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TENSES
Past Indefinite/Simple Past
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NADEEM AHMED
Lecturer
Mohammad Ali Jinnah University,
Karachi.
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Past Indefinite/Simple Past
1. Past repeated actions
Past customs: Past habits
We usually bunked classes
during our school life.
Many official took bribe in
France before the
revolution.
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Past routines:
1. Past repeated actions
We attended classes regularly in
school.
She signed in at 9:00 am daily
in initial years of her job.
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2. Temporary Facts (Past)
I lived in Gulistan-e-J ohar
in 2000.
That pen cost Rs. 10 in 2001.
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3. Past completed actions
The boss warned me of any
delay in the project.
Doctor BB Qureshi, Pakistans first PhD
woman, died in Edhi Old Home on
Wednesday. (Aug 15, 2012)
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Past Indefinite/Simple Past
4. Feelings (Past)
I loved my brother when he was four.
He hated work assignments.
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Past Indefinite/Simple Past
5. Thoughts (Past)
I thought he would accede
to my proposal .
We believed it was the best time
to introduce the product.
Past Indefinite/Simple Past
6. For past shorter actions
I was reading a newspaper
when she phoned me.
I was delivering lecture when
Salman knocked at the door.
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Past Indefinite/Simple Past
7. In conditional expressions
showing lesser chances of action
If he got a chance, he would not
repeat the mistake.
If Ahmed Rao took proper classes
for guitar, he would play well .
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Past Indefinite/Simple Past
8. With past latter action when two
past actions used together
I had typed the letter before the
boss asked me to show him.
Robbers had escaped before
the police reached the scene
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Past Indefinite/Simple Past
Affirmative Sentences:
Subject + V
ed
+ Object/Complement/Adjunct.
e.g.
He/She/It/Faiza ran fast.
I/They/You/We/People spoke the truth.
He
She
It
Singular Noun
I
We
You
They
Plural Noun
V
ed
V
ed
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Past Indefinite/Simple Past
Negative Sentences:
Subject + did not+ V
o
+ Object/Complement/Adjunct.
e.g.
He/She/It/Faiza didnot run fast.
I/They/You/We/People did not speak the truth.
I
We
You
They
Plural Noun
He
She
It
Singular Noun
did

did

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Past Indefinite/Simple Past
Interrogative Sentences (Yes/No Questions):
Did + subject + V
o
+ Object/Complement/Adjunct?
e.g.
Did he/she/it/Faiza run fast?
Did I/they/you/we/people speak the truth?
I
We
You
They
Plural Noun
He
She
It
Singular Noun
Did

Did

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Past Indefinite/Simple Past
Interrogative Sentences (Information Questions):
+ did + subject + V
o
+ O/C/A?
Why
Where
How
Whom
When
e.g. Why did he/she/it/Faiza run?
How did I/they/you/we/people improve vocabulary?
Exception: Who supported you financially?
Who instigated the public?
He/She/It/Singular Noun
I/We/You/They/Plural Noun
did

did

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Past Indefinite/Simple Past
Emphatic Sentences:
Subject + did + V
o
+ Object/Complement/Adjunct.
e.g.
He/She/It/Faiza did run fast.
I/They/You/We/People did speak the truth.
I
We
You
They
Plural Noun
He
She
It
Singular Noun
did

did

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Exercise#1
Choose either the simple past or the past progressive in the
following sentences.

1. Saima _________________ (eat) dinner when her friend called.
2. While Maria was cleaning the apartment, her husband
_________________ (sleep).
3. At three o clock this morning, Ammad ___________________
(study).
4. When Majid arrived, other family members
___________________ (have) dinner, but they stopped in
order to talk to him.
5. Jabbar ___________________ (go) to France last year.
6. When the teacher ________________ (enter) the room, the
students were talking.
7. While Asad was writing the report, Hamid ___________ (look)
for more information.
8. We ___________________ (see) this movie last night.
9. Mr. Rabbani ___________________ (own) this building in 1985.
10. Mushahid ___________ (write) a letter to his family when his
pencil _________ (break).
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Exercise#2

Use either the simple past or present perfect in the following
sentences.

1. Shahid ________________ (write) his report last night.
2. Babar________________ (see) this movie before.
3. Abid ________________ (read) the newspaper already.
4. Shayan ________________ (work) in the same place for thirty-
five years, and he is not planning to retire yet.
5. We ________________ (begin; negative) to study for the test
yet.
6. Saad ________________ (go) to the store at ten oclock this
morning.
7. Aneela ________________ (travel) around the world.
8. He ________________ (write) a letter last night.
9. Irfan Ahmed ________________ (call) his employer yesterday.
10. We ________________ (see; negative) this movie yet.
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Exercise#3
Supply the simple past or past perfect in the following sentences.

1. The policeman read the suspect his right after he ________________
(arrest) him.
2. After Sohail ________________ (wash) his clothes, he began to study.
3. Muneeb _________________ (wait) for one hour before the bus came.
4. Maria ____________________ (enter) the university after she had
graduated from the community college.
5. Lubna ________________ (wash) pipettes after she had completed the
experiment.
6. Eman sent a letter to her university after she____________________
(receive) her scholarship cheque.
7. After stewardesses had served the lunch to the passengers, they
____________________ (sit) down.
8. The car ____________________ (flip) ten times before it landed on its
roof.
9. We corrected our papers after we ____________________ (take) the quiz.
10. John ________________ (live) in Miami for one year when his parents
came to visit.