Simple past tense of verbs in English. How to Express Past Tense in English

Here you can take a lesson on the topic: Simple past tense in English. Regular and irregular verbs. Past Simple. Regular and Irregular verbs.

In this lesson we will get acquainted with regular and irregular verbs in English and how to use them in sentences simple past tense. It is these verbs that in most cases are part of the past tense.

To express thoughts in the past, the English often use the verbs was and were. Well, what if the main action is expressed by another verb, for example, swim, or play? In such cases, knowledge of regular and irregular English verbs is required. We will look at each category of verbs separately:

Regular verbs Regular verbs are a special group of English verbs that easily form the past tense by adding the suffix -ed to the infinitive (the regular form of the verb). Here are some examples of such verbs:

talk - talked (talk - spoke)
jump - jumped (jump - jumped)
check - checked (check - checked)
look - looked (look - looked)
stay - remained (stop - stopped)
ask - asked (ask - asked)
show -showed (show - showed)
work - worked (work - worked)

Regular verbs ending in -ed do not change for person or number. Let's look at the example of the verb walk (walk, stroll):

I walked - I walked
you walked - you walked / You walked
he walked - he walked
she walked - she walked
it walked - he/she walked/walked (inanimate)
we walked - we walked
they walked - they walked

I. There are some spelling rules when adding the ending -ed.

1. So, for example, if the verb is already ends with a letter-e , then only -d is added to it. For example:

Change - changed (change - changed)
arrive - arrived (arrive - arrived)
smoke - smoked (smoking - smoked)

2. If the verb ends with the letter -y, then the ending, with rare exceptions, changes to -ied. For example:

study - studied (teach - taught)
tidy - tidied (clean - cleaned)
try - tried (try - tried)

The exceptions are the verbs: play - played (play), stay - remained (stop), enjoy - enjoyed (enjoy).

3. In some short verbs(in 1 syllable) by adding the ending -ed The consonant is doubled. This rule applies to verbs that ends with one vowel and one consonant letters. For example:

stop - stop ped (stop - stopped)
rob - rob bed (rob - robbed)

II. Regarding regular English verbs, there are also several reading rules.

1. So, for example, in verbs, ending in a voiceless consonant(f, k, p, t), the ending -ed is read softly, like /t/. For example:

walk ed /wɔ:kt/
look ed /lukt/
jump ed /dʒʌmpt/
ask ed /a:skt/

2. In verbs, ending in voiced and all other sounds, the ending -ed is pronounced voiced, like /d/. For example:

play ed /pleid/
show ed /ʃəud/
arrived /ə"raivd/
chang ed /tʃeindʒd/

3. The pronunciation of the verb ending -ed changes slightly when the verbs end with the sounds /t/ or /d/. Then the ending is pronounced /id/. For example:

decid ed /di"saidid/
wait ed /"weitid /
land ed /"lændid /
fad ed/"feidid/

Now let's look at the regular verbs in affirmative sentences. Here are some examples:

Miriam waited for Adam for several hours. - Miriam waited for Adam for several hours.
She walked towards the river. - She walked towards the river.
They changed their mind. - They changed their decision.
The woman carried a heavy bag. - The woman was carrying a heavy bag.
When I arrived the party was over. - When I arrived, the party was over.
The plane landed near the village. - The plane landed near the village.
The car stopped next to my house. - The car stopped next to my house.
Children played hide-and-seek. - The children played hide and seek.
We stayed at my grandmother's. - We stayed with my grandmother.
I looked around but there was noone. - I looked around, but there was no one there.
He studied German at school. - He studied German at school.

As can be seen from the examples, the place of subjects and verbs in affirmative sentences is fixed, and the remaining members of the sentences can be used depending on the context. When reading the examples, pay attention to the spelling of regular verbs and their pronunciation.

In contrast to regular verbs, English also has a number of irregular verbs, which do not obey the rule of adding the ending -ed, but are formed completely unexpectedly and in different ways. For example:

find - found (find - found)
take - took (take - took)
sleep - slept (sleep - slept)
fight - fought (fight - fought)
get - got (receive - received)
give - gave (give - gave)
buy - bought (buy - bought)
catch - caught (catch - caught)
lose - lost (lose - lost) and many others.

Here you can find the complete
The simple past tense uses verbs from the second column (Past Simple).

In affirmative sentences, irregular verbs are used in the same way as regular ones. The order of the sentence is fixed: Subject - Predicate - Object - Adverbial modifier. Let's look at examples:

He lost his key a day ago. - He lost his key a day ago.
Simon took my phone number yesterday. - Simon took my phone number yesterday.
I gave her a birthday present. - I gave her a present for her birthday.
They slept for eight hours last night. - They slept eight hours last night.

To form negative and interrogative sentences with regular and irregular verbs (except to be and modal verbs), the auxiliary verb did must be used.

So, for example, in interrogative sentences comes first auxiliary verb did, then the subject and verb, but in its original form (infinitive), since the auxiliary verb did takes on the function of the past tense. Let's look at a few examples:

(+) Her watch stopped working. - Her watch stopped working.
(?) Did her watch stop working? - Has her watch stopped working?

(+) He caught a big fish. - He caught a big fish.
(?) Did he catch a big fish? - Did he catch a big fish?

(+) They played cards in the evening. - They played cards in the evening.
(?) Did they play cards in the evening? - Did they play cards in the evening?

(+) Mr.Right found a purse with money. - Mr. Wright found a wallet with money.
(?) Did Mr.Right find a purse money? - Did Mr. Wright find a wallet with money?

(+) His father called him yesterday. - His father called him yesterday.
(?) Did his father call him yesterday? - Did his father call him yesterday?

Did you leave early last night? -Yes, I did. -No, I didn't. -Did you leave early last night? -Yes. -No.
Did they like the cake? -Yes, they did. -No, they didn't. - Did they like the cake? - Yes. - No.
Did their children break the remote control? -Yes, they did. -No, they didn't." -Did their children break the remote control? -Yes. -No.

Special questions with regular and irregular verbs are formed in the same order as common ones, but with the addition question word at the beginning. For example:

Where did you find the map? - Where did you find the map?
Why did they call us last night? - Why did they call us last night?
Who did you invite to the party? -Who did you invite to the party?
What did she cook fro dinner? - What did she cook for dinner?

Negative sentences with regular and irregular verbs are also formed using the auxiliary verb did, and the negative particle "not". The main verbs in such sentences remain in their original form, i.e. in the infinitive. Let's look at examples:

(+) He didn’t want us to go. - He wanted us to leave.
(-) He didn't (did not) want us to go. - He didn't want us to leave.

(+) They enjoyed the concert. - They liked the concert.
(-) They didn’t enjoy the concert. - They didn’t like the concert.

(+) Albert promised me something. - Albert promised me something.
(-) Albert didn’t promise me anything. - Albert didn’t promise me anything.

(+) My friend paid t he fine. - My friend paid the fine.
(-) My friend didn't pay the fine. - My friend did not pay the fine.

(+) It broke after all. - And yet it broke.
(-) It didn’t break after all. - And yet it didn’t break.

As can be seen from the examples, the word did can be combined with the particle not, and then the abbreviated form is obtained - didn't.

Thus, we examined regular and irregular verbs in English, and also became familiar with their use in affirmative, negative and interrogative sentences. The category of regular verbs does not require targeted memorization, but it is recommended to learn irregular verbs several times a day and try to use them in your sentences.

How is it formed past tense in English ? How to use regular and irregular verbs? How do you determine whether a verb is regular or irregular?
So, let's look at each category of verbs separately:

Regular verbs(Regular verbs) are a special group of English verbs that easily form the past tense by adding suffix-ed to the infinitive (the usual form of the verb). Here are some examples of such verbs:
talk - talked (talk - spoke)
jump - jumped (jump - jumped)
check - checked (check - checked)
look - looked (look - looked)
stay - remained (stop - stopped)
ask - asked (ask - asked)
show -showed (show - showed)
work - worked (work - worked)
Regular verbs ending in -ed do not change for person or number. Let's look at the example of the verb walk (walk, stroll):
I walked - I walked
you walked - you walked / You walked
he walked - he walked
she walked - she walked
it walked - he/she walked/walked (inanimate)
we walked - we walked
they walked - they walked

I. There are some spelling rules when adding the ending -ed.
1. So, for example, if the verb is already ends with a letter - e, then only -d is added to it. For example:

change - changed (change - changed)
arrive - arrived (arrive - arrived)

2. If the verb ends with a letter - y, then the ending, with rare exceptions, changes to -ied. For example:
study - studied (teach - taught)
tidy - tidied (clean - cleaned)
try - tried (try - tried)

Exception verbs make up: play - played (play), stay - stayed (stop), enjoy - enjoyed (enjoy).

3. In some short verbs (1 syllable) when adding the ending -ed The consonant is doubled. This rule applies to verbs that ends with one vowel and one consonant. For example:
stop - stopped (stop - stopped)

II. Regarding regular English verbs, there are also several reading rules.
1. So, for example, in verbs, ending in a voiceless consonant(f, k, p, t), the ending -ed is read softly, like /t/. For example:
walk ed /wɔ:kt/
look ed /lukt/
jump ed /dʒʌmpt/
ask ed /a:skt/

2. In verbs, ending for voiced and all other sounds, the ending -ed is read loudly, like /d/. For example:
play ed /pleid/
show ed /ʃəud/
arrived /ə"raivd/
chang ed /tʃeindʒd/

3. Pronunciation verb endings-ed changes slightly when verbs end with sounds/t/ or /d/. Then the ending is pronounced /id/. For example:
decid ed /di"saidid/
wait ed /"weitid /
land ed /"lændid /
fad ed/"feidid/

Now let's look at the regular verbs in affirmative sentences. Here are some examples:

She walked towards the river. - She walked towards the river.
They changed their mind. - They changed their decision.
The woman carried a heavy bag. - The woman was carrying a heavy bag.
The plane landed near the village. - The plane landed near the village.
The car stopped next to my house. - The car stopped next to my house.
Children played hide-and-seek. - The children played hide and seek.
We stayed at my grandmother's. - We stayed with my grandmother.
I looked around but there was noone. - I looked around, but there was no one there.

take - took (take - took)
sleep - slept (sleep - slept)
get - got (receive - received)
give - gave (give - gave)
buy - bought (buy - bought)
catch - caught (catch - caught)
lose - lost (lose - lost) and many others.

The simple past tense uses verbs from the second column (Past Simple).
In affirmative sentences, irregular verbs are used in the same way as regular ones. The order of the sentence is fixed: Subject - Predicate - Object - Adverbial modifier. Let's look at examples:

He lost his key a day ago. - He lost his key a day ago.
I gave her a birthday present. - I gave her a present for her birthday.

To form negative and interrogative sentences with regular and irregular verbs (except to be and modal verbs), the auxiliary verb did must be used.
So, for example, in interrogative sentences comes first auxiliary did, then the subject and verb, but in its original form (infinitive), since the auxiliary verb did takes on the function of the past tense.
Let's look at a few examples:

Her watch stopped working. - Her watch stopped working.
Did she watch stop working? - Has her watch stopped working?

He caught a big fish. - He caught a big fish.
Did he catch a big fish? - Did he catch a big fish?

His father called him yesterday. - His father called him yesterday.
Did his father call him yesterday? - Did his father call him yesterday?

As can be seen from the examples, the auxiliary verb did does not change in persons or numbers, like, for example, the verbs do and does, was and were. Also, these questions belong to the general category, and require short answers, which, unlike Russian “yes” and “no,” depend largely on the question itself and the auxiliary verb.
Let's take a closer look:
Did you leave early last night? -Yes, I did. -No, I didn't. -Did you leave early last night? -Yes. -No.
Did they like the cake? -Yes, they did. -No, they didn't. - Did they like the cake? - Yes. - No.
Did their children break the remote control? -Yes, they did. -No, they didn't. -Did their children break the remote control? -Yes. -No.

Special questions with regular and irregular verbs are formed in the same order as common ones, but with the addition question word at the beginning. For example:

Where did you find the map? - Where did you find the map?
Who did you invite to the party? -Who did you invite to the party?
What did she cook fro dinner? - What did she cook for dinner?

Negative sentences with regular and irregular verbs are also formed using the auxiliary verb did, and the negative particle "not". The main verbs in such sentences remain in their original form, i.e. in the infinitive. Let's look at examples:

He didn't want us to go. - He wanted us to leave.
He didn't (did not) want us to go. - He didn't want us to leave.

They enjoyed the concert. - They liked the concert.
They didn't enjoy the concert. - They didn't like the concert.

My friend paid the fine. - My friend paid the fine.
My friend didn't pay the fine. - My friend did not pay the fine.

It broke after all. - And yet it broke.
It didn't break after all. - And yet it didn't break.

As can be seen from the examples, the word did can be combined with the particle not, and then the abbreviated form is obtained - didn't.

Past Simple or Past Indefinite Tense is the second simple tense form after Present Simple. It is a type of tense form of a verb, the task of which is to express in speech single actions that took place in the past. Important! It must be remembered that the time for performing these actions has already expired, that is, the action is no longer relevant. Past tense verbs in English, the table of which is given below, will allow you to more easily navigate the world of English words and expand your knowledge of the past tense. You need to learn it well, because there are fun times in the language - there are a lot of them.

Reference: To make it easier to determine the past tense in English, you can be guided by the presence in the sentence of certain tense identifier words, which are kind of markers, for example =>

Three days ago (three days ago)
Last year/month/week (last year/month/last week)
Yesterday (yesterday)
In 1923 (in 1923).

Examples

It happened three days ago, but I still can’t realize that it really was => It happened three days ago, but I still can’t understand that it really happened.
This grand fest took place in 1543 => This grand festival was held in 1543.
I played football yesterday but wanted to go to the forest to pick mushrooms => I played football yesterday, but wanted to go to the forest to pick mushrooms.
Last month we rent a car to visit our grandparents => Last month we rented a car to visit our grandparents.

On a note! Marker words do not have a specific location in the sentence. They can be placed either at the beginning or at the end.

Examples

Yesterday we visited our friends or We visited our friends yeasterday. - Yesterday we visited our friends or We visited our friends yesterday.

Regardless of the arrangement of words (their order in a sentence), the meaning remains the same. You can only focus on a specific word. For example, in the sentence Yesterday we visited our friends, the main emphasis (emphasis) comes on the word yesterday, that is, the emphasis is on the fact that we visited yesterday. Not 2 days ago, not a week ago, namely yesterday. In the sentence “We visited our friends yeasterday” the emphasis is on the word we, which means ‘’we visited our friends’’. Not he, not she, not me, namely We.

Another example:

The decision was taken in 1947 ó In 1947 the decision was taken. — The decision was made in 1947 ó In 1947 the decision was made.

Every student of English knows that all verbs are divided into regular and irregular. Regular verbs include those formed with the suffix –ed. The endings of such verbs may have different intonation. The suffix –ed, depending on the letters next to it, can sound like d or t, or even like id.

For example:

In the word stop, when adding – ed, the letter d sounds like t => stopped is formed.

Note! The original verb has one p, but the modified verb has two (stopped).

In the word open, the suffix –ed sounds like opened [ʹoupǝnd]

Reference: after voiced consonants –ed sounds like d, and after voiceless consonants (as in the word stop) – like t.

In the word want, when adding –ed, the letter t takes on the sound id => wanted [ʹwɔntid].

There is nothing complicated in this rule, as it may seem the first time. Practice, constant exercises and language improvement will help you quickly learn regular and irregular verbs, as well as learn how to use them correctly in speech.

The formation of an irregular verb does not need to be explained; all examples must be learned. You need to know such verbs by heart and remember them constantly in order to use them correctly in speech. There is a special table with irregular verbs. It contains verbs in three forms.

Past tense verbs in English: table of some irregular verbs

Examples of irregular verbs
First form	Second form	Third form	Translation
do	did	done	do
see	saw	seen	see
begin	began	begun	start off
drink	drank	drunk	drink
drive	drove	driven	drive a car)
fall	fell	fallen	fall
feel	felt	felt	feel
graw	drew	drawn	paint; drag
forgive	forgave	forgiven	forgive
fly	flew	flown	fly
eat	ate	eaten	There is
come	came	come	come
buy	bought	bought	buy
forget	forgot	forgotten	forget
give	gave	given	give
go	went	gone	go
find	found	found	find

But! Cut – cut – cut => cut, shorten.

Find – found – found => find.

This is a very striking example from the table, since found has another meaning - to found. We decided to found this corporation to help those who had no money => We decided to found this corporation to help people who have no money.

Build-built-built

In this case, only the last letter changes, the rest of the word remains unchanged.

As you can see, English grammar is rich in examples with irregular verbs, the form of which is difficult to explain logically. The patterns must be learned by heart.

Here are examples of sentences with irregular verbs to better explain the features of their use in practice:

Yesterday he won that competition => Yesterday he won this competition.
I built the house in 1995 but still it is nice and modern => I built the house in 1995, but it is still nice and modern.
My wife drew a car last week and I had some problems with police => A week ago, my wife drove a car and I had problems with the police.
I saw a bird in the sky. I was happy to be here again => I saw a bird in the sky. I was happy to be here again.
I felt bad last night. I didn’t want to go anywhere but my friends left me no choice but to agree => I felt bad last night. I didn't want to go anywhere, but my friends left me no choice but to agree.
He brought a bunch of flowers but his gift remained without attention => He brought a bouquet of flowers, but his gift remained unattended.
I did everything right the way you told me but there were no results => I did everything exactly as you told me, but there were no results.
I began this deal late at night but it happened to be too hard to cope with it at once => I began this deal late at night, but it turned out to be too difficult to cope with it at once.
I come at this store and asked to cut some cloth for my new dress => I came to this store and asked to cut some fabric for my new dress.

Negative form of past tense verbs

When dealing with the past tense, you need to be aware of objections. If we are talking about a negative form (referring to the past tense), then we need to use did (auxiliary verb) and not (negation). But! In this case, we use English verbs not from the second, but from the first column:

I didn’t eat this cake => I didn’t eat this cake. I didn't eat this cake.
I didn’t see him last week => I didn’t see him last week. I didn't see him last week.
I didn’t go there because I thought it was dangerous => I didn’t go there because I thought it was dangerous. I didn’t go there because I thought it was dangerous.

But! In the second part of the sentence, after because comes the second form of the verb (thought, not think). This happens when the main part of a sentence has several subjects.

Let's sum it up

The tense form of English past verbs can be different. Here you need to know the English rule for forming regular and irregular verbs. Incorrect examples are given in the table. In the article we have given the most commonly used examples, there are many more of them, and for proper communication you need to learn them all. All ages are submissive to the English language!

Look through the table every day and learn new words, then success will come quickly! Stock up on tables and go for it! Good luck in learning English!

Verbs in the past tense in English have 4 forms. They are used in relation to actions that differ in dynamics and moment of commission.

Description of past tense forms

Native English speakers distinguish past actions by duration, completion, and other characteristics. To talk about what happened or has happened up to now they use:

Past Simple (Simple Past Tense) – reports regular or one-time actions. The key words are: yesterday (yesterday), last week (last week), a year ago (a year ago). The rule for forming the Past Simple involves adding the ending -ed to the stem of the verb, that is, the second form: play-played (play), watch-watched (watch, observe), stop-stopped (stop). Negative and interrogative sentences require the auxiliary verb did. In this case, the semantic one is put back into its original form.

I didn't watch this match. – I didn’t watch this match.

Did you watch this match? – Did you watch this match?

In all tenses of the Past group, verbs are divided into regular and irregular. The latter form 2 forms, changing in various ways. They are considered exceptions that need to be remembered: see-saw (see), put-put (put), find-found (find).

Past Continuous – describes a process that occurred at a certain time in the past. To form this form, the 2nd form of the verb to be – was/were and a semantic verb with the ending -ing are required.

I was doing exercises at 7 a.m. – I did exercises at 7 am.

A moment in the past can be indicated not only by exact time, but also by another single action.

She was listening to the radio when she saw a cat in the street. – She was listening to the radio when she saw a cat on the street. (was listeting – process, saw – one-time action)

Past Perfect (Past Complete) – expresses an action that has ended at the time of speaking, when the result is important. This tense is formed from 2 components: the 2nd form of the verb to have – had and the past participle of the semantic verb.

I had passed my exams by the 1st of June. – I passed my exams by June 1st.

Past Perfect Continuous (Simple Complete Long Tense) - a description of a continuous action that began before another event in the past and was still happening at the time of speaking. To form this form, 3 components are required: had + been + semantic verb ending -ing.

Jane had been knitting for an hour when I called her. Jane had been knitting for an hour when I called her.

Table of past tense verbs in English

To better understand the mechanism of formation of sentences with different purposes in the past tense, you can look at the diagram with examples.

	*Statements*	*Negations*	*Questions*
*Past Simple*	John studied Maths last year. John studied mathematics last year.	John didn't study Maths last year. John didn’t study mathematics last year.	Did John study Maths last year? – Did John study mathematics last year? Yes, he did. - Yes. No, he didn’t. - No.
*Past Continuous*	Mary was looking at the picture. – Maria looked at the picture. They were looking at the picture. - They looked at the picture.	Mary wasn't looking at the picture. – Maria did not look at the picture. They weren't looking at the picture. “They didn’t look at the picture.”	Was Mary looking at the picture? – Did Maria look at the picture? Yes, she was./No, she wasn’t. - Not really. Were they looking at the picture? – Did they look at the picture? Yes, they were./No, they weren’t. - Not really.
*Past Perfect*	Sam had read the magazine by 5. – Sam finished reading the magazine by 5 o’clock.	Sam hadn’t read the magazine by 5. – Sam hadn’t finished reading the magazine by 5 o’clock.	Had Sam read the magazine by 5? – Did Sam finish reading the magazine by 5 o’clock? Yes, he had./No, he hadn’t. - Not really.
*Past Perfect Continuous*	Helen had been talking for an hour when I came. – Lena had been talking for an hour when I arrived.	Helen hadn’t been talking for an hour when I came. – Lena hadn’t spoken for an hour when I arrived.	Had Helen been talking for an hour when I came? – Lena had been talking for an hour when I arrived?

If you ask what is the most difficult thing about learning English, I think most would say that it is the tenses of the verb. After all, in the Russian language there are only three of them, and in English there are as many as twelve. In this article we will take a closer look at the past tense in English. With its help we talk about the events of the past. In English, as many as five tenses can be used for this purpose. These are the four times of the Past group: , and time . In addition, you can express the past using the phrase used to and the verb would.

You can read more about each verb tense in the corresponding grammar section. Here we will focus on comparison when using these verb tenses and will only briefly repeat them.

Past Simple

This is the most understandable and used tense. Formed by adding the ending – ed to regular verbs. Irregular ones use the second form of the verb. To ask a question, we put the auxiliary verb did in first place, and take the main verb from the dictionary (that is, we do not change it). For negation we use did not + main verb without change.

We use the Past Simple in all cases when we talk about a past event as an accomplished fact. This may be a single action, an event that has been repeated several times in the past, or a chain of successive events. In this case, time indicators are often (but not necessarily) used: last week, yesterday, fife years ago, in 1969 and so on:

I saw this movie last month.
I saw this movie last month.

She came home, watched TV, cooked dinner and wrote a letter.
She came home, watched TV, cooked dinner and wrote a letter.

Every day I had lunch at this café last year.
Last year I had lunch at this cafe every day.

PastContinuous

This tense is used when it is important for us to emphasize the duration of an action in the past, to show the process itself, and not the fact of the action. To form this tense, we use the past tense of the verb to be: was/were and add the ending – ing to the main verb.

When you called me, I was watching TV.
When you called me, I was watching TV.

Yesterday I was waiting for him for three hours.
Yesterday I waited for him for three hours.

I think that the use of the Past Continuous will be more understandable if a literal translation is made: I was watching TV, I would be waiting. This translation allows us to see that action is a long process. This is the logic of the English language.

PastPerfect

This time is also called completed. To form it, the past form of the verb have: had and the third form of the main verb are used. This tense is used when they want to emphasize the completion of an action before a certain point in time or before the start of another action. It is often used in indirect speech when agreeing on tenses. In this case, the sentence may contain the preposition by with a specific date or time (by three o’clock) or the words when, after, before and others. There is one secret: when translating into Russian, you can put the word “already” before the verb in the Past Perfect.

I had done my homework by seven o’clock yesterday.
Yesterday by seven o'clock I (already) had done my homework.

She thought she had lost money.
She thought that she had (already) lost the money.

PastPerfectContinuous

It is a continuous action in the past that was going on and ended or was still going on when another past action occurred. That is, we can use it when we want to emphasize the duration of a past action and at the same time its completeness. The period during which this first action lasted is indicated in the text using the prepositions for, since, or in some other way. To form this tense, the verb to b e is placed in the Past Perfect: had been, and the main verb takes on the ending - ing. Fortunately, in conversational practice this time is almost never used.

When I came home yesterday my mother had been cleaning home for two hours.
Yesterday, when I came home, my mother had been cleaning the apartment for two hours.

PresentPerfect

Although this tense refers to the present, it is most often translated into Russian as the past tense. Therefore, there is confusion when using it. The secret is that although this time is called completed, it is directly related to the present: either the action ended immediately before the moment of speech, or the action ended, and the period of time when it occurred is still ongoing, or the result of this action had an impact on situation in the present. There is another option: the period of time when the action took place has ended, but the action itself is still ongoing. The Present Perfect is formed using the verb have/has and the third form of the main verb.

I have seen her this week.
I saw her this week.

He has lived in Krasnodar for ten years.
He lived in Krasnodar for ten years. (But he still lives here).

Which past tense should I use?

In order not to get confused in the use of the past tense and to use the tense construction correctly, I propose to consider several examples.

Let's take the following situation: yesterday my mother baked a cake. And depending on what we want to emphasize in this situation, we will use different tense forms of the verb.

1. If we are simply talking about this as a fait accompli, then we need to use the Past Simple:

Yesterday my mother baked a very delicious cake.
Yesterday my mother baked a very delicious cake.

2. If it is important to show that mom baked the cake for a long time, that is, the process itself, then use the Past Continuous:

My mother was baking this cake for two hours yesterday.
Yesterday my mother baked this cake for two hours (literally, she spent two hours baking this cake).

We will use the same tense in the next phrase:

When I came home yesterday my mother was baking a cake.
Yesterday, when I came home, my mother was baking a cake (she was the baker).

Because in this sentence it is important for you to show what your mother was doing (process) when you returned home.

3. If we want to tell that the action ended at some point, that is, the cake was already ready, then the Past Perfect tense is what we need:

Yesterday when I came home my mother had baked a delicious cake.
Yesterday my mother baked a delicious cake for my arrival.

Yesterday my mother had baked a cake by the celebration beginning.
Yesterday, for the beginning of the celebration, my mother baked a cake.

4. And here is a case when the Past Perfect Continuous tense can be used: you came home yesterday, and your mother was preparing a cake, and she had been doing this for two hours:

When I came home yesterday my mother had been baking a cake for two hours.
Yesterday, when I came home, my mother had already been baking a cake for two hours.

Please note that if we remove the period of time during which the first action lasted (the cake was being prepared) to the moment when the second action occurred (I came home), then in this case we need to use the Past Continuous tense (see example above).

5. In the case when it is important for us to emphasize the presence of the cake that mom made yesterday, we can use the Present Perfect tense. At the same time, it is not so important who, when and how long it took to prepare this cake, but what is important is that it exists and you can try it, and everything else is incidental information:

Has your mother baked a cake?
Did your mother bake a cake? (Meaning: Do you have cake?)

My mother has baked a cake. Would you like to try it?
My mother baked a cake. Want to try it? (Meaning there is cake to try).

Another situation

Let's take another example: you thought about something in the past.

I never thought about this.
I never thought about it. – You emphasize the fact of the absence of thoughts (about it) ever in the past.

I thought about this last week.
I thought about this last week. – You say that in the past the thought (about this) came to you.

2. Past Continuous

I was thinking about this all day.
I've been thinking about this all day. – You want to emphasize that the thinking process was long.

I was thinking about it when you came back.
I was thinking about this when you came back. – You want to emphasize that at the time of her return you were in the process of thinking.

I had thought a lot about this before.
I've thought about this a lot before. – You want to emphasize that you used to think (about this), but this process has ended and you no longer think about it.

When you called, I already had thought about this.
When you called, I already thought about it. – You want to emphasize that by the time she called, you had already thought about everything and are not thinking about it anymore.

4. Past Perfect Continuous

I told her that I had been thinking about it for three months.
I told her that I had been thinking about this for three months. – You want to emphasize that your thoughts (about this) continued for three months before the moment of conversation with her.

5. Present Perfect

I have thought about this. I agree.
I thought about it. I agree. – You want to emphasize the result of your thoughts – agreement.

Two More Ways to Express the Past

In order to talk about the past, in addition to the tense forms of verbs, in English there are also the constructions used to and would.

Usedto can be used instead of the Past Simple when a habitual or repeatedly repeated action takes place in the past, which no longer occurs in the present. Or when we describe a state or situation that was in the past, but now it does not exist. For example:

She used to go for a walk in this park every morning.
She used to walk in this park every morning (but now she doesn’t).

When I lived in Sochi, I didn’t use to have a car.
When I lived in Sochi, I didn’t have a car (but now I do).

If you are in doubt about whether it is better to use the phrase used to or the Past Simple, then pay attention to what action you want to describe. If the action or state was familiar, routine, often repeated in the past, then it is better to use used to in a declarative sentence. However, in interrogative and negative sentences it is preferable to use the Past Simple.

If the sentence contains an indication of a specific point in time ( last month, last year, yesterday and others), then the used to phrase cannot be used. This phrase is also not used if the sentence indicates the duration of the action (for five years - within five years) or its frequency (three times - three times). In this case, the Past Simple tense is used. For example:

She went for a walk in this park last year.
Last year she walked in this park.

She went for a walk in this park every morning for five years.
She walked in this park every morning for five years.

She went for a walk in this park three times.
She went for a walk to this park three times.

Verb would can also be used to describe repeated actions in the past that no longer occur, but it is not used to describe states. For example:

When I was young I would play volleyball.
When I was young, I played volleyball.

But if you want to describe a situation or state in the past, then you need to use the used to phrase:

I used to live in Moscow.
I used to live in Moscow.

As you can see, if you understand the past tense in English, it turns out that not everything is so complicated. Depending on what you want to emphasize: the duration of the action, its completion, repetition in the past, influence on the present, or the fact of the action itself, you can use the tense or construction you need. The more conversational practice you have, the easier it is to navigate verb tenses. Practice English with us on the channel “English - Speak Freely!” and be successful in learning the language!