WAYS TO EXPRESS PAST

actions completed in the past with time indicated or implied

e.g. Bruce called Tina yesterday morning.

past actions happened one after the other

e.g. She woke up, put some clothes on and ran our of the house.

past habits

e.g. We often travelled when we were students.

for an action which is in progress at a stated moment in the past

e.g. At 7 o'clock yesterday morning we were driving to the airport.

for a past action which was in progress when another action interrupted it

e.g. He was listening to music when the doorbell rang.

for two or more actions which were happening at the same time in the past

e.g. I was tidying up when John was ironing.

to give background information in the story

e.g. The wind was blowing and dark clouds were gathering in the sky.

for an action that had completed before another or a stated time in the past

e.g. Tom had tidied up all the rooms before the returned from school (by 5 o'clock yesterday).

for a action which finished in the past and whose result was visible in the past

e.g. He had won the first prize, so he felt ecstatic.

Time expressions used with the Past Perfect: before, after, already, for, since, just, till/until, when, by, by the time, never etc.

to put emphases on the duration of the action which started and finished in the past before another past action or a stated time in the past

e.g. She had been waiting for days before he called her.

for an action which lasted for some time in the past and whose result is visible in the past (strong result)

e.g. She had been working hard for hours, so she was very tired.

Time expressions used with the Past Perfect Continuous: for, since, how long, before, until etc.

for past habits or states that are no longer true

e.g. I used to get up at six, but now I get up at eight.

e.g. I didn't use to like porridge when I was young.

e.g. Did you use to live in that house?

for a person's typical activities in the past

e.g. Jim would always make his mother a cup of tea after lunch.

for repeated actions, not states in the past, often in personal reminiscences

e.g. Every evening was the same. Jack would turn on the radio, sit in the armchair and fall asleep.