Simple past tense - Forms, uses and complications/ learn time phrases/ Langauge with Ease
This video shows you how to identify the simple past tense with a good tip. It also dwells on the exceptions and the mistakes made by many in the use of the auxiliary 'did', confusions with the past participle adjective, and the present perfect tense. In all tenses where the past participle is employed there is a danger of mistaking the tense for the past.
There are time phrases used with the uses of the past tense that will help non-fluent speakers to identify the tense. But as always recommended it is important to listen and read mindfully and look out for the simple past to see how they are used.
You can buy our grammar exercise books Langauge with Ease on Amazon or our website www.mindsprings.in The answer keys can be purchased on Kindle.
Watch the video a few times and then do the following exercises. Scroll down for the answers
Underline the tenses. Say what tense it is, and if it is correct. Show how you are able to use the time phrase to help your identification.
1. Before this, I have gone to the hospital to visit my grandmother.
2. Many years ago, the actor was arrested for drunk driving.
3. As a young man I have smoked a lot, but now I have given up.
4. Earlier, I could stay up late without dozing off, now I barely stay up till 8.
5. Until now, I have had very little money, but now I can afford a car
6. Did he posted his profile on the matrimonial site?
7. I taught English for the last 2 years.
8. The children were exhausted after their swimming lessons.
9. I lived in Mumbai since 2008.
10. If you have joined the workshop, you would learn a lot.
Answers
Before this, I have gone to the hospital to visit my grandmother.
Verb tense: have gone - present perfect.
This is wrong. The time phrase 'Before this' takes the past tense for the recent past. So it should be: Before this I went to the hospital to visit my grandmother.
2. Many years ago, the actor was arrested for drunk driving.
Verb: was arrested - passive past
This is correct. It is the past tense but it is the passive past tense. (to be + past participle)
3. As a young man I have smoked a lot, but now I have given up.
Verb: have smoked (present perfect) ; have given up (present perfect)
This is incorrect. The sentence compares past and present. So we need to use the past tense and the present perfect tense.
As a young man I smoked a lot, but now I have given up.
given up is a phrasal verb.
4. Earlier, I could stay up late without dozing off, now I barely stay up till 8.
This is correct. Could stay up is past tense in the modal (not 'could stayed up'. could + bare infinitive or V1) stay up is a phrasal verb.
5. Until now, I have had very little money, but now I can afford a car.
This is incorrect. 'Until now' is the time phrase that tells us the action is in the past. It compares past and present.
Until now, I had very little money, now I can afford a car.
6. Did he posted his profile on the matrimonial site?
This is incorrect. 'did posted' is wrong. Did he post his profile is correct. (did + V1 )
The correct verb is did + bare infinitive
7. I taught English for the last 2 years.
taught - past tense
This is incorrect. I have taught English for the last 2 years is correct. The word for tells us that the action could be continuing. The verb should be 'have taught' - present perfect.
8. The children were exhausted after their swimming lessons.
Verb - were (past) not were exhausted.
The verb is the past tense 'were'. The word exhausted is the past participle adjective.
9. I lived in Mumbai since 2008.
Verb - lived (past tense)
This is incorrect. I have lived is correct as the action is not completed. The word 'since'tells us the time duration in the past continuing in the present.
10. If you have joined the workshop, you would learn a lot.
have joined (present perfect); would learn (modal)
This is incorrect. The correct use is the past tense in the conditional clause. If you joined the workshop, you would learn a lot.
Пікірлер: 45
Yes, understood the complication, need little bit practice, I am practicing the give sentences. Yeah i am waiting for present perfect and simple past difference. Ma'am if possible make a sperate video on future tense all types. I hv learnt different uses ages of simple past this video helped me a lot to brush up my tenses in past Thank you so much Ma'am.🙏
@TheMindspringsEnglishTeacher
Жыл бұрын
Correct. Even if you "understand", it is only practice that will really consolidate and impress the learning permanently. Will try to do the videos you have asked for.
Fascinating lecture.
@TheMindspringsEnglishTeacher
Жыл бұрын
Thank you Susheel.
Mam u are the one who improved my english much.. I am too admired from u relatively u are able to a lot of praise..
@TheMindspringsEnglishTeacher
Жыл бұрын
Glad to hear that. Let me correct your sentence. The word 'much' is not necessary. It is better to use 'a lot'. I admire you (active voice) You are worthy of praise. I think this is what you want to say. Good luck.
You are wonderful teacher
@TheMindspringsEnglishTeacher
Жыл бұрын
Thank you! 😃
Ma'am your confidence ❤️
@TheMindspringsEnglishTeacher
Жыл бұрын
Just an old hand at the game Komal.
Privileged enough to have you ma'am 😊
@TheMindspringsEnglishTeacher
Жыл бұрын
Thank you.
Fantastic! Please we need The present Tense and uses. It's our humble request🙏.
@solomonkoggala30
Жыл бұрын
1000100110 You can teach English very cleverly
@TheMindspringsEnglishTeacher
Жыл бұрын
Noted. Certainly.
Thanks mam ..🙏🏻
@TheMindspringsEnglishTeacher
Жыл бұрын
Most welcome 😊
Hi Ma'am, Your teach things very easily. Could you post a class on direct indirect speech
@TheMindspringsEnglishTeacher
Жыл бұрын
Will upload soon. Thanks for watching.
Could you please tell me which one is correct? When we were in the college, we had performed this song live OR When we were in the college , we performed this song live
@TheMindspringsEnglishTeacher
2 ай бұрын
Why is this reply not loading? The first one is correct. two actions in the past.
Maam, again I watched this video to clarify my doubt,and I have seen one example that ma'am has given is when I was young, I played with a doll.so I hope my answer when we were in college, we performed the song alive is correct and it is not had performed
@TheMindspringsEnglishTeacher
2 ай бұрын
when i was young, I used to play with a doll. Not I played with a doll. Please do not neglect the meaning when you change the tense.
Hi ma'am, We use past perfect when we have 2 past action(recent past and far past).But in the sentence, when we were in the college,we had performed this song live.which action comes first? I am not able to differentiate 2 past actions here as recent and far. For me the sentence shows a finished time.now Im not in the college. Thats why my answer is we performed the song live when we were in the college. The phrase when we were in the college indicates the same idea that long ago ,such time indications we use with simple past. But maam has given me the answer had performed because we have 2 past actions. Please clarify my doubt,with this particular example
@TheMindspringsEnglishTeacher
2 ай бұрын
Depending upon which action you give the past tense to it will become recent. In spoken language you can get away with 2 past tenses, but in formal written langauge it will be marked wrong. If you can quote the source of your claim then I might consider, but if this is just your instinct, it can be pretty risky.
Hi ma’am,if I want write about an imaginary situation like,if an elephant could speak what he would have told to you? Could you please tell how I could frame sentences as answers . What are the different ways to express imaginary situations? Waiting for the answer
@TheMindspringsEnglishTeacher
2 ай бұрын
If an elephant could speak, it would suprise us with its thoughts. It would recount its experiences in the forest..... It would have conversations on....... It would appeal to us to ............. It would advice us..... etc.
Ma'am Is it right or wrong to say the following: He sowed grains in the nicely turned over field. Waiting for your quick response ma'am,thank you
@TheMindspringsEnglishTeacher
Жыл бұрын
'nicely turned over field' is a rather hackneyed phrase. Not very smart. 'nicely' is slang - 'well turned over' is better. It would be better to say 'well ploughed field'.
@arunas7766
Жыл бұрын
Thank you ma'am
Many years ago , my father (build)a house that we live now. The time phrase many years ago indicates simple past. But it has a present relevance also,because we still living in that house.In that context how we reframe the sentence ma'am. Besides here we dont have a recent and distant past action, past perfect can not be used. Please help ma'am. I'm not able to connect simple past and past perfect in this context.could you please explain the point using the given example .
@TheMindspringsEnglishTeacher
2 ай бұрын
Many years ago, my father had built a house that we live in even now. Or. Many years ago, my father built a house. (no noun clause with present time)
Could you please clear this doubt? 1. Many years ago , my father ......( build) the house that we live in now. My answer is built, since the time phrase is given . But many have used had built since many years ago doesnt give specific time. But I have learnt that past perfect is used when we have 2 past action. Here we dont have anything like that. How can i differentiate the use of past simple and past perfect
@TheMindspringsEnglishTeacher
4 ай бұрын
You are right. They are wrong. Past perfect precedes past to differentiate between two actions happening one after the other.
@hemakh8417
4 ай бұрын
Thank you Ma'am
Mam please upload direct speech and indirect speech
@TheMindspringsEnglishTeacher
Жыл бұрын
Soon.
@3.sreejachowdhury222
Жыл бұрын
@@TheMindspringsEnglishTeacher ok thank you
Mam I want to talk to you regarding my academic plight in English class 9 .. How can I contact you mam ?
@TheMindspringsEnglishTeacher
Жыл бұрын
You can contact me here. I will answer.
Goodevening maam, Do we really need 2 past action to make a swntence in past perfect? Can I say,I had lived there for5 years. How can I teach my children the difference between simple past and past perfect.please help ma'am
@TheMindspringsEnglishTeacher
2 ай бұрын
You need two past actions because the past perfect differentiates the action as in the far past as opposed to the immediate past (past tense) I lived there 5 years ago. (past) I have been living there for 5 years. (present perfect continuous) meaning: I am still continuing to live there... I have lived there for 5 years (present perfect) meaning: but not anymore. Action of living is completed I had lived there for 5 years is wrong.
@hemakh8417
2 ай бұрын
Thank you ma'am
Madam in a sentence- she is respected and admired by her students.- respected and admired are subject compliment since they describe the subject she. Bt for me she is the object since she receives the action of admiring.nd her students are the subject since they are performing. In passive voice only the subject nd object position are changed not their function.so how come this respected and admired are subject compliment.I m confused
@TheMindspringsEnglishTeacher
Жыл бұрын
Sentences with a subject complement will not have any other person or thing. e.g. She is a teacher. She and teacher are the same. Here you have two different people (she and students) so there is no complement. She is respected and admired by her students is the passive voice. Hence the subject (students as doers) and the object 'she' (as the receipient of their admiration) are interchanged. Active: Her students respected and admired her.