19
c. Simple Past Tense
Simple past tense is used for actions completed in the past at a definite time. It began and ended at a particular time in the past Azar, 1989: 24. It is also used
to express a past situation or habit that no longer exists at present. Form used to is used to express it. The examples of simple past tense are:
[7] I met him yesterday. [8] Pasteur died in 1895.
In sentences [7] and [8], the adverbs of time yesterday and in 1895 are clear. Those sentences show actions which began and ended at a particular time in the
past. [9] When did you meet him?
Sentence [9] asks the time when you met him. The meeting happened in the past.
[10] The train was ten minutes late. [11] I bought this car in Montreal.
Sentences [10] and [11] show actions happened in the past although there is no
specific time mentioned in the verb bought and was.
[12] Where have you been? ~ Ive been to the opera. ~ Did you enjoy it? Sometimes simple past tense is used as a result of a question and answer in the
present perfect. Sentence [12] is the example of it. [13] I used to live with my parents. Now, I live in my own apartment.
Sentence [13] is the example of a past habit that no longer exists at present. In the past, I lived with parents, but now I do not live with them anymore. I live in my
apartment. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
20 The forms of the simple past are described in Figure 2.4.
STATEMENT I
You He
She worked yesterday It
We They
QUESTION I
you he
Did she work yesterday
it we
they
NEGATIVE I
You He
She
did not didn’t work yesterday
It We
They
SHORT ANSWER
I I you you
he he Yes, she did No, she
didn’t
It It we we
they they
Figure 2.4: The Summary of Formulations of the Simple Past Tense
Past time also can be expressed using time clause: [14] When I was in Chicago, I visited the art museum. Azar, 1984: 29
time clause main clause There are two clauses in sentence [14]. They are time clause and main clause.
When means at that time, after, before, and while means during that time are
used in the time clause. The pattern can be seen as follows. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
21 when
after + subject and verb = a time clause before
while
d. Past Progressive Tense
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