Past Tenses
Learn how four tenses work together to show what happened, when, and in what order—and discover the topics you can explore in greater detail.
Start with the main idea
These tenses show how past events relate to each other.
Past tenses covers the tenses used to talk about completed actions, actions that were in progress at a point in the past, and actions that were already finished before another point in the past.
She worked yesterday., She was working when I called. and She had worked there before she retired. all describe events in the past, but each one places that event differently in relation to another moment.
This page begins with the broad idea behind these tenses, then leads to a dedicated lesson for each one.
The four tenses at a glance
Each tense answers a different question about the past.
The past simple shows a completed action.
She worked yesterday.
The past perfect shows an action completed before another past point.
She had worked there before she retired.
The past continuous shows an action in progress at a point in the past.
She was working when I called.
The past perfect continuous shows the duration of an action up to another past point.
She had been working there for years before she retired.
A common thread
Together, these tenses put past events in order.
For now, focus on how each tense positions an event relative to another moment, rather than memorising every rule.
A single, finished event
She worked yesterday.
No other past event is being compared to it.
An earlier event, relative to a later one
She had worked there before she retired.
One event is placed clearly before another, already-past moment.
A background event, interrupted by another
She was working when I called.
One action was already underway when a second, shorter action took place.
Recognition clues
A few questions help identify which tense fits.
Use several clues together, and always consider how the events relate to each other.
01
Is only one event being described, with no comparison to another?
This usually points to the past simple.
02
Did this event finish before another past event?
This usually points to the past perfect.
03
Was this event already in progress when something else happened?
This usually points to the past continuous.
04
Does the sentence emphasise how long something continued before another past point?
This usually points to the past perfect continuous.
Where do you go next?
Explore each past tense in detail.
Everything you’ve learned so far explains how these tenses relate to each other. The topics below each explore one tense in much more detail. Choose any lesson that matches what you want to learn next.
Past Simple
Learn how to describe a single, completed action in the past, and how it is formed for regular and irregular verbs.
Example: She worked yesterday.
Past Perfect
See how to show that one past action was already completed before another past action took place.
Example: She had worked there before she retired.
Past Continuous
Discover how to describe an action already in progress at a specific point in the past.
Example: She was working when I called.
Past Perfect Continuous
Learn how to emphasise the duration of an action that continued up until another point in the past.
Example: She had been working there for years before she retired.
Building your understanding
Two past tenses often appear together in the same sentence.
These tenses are not always used one at a time. A single sentence can combine two of them to show exactly how two past events relate to each other.
An interrupted action
The sentence below combines the past continuous with the past simple to show one action interrupting another.
Example
She was cooking dinner when the phone rang.
The past continuous, was cooking, describes the longer, background action. The past simple, rang, describes the shorter action that interrupted it.
Remember
As you work through the individual lessons, you’ll discover that each tense plays a specific role in placing past events in relation to one another. The individual lessons explain how to build and choose each tense correctly, on its own and in combination with others.
Before you continue
You’re ready to explore past tenses in more detail.
You now understand how these four tenses place past events in relation to one another. From here, choose whichever tense is most useful for your own learning.
Continue your learning
Every lesson in this section focuses on one past tense. Complete them in any order and return here whenever you need a refresher on the big picture.