Our Presentation..16/02/2012

Today, we present about Simple Past Tense. When we can use simple past tense???
*We use Simple Past Tense to described an action or an event which occurred at a specific time in the past

How do we use the Simple Past Tense?

We use the simple past tense to talk about an action or a situation - an event - in the past. The event can be short or long.

Here are some short events with the simple past tense:

The car exploded at 9.30am yesterday. She went to the door. We did not hear the telephone. Did you see that car?
past	present	future
The action is in the past.

Here are some long events with the simple past tense:

I lived in Bangkok for 10 years. The Jurassic period lasted about 62 million years. We did not sing at the concert. Did you watch TV last night?
past	present	future
The action is in the past.

Notice that it does not matter how long ago the event is: it can be a few minutes or seconds in the past, or millions of years in the past. Also it does not matter how long the event is. It can be a few milliseconds (car explosion) or millions of years (Jurassic period). We use the simple past tense when:

• the event is in the past
• the event is completely finished
• we say (or understand) the time and/or place of the event

 see more : http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/simplepast.html
                  

Past Continuous Tense 

For actions that were in progress at some time in the past

 Were you cooking curry last evening?

Last week, Sheila was trying on her wedding gown

For an action that was going on when a second one took place.

They were watching TV when the lights went out.

I was bathing when someone rang the door bell.

To show two actions happening simultaneously in the past.

Mrs Branson was baking a cake while her daughter was chatting on the phone.

While the band was playing, the audience was swaying to the beat of the music

Without a time expression to indicate gradual development.

It was getting darker      

A storm was brewing

As a past equivalent of the present continuous tense.

Candice said, “I am working in China”
(Direct speech)

Candice said that she was working in China.
(Indirect speech)

After that we played musical chairs. The person that lose must answer the question about what we present.