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B2 Section 3 : Past simple, past continuous, past perfect continuous -…
B2 Section 3 : Past simple, past continuous, past perfect continuous
Past simple and past continuous for politeness
The past tense is less direct.
It's similar way that we use past modals in English to be more polite (
could,might
)
often use with verbs
wonder,think,hope
I wondered if I could borrow you car?
I was wondering if I could speak to Susie?
Past perfect for the things completed before a point in the past
to talk about something that was finished before a second point in the past
She'd done
the homework before the class.
to show what happened first in time if it's not clear.
I
finished
my work when the boss arrived.
sounds like the boss arrived first, and I finished my work second
I had finished
my work when the boss arrived.
make it clear that I finished my work first
We can choose past simple or past perfect with word like
before,after,as soon as
Past perfect continuous
to say 'how long' somthing continued before another point in time
the point in time is in the past
When she went to Paris,
she'd been studying
French for years
not sure she continued after
We'd been waiting
for ages when he finally arrived
perhaps waiting doesn't continued, but it's not clear
Past perfect simple or past perfect continuous?
Past perfect
to say how long something continued before a second point in the past with
stative verb
and
live,work,study
To talk about things that are finished before a second point in the past.
Past perfect continuous
to say how long something continued before a second point in the past with
dynamic verb