Past tense. The past tense in English is used: to talk about the past to talk about hypotheses – things that are imagined rather than true. for politeness. There are four past tense forms in English: Past simple: I worked Past continuous: I was working Past perfect: I had worked Past perfect continuous: I had been working We use these forms: to talk about the past: He worked at McDonald’s. He had worked there since July.. He was working at McDonald’s. He had been working since July. to refer to the present or future in conditions: He could get a new job if he really tried. If Jack was playing they would probably win. and hypotheses: It might be dangerous. Suppose they got lost. I would always help someone who really needed help. and wishes: I wish it wasn’t so cold. In conditions, hypotheses and wishes, if we want to talk about the past, we always use the past perfect: I would have helped him if he had asked. It was very dangerous, What if you had got lost? I wish I hadn’t spent so much money last month. We can use the past forms to talk about the present in a few polite expressions: Excuse me, I was wondering if this was the train for York. I just hoped you would be able to help me.
Posted on: Fri, 14 Jun 2013 04:43:51 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015