favorite tourist attraction.(It was a tourist attraction in the past, and it still is now, or people hope it will be a tourist attraction again in the future.)California has had many fires.(California had many fires in the past, and we will probably have more fires in the future.)

Alert! Crazy English!

Remember that the verb “have” can be the main verb in a sentence, or it can also be an auxiliary (helping) verb. In the sentence:California has had many fires,the first “has” is the auxiliary very, and the second “had” is the main verb in the sentence.

Present Perfect Continuous Tense

Explanation:The present perfect continuous

tense uses the present time as the starting point and looks back at a

continuous action that is still happening:

Since 2005, New Orleans residents have been trying to put their lives back together.

NASA has been exploring space since the 1950’s.

Alert! Crazy English!

Very often, it is OK to use present perfect in place of present perfect continuous. You can say:Since 2005, New Orleans residents have tried to put their lives back together.NASA has explored space since the 1950’s.There is a very slightly negative feel if you do this—that it has been difficult or impossible for people in New Orleans to do that, or that NASA is about to stop exploring space.

Be careful!

In a complex sentence with “when,”the meaning changes depending on the verb tense in the main clause!

When the hurricane hit, people went to the roofs of their houses.(simple past + simple past) meansThe hurricane hit, and after that people went to the roofs of their houses.

When the hurricane hit, some people were sleeping (simple past + past continuous) meansThe hurricane hit, while some people were sleeping.

When the hurricane hit, some people were sleeping (simple past + past continuous) meansThe hurricane hit while some people were sleeping.

When the hurricane hit, some people had already left their homes (simple past + past perfect) meansSome people left their homes before the hurricane hit.

Be careful about verb tenses when you are reporting an accident!

When the accident happened, he was texting on his phone means that he probably caused the accident because he was texting and not paying attention!

When the accident happened, he texted on his phone means that sent a text message after the accident. It doesn’t mean that he did anything wrong.

There are a few more notes at the bottom of the chart on page 125. They are less important than the comments that the teacher has added to this slide show.