Past Indefinite and Past Continuous Tense by Rupjyoti Goswami

Use of Tenses:
A. Simple Past Tense/ Past Indefinite Tense:

Form: 1. Subject+Past Tense form of the verb+Object/Appropriate Expressions.

e.g, I saw a tiger. He went to Shillong yesterday.

2. Sub+did not+Present Tense form of the verb+Object/ Appropriate Expressions.

e.g, I did not do anything. She did not go there.

3. Did+Subject+Present Tense form of the verb+Object/Appropriate Expressions.

e.g, Did you meet him yesterday? Did he scold you?

4. Did+Subject+not+Present Tense form of the verb+Object/ Appropriate Expressions.

e.g, Did you not help her at that time? Did she not go to his marriage?

5. Didn’t+Subject +Present Tense form of the verb+Object/ Appropriate Expressions?

e.g., Didn’t you find him funny? Didn’t you see him quarreling with someone?

6. Sub+was/were+Complement/ Appropriate Expressions.

e.g, She was happy in her parents’ home. He was very obstinate.

7. Sub+was/were +not+Complement/ Appropriate Expressions.

e.g, The man was not much educated.

8. Subject+had+words or phrases equivalent to noun.

e.g, He had a large area of land. She had many friends there.

9. Was/Were+Subject+Noun/Adjective /Appropriate Expressions.

e.g, Was she sick? Was he a detective?

10. Was/Were+Subject+not+Adjective/Noun/Appropriate Expressions.

e.g, Was he not rich? Was she not attractive? Was his father not a doctor?

11. Subject+Verb in the Past Tense+Object+Verb>ing.

e.g, I found him sleeping under a tree. They caught him stealing.

12. Subject+was/were+Past Participle form of verb+Verb>ing 

She was found copying in the examination hall. He was seen playing football.

13. Wh-word +did+Subject +Present Tense form of the verb?

e.g, Where did they go? What did they do? How did she meet him?

Uses of the Past Indefinite Tense:

1. It is used with expressions like, ‘it is time’, ‘I wish’, ‘as though’, ‘would sooner/rather’, ‘formerly’, ‘yesterday’, ‘last year’, ‘once upon a time’, ‘the other day’, ‘in 1992/2020’, once, this morning, formerly etc.  (যিবিলাক বাক্যত it is time, I wish, if only, as though, as if, would sooner/ rather, yesterday, last year /week/ month, once, once upon a time, formerly, the other day, in 1992/2020, this morning আদি শব্দ থাকে, সেইবিলাকক সাধাৰণতে Past Tense ত লিখা হয়।)

For example,

It is time I went to bed. He behaves as if he knew everything. I met a snake-charmer the other day.

2. If two incidents of the past occurred one after another, the Past Indefinite Tense is used to refer to the second action.  (অতীতকালত হোৱা দুটা কাৰ্য্য বা ঘটনাৰ প্ৰথমটোক বুজাবলৈ Past Perfect Tense আৰু দ্বিতীয়টোক বুজাবলৈ Past Indefinite/Simple Past Tense ব্যৱহাৰ কৰা হয়।)

For example, the train had left before we reached the station.

The patient died after the doctor had arrived. He suddenly realized that he had left his purse at home.

3. The Simple Past or Past Indefinite Tense is used for an action  that occupied a period of time in the past without any reference to the time when the action began. The action is not going on at the time of referring to it. (অতীতৰ কোনো এক সময়ত কোনো এটা কাৰ্য্য বা ঘটনা হৈছিল, কিন্তু বৰ্তমান হোৱা নাই, এনে অৰ্থ প্ৰকাশ কৰা বাক্যকো Past Indefinite Tense ত লিখা হয়।)

For example, He worked in that hospital for five years.

B. Past Continuous Tense:

Forms:1. Subject+was/ were+Verb>ing.

e.g, He was eating rice. They were playing tennis. He was working in the garden.

2. Was/ Were+Subject+Verb>ing?

e.g, Were they playing football? Was she making noise? Was he watering the flowers?

3. Was/ Were+Subject +not+Verb>ing? (OR)  Wasn’t/ Weren’t+ Subject+Verb>ing?

e,g, Were they not playing tennis? Weren’t they playing tennis? Wasn’t she making a noise?

4. Wh-word+was/were+Subject+Verb>ing?

e.g, Why were they playing football at that time? Why was she crying?

Uses: 1. This Tense is used to refer to an action which was going on at some particular time in the past.  (অতীতৰ কোনো এটা সময়ত কোনো এটা কাম চলি আছিল-এনে অৰ্থ প্ৰকাশ কৰিবলৈ এই Tense ৰ ব্যৱহাৰ কৰা হয়।)

2. If two incidents of the past happened almost at the same time, the Past Continuous Tense is used to refer to the incident which was longer. (অতীতত প্ৰায় একে সময়তে দুটা ঘটনা সংঘটিত হৈছিল-এটা কাৰ্য্য দীঘলীয়া আৰু এটা চমু। দীঘলীয়া কাৰ্য্যটোক বুজাবলৈ Past Continuous Tense আৰু চমু কাৰ্যটোৰ ক্ষেত্ৰত Simple Past/ Past Indefinite Tense ৰ ব্যৱহাৰ কৰা হয়।)

e.g, He was crossing the road when a car knocked him down. I was reading when he came.

Mr. Rupjyoti Goswami
Post Graduate Teacher (English)
Bhogeswar Hazarika Girls’ Higher Secondary School, Bebejia, Nagaon, Assam.
Email: rupjyotigoswami983@gmail.com
Mobile: 9864425896.
Contact us (whatsapp no-7020477396) for free notes on English, Political Science, Logic & Philosophy, MIL Assamese, Advanced Assamese, Swadesh Adhyayan, Economics, Education, History.