TALKING ABOUT THE PAST - narrative tenses, theory handout 1

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In English there are six different tenses to talk about the past: the past simple the past progressive the simple present perfect* the present perfect progressive* the simple past perfect the past perfect progressive

     

The simple past tense I. Pronunciation and spelling: ed-endings The regular past ending is pronounced as :

arrived, played

washed, kicked

posted, added

As far as spelling goes:

hope decide

shop plan regret

hurry study stay

picnic travel

II. Rules [1]

He always carried an umbrella. He never drank wine. We moved house a lot when I was a child.

[2]

Pater broke a window last night. The Chinese invented paper. Columbus discovered America in the XVth century.

[3]

Did the ancient Egyptians have more advanced technology than other civilisations. As a child I felt very isolated because of my disability.

[4]

One day the Princess decided that she didn’t like staying at home all day, so she told her father that she wanted to get a job….

The simple past does not always refer to past time. It can also be used for polite inquiries (particularly asking for favours) , often with verbs like hope, think, wonder: I wondered if you could give me a lift.

str. 1

The past progressive tense [5]

What were you doing at 8 o’clock yesterday evening? When I got up this morning the sun was shining. At the turn of the XXth century many discoveries were being made in physics and other sciences.

[6]

I was painting all day yesterday. They were quarrelling the whole time they were together. Were you writing e-mails all yesterday evening?

[7]

It was getting darker. I was getting frustrated with my internet provider so I decided to change. I was going to phone you but I forgot. I was thinking of going to Italy, but I haven’t decided yet.

[8]

[9]

Aunt Lucy was always turning up without warning. I didn’t like him – he was constantly borrowing money.

[10] The sun was rising and a light wing was blowing as the children set off from home for the last time. [11] I was wondering if you could give me a lift.

[12]

As I was walking down the road, I saw Bill. The phone rang while I was having dinner. A wood fire was burning, and a cat was sleeping in the front of it. A girl was playing the piano. Suddenly there was a knock at the door. The girl stopped playing and the cat woke up.

What’s the difference? It happened while I was living in London last year. I lived in London for ten years when I was a child. When I got home I found that water was running down the kitchen walls. Explorers believed that the river ran into the Atlantic At the time when it happened, I was seeing a lot of Sue, and I was also going to the opera a lot.

str. 2

The past perfect tenses

[1]

I realised that I had men him before. When I got there, Lucy had already left. Ann had lived in a cottage for sixty years and had no wish to move to a tower block. The old oak tree, which had stood here for 300 years, suddenly crashed to the ground.

What’s the difference? [2] She heard voices and realised there were some people in the next room. but She saw empty glasses and realised there had been some people in the room.

[3]

When he opened the window the bird flew out. When I wrote to her she came at once. When I had opened the window I sat down and had a cup of tea. When I had written my letters I did some gardening.

[4]

He refused to go to bed till he had seen the film. He didn’t wait till we had finished our meal.

[5]

After I finished I went home. I wore the necklace which my grandmother gave me. I got out of the taxi, paid the fare, tipped the driver and went home.

But: When I arrived, Ann left. When I arrived, Ann had left. The past perfect progressive

[6] When I found Mary, I could see that she had been crying. had been stiff because I had been sitting still for a long time. I lived in a house which had belonged to my family for 200 years. What’s the difference? I had been reading science fiction, and my mind was full of strange images. I had read my magazines and was beginning to feel bored.

str. 3

str. 4
TALKING ABOUT THE PAST - narrative tenses, theory handout 1

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