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How to Revise 3 Past Tenses via Happy Days

3. Tables

Now let's study all 3 past tenses in details below.

Past Simple Tense

Positive form	Negative form	Question form
I got married two years ago. We visited Kuala Lumpur in 2005. I finished all my exams last year. I saw him in the theatre yesterday.	I didn?t get married two years ago. We didn?t visit Kuala Lumpur in 2005. I didn?t finish all my exams last year. I didn?t see him in the theatre yesterday.	Did I get married two years ago? Did we visit Kuala Lumpur in 2005? Did I finish all my exams last year? Did I see him in the theatre yesterday?
All above examples illustrate finished actions. They all happened in the past and we know when exactly they happened (e.g. two years ago, in 2005, last year and yesterday.)	Pay attention! When we use didn?t to make a negative form, we never add ?ed to our verbs.	We use Past Simple with keywords like two years ago, in 2005, last year, yesterday, last week and etc.

Past Continuous Tense

Positive form	Negative form	Question form
My best man was walking around Japanese garden at 6:45 pm. I was writing an e-mail to my friend in Dubai at 6 pm yesterday evening. I was eating my lunch with my colleagues at 1 pm today.	My best man wasn?t walking around Japanese garden at 6:45 pm. I wasn?t writing an e-mail to my friend in Dubai at 6 pm yesterday evening. I wasn?t eating my lunch with my colleagues at 1 pm today.	Was my best man walking around Japanese garden at 6:45 pm? Was I writing an e-mail to my friend in Dubai at 6 pm yesterday evening? Was I eating my lunch with my colleagues at 1 pm today?
All above actions were happening at one specific time. For example, they were continuing at 6:45 pm, at 6 pm yesterday evening and at 1 pm today.	It is very easy to change Past Continuous sentences into a negative form. Just add not or n?t - short form of not - to your verb to be (was/were) and that?s all.	Changing Past Continuous sentences into a question form is also very easy. Just move your verb to be (was/were) to the front of your sentence. I mean put the verbs to be before your subjects and you are done.

Past Perfect Tense

Positive form	Negative form	Question form
When I came to my wedding place at 7:30 pm, all the guests had already arrived. The day I got married I was very happy because I had waited for it a long time.	? the guests hadn?t arrived yet. ? I hadn?t waited for it a long time.	Had all the guests arrived when I came to my wedding place at 7:30 pm? Had I waited a long time before I got married?
First guests arrived at the wedding place and then I came. Yes I came after them! First I waited a long time and then I got married.	Changing Past Perfect sentences into a negative form is a piece of cake. Simply add not or n?t and that?s all.	Changing Past Perfect sentences into a question form is also a piece of cake. Just move your verb had to the front of your sentence. Yeah, that?s all.

Using Tenses Together

When we sat down, guests had their first meals.	As we walked towards our table we saw many people were taking our photographs.	When I opened the refrigerator I saw that someone had already eaten my piece of pizza.
First we sat down and then guests started eating their meals. It is a Past Simple Tense NOT Past Perfect.	When we walked towards our table, people were continuing taking our photographs. ?As walked towards ?? and ??we saw?? is Past Simple. ??people were taking ?? is Past Continuous.	Someone ate my pizza before I came and opened the refrigerator. ??I saw ?? is Past Simple. ??someone had already eaten ?? is Past Perfect.

4. Infographic

5. Test

6. Follow-up

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