Look at these sentences from the story.
I spotted it in a junk shop in Bridport...
The man said it was made in the early nineteenth century…
This one was in a bad condition…
The italicised verbs are in the past tense. They tell us what happened in the past, before now.
(i) Read the passage below and underline the verbs in the past tense. A man got on the train and sat down. The compartment was empty except for one lady.
She took her gloves off. A few hours later the police arrested the man. They held him for 24 hours and then freed him.
A man \(\underline{\text{got}}\) on the train and \(\underline{\text{sat}}\) down. The compartment \(\underline{\text{was}}\) empty except for one lady. She \(\underline{\text{took}}\) her gloves off. A few hours later the police \(\underline{\text{arrested}}\) the man. They held him for 24 hours and then \(\underline{\text{freed}}\) him.
Fill in the blanks using the correct form of the verbs in brackets.
My little sister is very naughty. When she ____ (come) back from school yesterday, she had _____(tear) her dress. We _____(ask) her how it had _____(happen). She ______(say) she _____ _____ (have, quarrel) with a boy. She _____ _____ (have, beat) him in a race and he _____ ____ (have, try) to push her. She _____ ____ (have, tell) the teacher and so he _____ _____ (have, chase) her, and she _____ _____ (have, fall) down and _____ _____ (have, tear) her dress.
Underline the verbs and arrange them in two columns, Past and Earlier past.
(a) My friends set out to see the caves in the next town, but I stayed at home, because I had seen them already.
(b) When they arrived at the station, their train had left. They came back home, but by that time I had gone out to see a movie!
(c) So they sat outside and ate the lunch I had packed for them.
(d) By the time I returned, they had fallen asleep!
Past | Earlier Past |