Grammar › Verb Tenses › Past Tenses
Past Tenses
Quick answer
English has four past tenses, each with a different job:
- Past simple — a finished action (I worked).
- Past continuous — in progress in the past (I was working).
- Past perfect — before another past action (I had worked).
- Past perfect continuous — how long, before a past point (I had been working).
The one to master first is the past simple; add the past continuous to tell stories, and the past perfect to show what happened earlier.
| Tense | Use it for | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Past Simple | Finished actions at a finished time | I worked yesterday. |
| Past Continuous | An action in progress in the past | I was working at six. |
| Past Perfect | An action before another past action | I had worked before she called. |
| Past Perfect Continuous | How long an action had lasted before a past point | I had been working for hours. |
Which past tense?
- A finished action at a finished time? → past simple (I called her yesterday).
- An action in progress at a past moment? → past continuous (I was calling her at six).
- Something that happened even earlier? → past perfect (She had already left).
Two common exam contrasts: present perfect vs past simple and past simple vs past perfect.
Frequently asked questions
How many past tenses are there in English?
Four: past simple, past continuous, past perfect and past perfect continuous. Each describes the past from a slightly different angle.
What is the difference between the past simple and the past continuous?
The past simple is for completed actions (I cooked dinner); the past continuous is for an action in progress at a past moment (I was cooking when he arrived).
When do I use the past perfect?
Use the past perfect for an action that happened before another past action: When I arrived, they had already left.