Reviewing past tenses
• Review with the Ss when it is appropriate to use
the various forms of the past tense. Offer
examples if necessary.
• Ss complete the task. Remind Ss to explain their
choices.
• Check Ss' answers.
Answer Key
1 A: happened (past simple)
B: was walking (past continuous),
stole (past simple)
2 A: Did you go (past simple)
B: had been working (past perfect
continuous), stayed (past simple),
watched (past simple)
3 A: Did you see (past simple)
B: had already left (past perfect),
woke (past simple)
4 A: were you running (past continuous),
saw (past simple)
B: had been chatting (past perfect
continuous), realised (past simple)
5 A: called (past simple)
B: didn’t hear (past simple)
Past simple is used for an action completed at
a stated time in the past.
Past continuous is used for an action that was
happening in the past and was interrupted by
another action.
Past perfect is used for an action that happened
in the past before another past action.
Past perfect continuous is used to emphasise
the duration of a past action that happened
before another action.
