A past activity or situation

Examples:

Last month, the company results were much better. They installed new

machinery in the factory. Costs fell and productivity rose. Sales

increased by ten per cent.

I lived in Italy when I was a child.

The new Production Manager started last week.

Where did you stay?

Why didn’t you phone me on Monday?

He didn’t like classical music when he was younger.

He went to France for his holiday last year.

Susan bought a new car in January.

Did you have a good trip to Paris?

James didn't come to the meeting yesterday.

They didn't have time to finish the report.

He was ill yesterday so he didn’t go to his office.

 

 

Useful time phrases with the past:

last Monday, last week, last year, yesterday, in July, in 1998, two weeks ago.

 

EXERCISES

Complete the sentences as in the example by putting the verb in brackets into the correct form.

Example:

The sales meeting is usually in Manchester. Last week, it was in Birmingham. (be)

1. He works for Siemens.

Two years ago, he ___ for Digital. (work)

2. He usually goes to London on Wednesdays.

Last Wednesday, he ___ to Manchester. (go)

3. Production costs go up every year.

Last year, production costs ___. (go up)

4. I usually buy a new Ford every two years.

Last year, I ___ an Opel. (buy)

5. He usually meets the clients at their office.

Last week, he ___ me clients at his office. (meet)

Use the words below to write questions about the past.

1. The new Financial Director started on Wednesday. (When?)

2. They launched the new product last week. (When?)

3. You went to Spain on holiday last year. (Where?)

4. He travelled to Paris by car. (How?)

5. He stayed there for two weeks. (How long?)

6. She had steak for dinner. (What?)

 

 

Use the verbs below to complete the paragraph. Remember to put the verbs into the Past Simple.

advertise, increase, be, develop, employ, become, start, rise.

The company (1) ___ in 1970. They (2) ___ a product for cleaning car windows. At first, it (3) ___ difficult to enter the market but they (4) ___ the product in newspapers and magazines. It soon (5) ___ a great success. In 1975, they (6) ___ more staff and (7) ___ production. A year later, profits (8) ___. The company is now one of the most successful of its land.

 

Put the following verbs into the correct form in the passage below.

return, attend, live, be, leave, get, travel, work, teach, become, study, go.

Maria Gonzales was born in Spain in 1950. She (1) ___ in Madrid with her family when she (2) ___ a child and (3) ___ to school there. When she (4) ___ school, she (5) ___ English at the university and later (6) ___ a language teacher. She (7) ___ English in Spain for two years and then (8) ___ to the United States where she (9) ___ an American college. When she (10) ___ to Europe, she (11) ___ a job in England where she (12) ___ until 1990.

 

 

THE PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE

The use of the Past Continuous.