Past Tense Rules

Past Tense Rules

Past Indefinite:

Affirmative:

SUB+DID+V1+OBJ/SUB+V2+OBJ

Example:

I did go to Kolkata/I went to Kolkata.

You did like mangoes/You liked mangoes.

He did like mangoes./He liked mangoes.

Note: When the task was happened in past.

Negative:

SUB+DID+NOT+V1+OBJ

Example:

I did not go to Kolkata

You did not like mangoes

He did not like mangoes.

Note:

Did itself will be used with 1^st / 2^nd / 3^rd person singular and plural numbers.

Past Continuous:

Affirmative:

SUB+WAS/WERE+ING+OBJ

Example:

I was eating rice.

You were seeing a bird.

He was playing cricket.

Note:

When the work was continuing at past.

Negative:

SUB+WAS/WERE+ NOT+ING+ OBJ

Example:

I was not eating rice.

You were not seeing a bird.

He was not playing cricket.

Note:

How to use WAS/WERE:

WAS = Singular Number.

WERE = Plural Number.

Past Perfect:

Affirmative:

Before:

SUB+HAD+V3+OBJ+BEFORE+SUB+V2+OBJ

Example:

The patient had died before the doctor came.

After:

SUB+V2+OBJ+AFTER+SUB+HAD+V3+OBJ

Example:

The rain started after we had reached the school.

Note: There are 2 formulas in this form one is Past perfect and another one is past indefinite. The fact which had taken place comparatively earlier will be past perfect and the fact happened comparatively latter will be past indefinite tense.

Negative:       

Before:

SUB+HAD+NOT+V3+OBJ+BEFORE+SUB+V2+OBJ

Example:

The patient had not died before the doctor came.

           

After:

SUB+DID+NOT+V1+OBJ+AFTER+SUB+HAD+V3+OBJ

Example:

The rain did not start after we had reached the school.

Note:

In the case of negative sentence use not after the auxiliary verb (had/did).

Past Perfect Continuous:

Affirmative:

SUB+HAD+BEEN+ING+OBJ+FOR/SINCE

Example:

I had been waiting for you for a long time.

They had been living here since 1986.

She had been doing this job since 2006.

Note:

When the work had been continuing for a long time in the past.

Negative:

SUB+HAD+NOT+BEEN+ING+OBJ+FOR/SINCE

Example:

I had not been waiting for you for a long time.

They had not been living here since 1986.

She had not been doing this job since 2006.