PAST TENSE - WH Questions

Summary

This video provides a clear and comprehensive explanation of past tenses in English, focusing on Simple Past, Past Continuous, and Past Perfect. It explains time markers, sentence structures for affirmative, negative, and interrogative forms, and provides numerous examples for each tense. The video also includes practical exercises for filling in past tense verbs and forming WH-questions, guiding learners on how to narrate past activities or experiences effectively. Emphasizing clarity and proper usage, it equips viewers with essential tools to confidently speak and write about past events while distinguishing between ongoing, completed, and sequential past actions.

Takeaways

• 😀 The video explains three types of past tense: Simple Past, Past Continuous, and Past Perfect.
• 😀 Simple Past is used for actions that have already happened and are completed, often marked by words like yesterday, last week, last year, or specific years.
• 😀 The structure of Simple Past: affirmative (Subject + Verb in past form), negative (Subject + did not + base verb), and interrogative (Did + Subject + base verb).
• 😀 Past Continuous describes actions that were ongoing at a specific time in the past, often marked by 'when' or 'while'.
• 😀 The structure of Past Continuous: affirmative (Subject + was/were + verb-ing), negative (Subject + was/were + not + verb-ing), interrogative (Was/Were + Subject + verb-ing).
• 😀 Past Perfect indicates actions that were completed before another past action, often using time markers like 'before', 'after', or 'when'.
• 😀 The structure of Past Perfect: affirmative (Subject + had + past participle), negative (Subject + had not + past participle), interrogative (Had + Subject + past participle).
• 😀 Exercises in the video show how to correctly use past tense forms in context, including affirmative, negative, and interrogative sentences.
• 😀 WH-questions in the past tense are explained, differentiating between questions about the subject (e.g., Who came?) and other elements (e.g., What did you make?).
• 😀 When speaking about past experiences or activities, it is important to consistently use the appropriate past tense to accurately convey timing.

Q & A

What are the three types of past tense discussed in the video?

The three types of past tense discussed are Simple Past, Past Continuous, and Past Perfect.

What is the main function of the Simple Past tense?

Simple Past is used to describe actions that already happened and are completed in the past.

What are some common time markers for the Simple Past tense?

Common time markers include 'yesterday', 'last week', 'last month', 'last year', and specific dates like 'in 2018'.

How do you form a negative sentence in Simple Past?

A negative sentence in Simple Past is formed using 'did not' (or 'didn't') followed by the base verb. For example, 'They didn't study English yesterday.'

What is the structure of Past Continuous tense?

The structure is 'subject + was/were + verb-ing'. For negative sentences, add 'not' after 'was/were'. For interrogative sentences, invert 'was/were' and the subject.

When is Past Continuous typically used?

Past Continuous is used to describe actions that were ongoing at a specific time in the past, often indicated by time markers like 'when' or 'while'.

What is the form of Past Perfect tense?

Past Perfect is formed as 'subject + had + past participle (V3)'. For negative sentences, use 'had not + past participle'. For questions, start with 'Had + subject + past participle?'.

What is the purpose of Past Perfect tense?

Past Perfect is used to describe an action that happened before another past action or point in time.

How do you ask questions about the subject using WH-questions in the past tense?

To ask about the subject, use a WH-word followed by the past verb. For example, 'Who came here yesterday?'

How do you ask questions about objects or other information using WH-questions in the past tense?

For objects or other details, use a WH-word followed by 'did + subject + base verb'. Examples include 'Whom did you meet last week?' and 'Why did he go to the store?'

Can you give an example of a sentence combining Past Continuous and Simple Past?

Yes, 'He was watching TV when his mom came home.' Here, 'was watching' is Past Continuous and 'came' is Simple Past.

What is an important tip for speaking about past experiences?

When talking about past experiences, always use past tense verbs and include time markers to indicate when the actions occurred.