How to Talk About the Past in English

Summary

In this lesson, you'll learn how to talk about the past in English using various tenses and structures. It covers key points such as using the present perfect to talk about past experiences, switching to the past simple when mentioning specific times, and using 'used to' and 'would' to describe past habits. The lesson also explores how to set the scene in storytelling, how to express regrets with phrases like 'I wish I had,' and how to structure your past stories clearly with time references, past perfect, and past simple.

Takeaways

• 😀 The present perfect tense is used to talk about life experiences without specifying a time. For example, 'I’ve tried windsurfing.'
• 😀 When mentioning a specific time, use the past simple tense. For example, 'I went windsurfing three years ago.'
• 😀 You can use 'used to' to describe things that were true in the past but are no longer true, like 'I used to live in Berlin.'
• 😀 The negative form of 'used to' is 'didn’t use to,' which describes things that weren't true in the past but are now, like 'I didn’t use to wear glasses.'
• 😀 The structure 'would' can be used to describe past actions or habits, like 'When we got home, Mum would make us beans on toast.'
• 😀 The phrase 'any more' is used to express things that are no longer true, similar to 'used to.' For example, 'I don’t have time to listen to music any more.'
• 😀 To tell a story, start by setting the scene with the past continuous, like 'We were sitting on the bus, ready to leave.'
• 😀 The past perfect tense is used to talk about events that happened before the start of a story, like 'I hadn’t taken any lessons before my driving test.'
• 😀 When telling a story, time references like 'last week' or 'two years ago' help to clarify when the events took place.
• 😀 To express regrets about the past, you can use 'wish' or 'if only' with the past perfect tense, such as 'I wish I’d learned other languages when I was younger.'

Q & A

What is the main focus of this lesson?

The main focus of this lesson is to help learners talk about the past in English using various verb forms and structures, such as the present perfect, past simple, and past continuous.

When do we use the present perfect tense in talking about the past?

The present perfect tense is used to talk about experiences in the past without mentioning a specific time. For example, 'I’ve tried windsurfing.'

What happens when you mention a specific time while talking about the past?

When you mention a specific time, you need to switch to the past simple tense. For example, 'I went windsurfing three years ago.'

How do you express something that was true in the past but is not true now?

You can use 'used to' to talk about something that was true in the past but is no longer true, such as 'I used to live in Berlin.'

How do you form negative statements with 'used to'?

To form negative statements with 'used to,' use 'didn’t use to.' For example, 'I didn’t use to wear glasses.'

What is the difference between 'used to' and 'would' when talking about the past?

'Used to' is used for states or situations that were true in the past, while 'would' is used to describe past habits or repeated actions, such as 'When we got home, Mum would make us beans on toast.'

What tense do you use to set the scene when telling a story?

To set the scene when telling a story, you typically use the past continuous tense. For example, 'We were sitting on the bus, ready to leave.'

What tense do you use to talk about things that happened before the start of a story?

To talk about things that happened before the start of a story, you use the past perfect tense. For example, 'I hadn’t taken any driving lessons.'

What are some ways to express regrets about the past?

You can express regrets about the past using 'wish' + past perfect, 'if only' + past perfect, and 'could have.' For example, 'I wish I had started learning other languages when I was younger.'

What is the difference between 'wish' and 'if only' when expressing regrets?

'Wish' and 'if only' are similar in expressing regrets about the past, but 'if only' often emphasizes a stronger sense of regret. For example, 'I wish I hadn’t said that' vs. 'If only I had studied harder.'