Past tenses



Past simple
• I was a teacher in 1990.
• I graduated in 1990.
•
•
•          1990 Now
•
•We know exactly when. Usually, is one instantaneous moment.

Past continuous
• I was working as a waiter when I graduated in 1990.
• I was playing football for 5 hours every day when I graduated.
•
•
•          1990 Now
•
•Finished activity in the past that had a longer duration or the duration matters. Usually
connected to some past simple time specification in the sentence or the previous text.

Present perfect
• I have already brushed my teeth.
• I have worked as a teacher.
•
•
•          1990 Now
•
•We do not know when exactly it happened, but it is finished at the moment – I am no longer a
teacher.

Present perfect continuous
• I have been working as a teacher for 5 years
• I have been reading this book for ages.
•
•
•          1990 Now
•
•We do not know when exactly the activity started, but it is still in the process now and is going
to continue probably – I still teach / I have not yet finished reading the book.

Past perfect
• I had had an important surgery before 1990.
• I had worked as a waiter before I graduated in 1990.
•
•
•          1990 Now
•
•An action that happened before the past, but we do not know when exactly, instant event or fact,
and is already finished – I no longer work as a waiter after graduation and we don‘t know when I
stopped exactly.

Past perfect continuous
•
•I had been working as a waiter for 5 years before I graduated in 1990.
•
•
•          1990 Now
•
•An activity before a past event that took a longer duration and the duration is important. We do
not know when exactly, but it is already finished – I no longer work as a waiter after graduation