The Collins Dictionary defines “tense” as “any of the forms of a verb which reveal the time at which an action happened,” while the Cambridge Dictionary defines “tense” as “any of the forms of a verb which show the time at which an action happened.”
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Simple Past Tense
In English, the simple past tense is used to describe actions or events that happened in the past. The simple past tense of numerous verbs is created by appending a “ed” or a “d” to the end of the base verb. When used in the simple past tense, several verbs act differently and require alternative spellings. Positive Form : Subject + Verb in the past form (base form of the verb + ed/d for regular verbs or past tense form of the irregular verbs) Negative Form : Subject + Didn’t + Verb in the base form
2. Past Continuous Tense
When describing an activity or event that took place in the past, the past continuous tense is used in sentences. In other words, it depicts how the action or event was going at a particular point in time in the past. Therefore, the past continuous tense is sometimes known as the “past progressive tense.” To have a good understanding of what the past continuous tense is, look at how it is described in several dictionaries. Subject + was/were + present participle (verb+ing) + the rest of the sentence
3. Past Perfect Tense
The past perfect tense differs slightly from the simple past tense and the past continuous tense in terms of both form and how it is used in sentences. The past perfect tense makes it very evident that one action occurred before another in the past. The past perfect tense can also be used to describe an action that happened in the past. Now examine the past perfect tense meanings provided by several dictionaries.Subject + had + past participle + the rest of the sentence
4. Past Perfect Continuous Tense
When describing an action that began in the past and continued until a specified point in the past, the past perfect continuous tense is typically employed in sentences. Since it refers to an action that had been developing up to a specific time in the past, it is also known as the past perfect progressive tense. Take a look at the many past perfect continuous tense definitions that are offered by different dictionaries.Subject + had + been + present participle (verb+ing) + the rest of the sentenceRead Also : Present Tense
