Thursday, June 21, 2012

Past Prog -23



                           
                  
                                                  Past Continuous Tense 
                                        
            Also called Past Progressive Tense

                           Function

This Tense is used to say that some activity was in progress around a particular time in the past. It’s very often used in association with the Past Tense.

I was waiting at the bus stop at Six O’ clock yesterday morning.
When the phone rang he was watching a TV program.
It was raining when I got up this morning  (The noun rain itself is used as a verb here)
Used for repeated action in the past (also for past habits)
 She called him (over phone) several times.
When she was in school she prepared her own food.


It is used to denote temporary and permanent activity in the past.
 She authored the book when I was in Perth
They lived in Chicago for seven years, While they were trainees.
When I saw her yesterday, She was playing Carrom.

Other structure
It stopped raining when we went out.
He stopped reading and opened the door.
                                                     

PREVIOUS INFORMATION
 Past form of the verb  The past form of the stem verb drink is drank.

Helping/being/auxiliary verb – am, is, are, was, were, will etc.

yes/no question – The question that expects ‘yes or no’  answer.

wh question – The question that expects complete  response, and  starts with the words like what, when,
how etc.

Collective noun – Group of people, animals, or things referred collectively as team, group, crowd,  herd etc.
(team/group/crowd/herd = collective noun)

                                                                    STRUCTURE                                                                  
we/you/they + were + verb (present participle = ‘ing’ verb form) - e.g. They were watching TV when she  met them -  Simple statement/information/news etc. (When she met them is Past Tense structure)

we/you/they + weren’t + verb (present participle or  ‘ing’ verb form) - e.g. They weren’t watching TV when she met them -  Negative  statement/information/news etc.

Were we/you/they + verb (present participle or ‘ing’ verb) – e.g . Were they watching TV when she met them?
‘yes/no’ question.

Weren’t  we/you/they + verb(Present participle or ‘ing’ verb) – e.g. weren’t they watching TV when she met them? – ‘yes/no’ negative question.

‘Wh’ question word + were + verb (Present participle or ‘ing’ verb) – e.g. What were they doing, when she met them? – ‘Wh’ question

  
NOTE:  All the above Five types can be spoken in EIGHT or more moods

With the subjects  I/he/she/it, was is used as helping verb.

I/we/you/they/he/she/it are called subject pronoun or simply subjects.

He/she/it include all singular nouns, pronouns, collective nouns, common nouns etc.

They includes all plural nouns.


Present Continuous and Past Tense - Comparison
It is raining now   - . It was raining in the evening yesterday.
What are  you doing now/ Jack.  -   What were doing at 7.30 yesterday?
Where are they staying now?   -  Where were they staying yesterday?


More sentences (Past Tense is given in parenthesis, to balance the Sentence.) 
In 2003 we were living in Sydney.
He was writing something, (when I rang the bell)
The children were playing in the garden some time back.
We were watching the match this time yesterday.
(We woke up at 5 O’ clock this morning), it was raining.


Conversation
A: What was she doing this morning? Was She sleeping?
B:  No, She was preparing the breakfast.

A: How fast were you riding the bike, when the signal lights turned red?
B: Thank God, I wasn’t riding fast

A: Was she wearing casuals yesterday?
B:  No, she was wearing a skirt,

A:  (When did the train arrive this morning?)
B:  It arrived while we were having coffee.

A:  Weren’t the students  studying when you saw them?
B:  No, They were playing in the class room.

PAST CONTINUOUS STRUCTURE IN NEWS HEADLINES (Not real)

What was Secretary of state doing when Russian warship entered Persian Gulf last week?

The President was watching helplessly when the, mutineers entered the presidential palace.

Wasn’t  the crew  alert when the Pirates were boarding the ship? – Investigators to Captain.

Demonstrators were gathering in large numbers when the General assembly session was on.

We were enduring great hardships till UN Peace keepers arrived: Refugee.


PAST CONTINUOUS IN Ads (Not real)

We were conquering the Peaks, Now we are colonizing  the skies – Mercury Apartments, New York.

We were making jet class cars now we are assembling super jets - Pace Jets needs super brains to train our designing team.

We were scaling greater heights,now we are counting on our success -  UIB securities  & Investments, Berlin

It was raining Dollars at Globex last year, now it’s raining gold- Your Safe  Investment destination, Dallas Securities - Dallas

We were training Commercial Pilots, Now we are training Advance Jet Pilots – Falcon Pilot Training School- Scotland.                                                                      



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Friday, June 8, 2012

Past Tense - 22



     Visiting the past - Past Tense- 22

                                                                                                
In English language there are six different tenses to indicate past action (Please remember we are not talking about the  past state in this topic.)

1-Simple present perfect tense ( I have read.) – Already discussed in session -17
2-Simple past tense (  I read.)
3-Past progressive tense ( I was reading)
4-Present perfect progressive  tense ( I have been reading.)
5-Simple past perfect tense. ( I had read.)
6-Past perfect progressive tense (I had been reading)


                                 Simple past tense - Function

Simple past tense  is used in narration, account of a visit, story telling, report writing etc.

Simple past and Present perfect -  Difference
Both these tenses are used for the actions that  took place in the past period. They don’t serve the same purpose. The simple past tense doesn’t have any link with the present, while the present perfect verb has link with the present time.

It rained last yesterday. (Past Tense)
It has rained – see the wet ground. (Past activity is linked to the present observation) - (Past Perfect Tense)


Just is used with present perfect for an activity that took place a short while ago.
My boss has just arrived.
They have just gone out.

Simple past tense contains (mostly) Time adverbial (last month, last August, in 2003 etc .)
Present perfect is used with adverbials like so far, before, already, ever never, yet,

I visited Texas last week/in 2003
I haven’t visited Texas so far.
I have already seen this machine.
The team hasn’t arrived yet.
I think I have seen him before.
I met Clara in Perth./She didn’t see me – (Some times in  Past tense sentence time adverbial is omitted.)


Past perfect tense is used for an activity that began in the past and still continuing (at the time of speaking)
 She has worked here for five years. (She is still working.) - Past perfect tense
She worked here for years. (She no longer works.) - Past tense

For indicating past habits. (We usually use used to for this purpose )
She   always travelled in train.
They always blocked the passage of budget/bill.
He always invited friends to his parties.


Past action and past state – difference
She visited the University last week –action
She was in the university last week - state

Difference between present tense and past tense. 
She reads the news paper in the morning. - Present
She read the news paper in the evening yesterday.- past


                          Simple Past Tense- Structure

PRIOR KNOWLEDGE

Subject           
What we speak about, in a sentence is called subject. Subject = I, we, you, they, he, she, it, noun phrase etc. He/she/it include all singular nouns, pronouns, collective nouns, etc. They includes all Plural nouns.

Action Verb
Verb that indicates some action is called action verb (e.g. Go, come, write etc. )

Verb forms
Go – Present form of the verb, Went – past form of the verb go          
  
STRUCTURE    (The structure  is same for all subjects ,I we , you, they, he she, it etc.)                         
Subject + Action Verb (past form) + message/news/information etc. – Simple sentence
e.g. He went to London yesterday.

Subject + didn’t +action verb (Present form) + information –  Negative sentence.
e.g. He didn't  go to London yesterday. He did no went to London
(Didn't = did not)

Did +  subject + action verb (Present form) + information – ‘yes/no’ question
e.g.  Did he go to London yesterday. Did he went to London yesterday.

Didn’t + subject + action verb (Present form) + information – ‘yes/no’ negative question
e.g. Didn’t he go to London yesterday.= Did he not go London yesterday.

“wh’ word + did + subject + action verb (Present form) + matter -  ‘wh’ question
e.g. When did he go to London./Where did he go yesterday. (Where did he go to yesterday.)

Present – past - contrast
She Teaches English – She taught English.
The thief runs away – The thief ran away.
They have a car (now) – They had a car some time back.
She wakes up at six (always)– She woke up at six (yesterday)
He does the trick – He did the trick.

More Sentences - Past Tense
Jim worked in a bank from 2003 to 2010
I rained all the morning yesterday.
We enjoyed the movie.
The event cam to an end at midnight.
‘Didn’t you see the dentist last night?’ No, I was busy.
‘Where did you see Susan?’ At Marines.
He didn’t answer my call, I didn’t expect that.
‘When did you meet Mary?'. Last night.
'Did he go away in the morning?' Yes he went away in the morning.
‘Did you go for shopping yesterday?’ No, I didn’t have time.
‘Did it rain last week?’ not much.
‘Did your friends have a nice party?’ Yes, they enjoyed a lot.

Short conversation
 A- The table is broken.
B- Who broke it?/How did it happen?/How did that happen?
A- I don’t know.

A- I went to Paris last  week
B- Where did you stay?
A-  At Bays.

A- I returned home by a cab.
B- How much did it cost?
A- 15 dollars.

Past Tense in the news head lines (Virtual)
The new tax regime spared the rich.
Obama – Putin summit, (on new arms treaty), failed once again
Greek Government unveiled new health insurance policy.
Cameron agreed to revive ailing auto  industry.
Canberra refused to grant amnesty to extremists.
Dollar nosedived on speculation

Past Tense in Ads (Not real)
Our jets  never rested since their first voyage – At your service round the clock- Blue jet
Did you experience  paradise on earth?  Visit Bon voyage cottage, Sydney.
Churchill, Regan Tatcher Saadat Mandela,  stayed  with  us, Make your visit a historical one – Royal inn Ottawa.
Disappointed with your insurer? Feel relaxed, Visit Max Flexi Insurance – Dubai.
We outpaced others in car production – Your reliable partner on the move – Delta Motors , Washington.                                                                                                                                                                    

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