Download 2. ENGLISH. GRAMMAR UNIT 2 PAST SIMPLE AND PAST

2. ENGLISH. GRAMMAR
UNIT 2
PAST SIMPLE AND PAST CONTNUOUS
2.1. PAST SIMPLE
2.1.1. Meaning
We use past simple to talk about actions in the past that take place once, never or
several times.
I went to Paris in 2005
They didn't go to the concert on Friday
Lucy visited her brother every day
We also use it to order two or more actions actions in the past:
He went to school, took off his coat and sat down
Past simple is also used to refer to an action in the past that takes place during other
action. In other words, if there is a long event in the past interrupted by a punctual
event, the first one is expressed by the past continuous (see next section) and the
second (punctual) one is expressed by the past simple:
When I was studying, the phone suddenly rang → there is a durative event
(studying) interrupted by a punctual event (the phone ringing)
He arrived when I was having lunch
We use past simple In conditional sentences type II (see unit 6).
If I were you, I would do my homework.
2.1.2. Form:
Affirmative
There are two types of verbs. Regular verbs add –ed in past simple. Irregular verbs
have specific forms in the past (see list of irregular verbs).
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I, you, we, you, they
He, she, it
Worked
Worked
As you can see, there are no differences among personal pronouns: first, second and
third person (singular and plural) are the same.
If the verb ends in <consonant + -y>, you have to add -ied:
Try → tried
Hurry → hurried
Negative
I, you, we, you, they
Did not/ didn´t
play
He, she, it
did not/didn´t
Play
In the negative form you have to use the auxiliary verb do. Remember that auxiliary
verbs are the ones that express tense and person: in this case, do is in past simple
but it remains the same with all persons (because in past simple, there is no
difference among persons, as we saw with the affirmative form).
Notice that both present simple and past simple use auxiliary do in negative and
interrogative sentences. This means that simple tenses always use do in these
contexts.
I didn´t have a cat when I was a child
We didn´t like going to school.
He didn´t live in the town.
They didn´t go to the cinema yesterday.
She didn´t play the violin.
Interrogative
Did
I, you, we, you, they
go?
Did
He, she, it
go?
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In the interrogative form you also have to use the auxiliary verb do, in the past (did).
Remember that the subjects comes after did and before the main verb in questions
(as it happens in present simple):
Did you like football?
Did they play tennis last week?
Did he work yesterday?
Did they go to the theatre last night?
Did she live near here?
2.1.3. Short answers.
Yes,
No,
I, you, we, you, they
did
He, she, it
did
I, you, we, you, they
didn´t
He, she, it
didn´t
 Did you go to the concert last night?
 No, I didn't → this is the short form to say “No, I didn't go to the concert last
night”.
 Did they play tennis last week?
 Yes, they did → this is the short form to say “Yes, they played tennis last
week”.
2.2. CONTINUOUS PAST
WAS/WERE + “-ING”
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2.2.1. Meaning:
The continuous past is the equivallent of the present continuous, but in the past: it is
used to talk about durative past events:
I was teaching French in Paris for two months.
Yesterday, I was reading the whole afternoon.
I was not learning English because I was teaching French.
This durative event can be interrupted by another action, in past simple. If we have
two past events in a sentence, one in past continuous and the other in past simple,
the second one interrupts the first one:
I was watching TV when she called.
I was listening to my mp3, so I didn´t hear the fire alarm.
*Important: In the simple past, a specific time is used to show when an action began
or finished. In the continuous past, a specific time only interrupts the action:
Last night al 6 PM, I was eating dinner.
At midnight, we were still driving.
Last night at 7 PM, I ate dinner
Last night at 7 PM, I was eating the dinner
When we use the continuous past with two actions in the same sentence, it
expresses the idea that both actions were happening at the same time:
I was watching a movie while he was cooking
Were you listening while she was talking?
With adverbs such as always or constantly, it expresses the idea that something
irritating often happened in the past:
She was always talking about the same thing.
He was always coming to class late.
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*Exception. These verbs are rarely used in continuous tenses:
Abstract
Verbs
To be, to want, to cost, to seem, to need, to care, to contain, to owe, to
exist…
Possession
Verbs
To possess, to own, to belong…
Emotion
Verbs
To like, to love, to hate, to dislike, to fear, to envy, to mind…
Examples:
He was being at my house when you arrived = He was at my house when you
arrived.
2.2.2. Form:
Affirmative
Auxiliary TO BE (in the past: was/were) + main verb-ing
I was
You were
He/she/it was
We were
You were
They were
working
working
working
working
working
working
Remember that the auxiliary is the one that expresses tense (in this case, past) while
the main verb remains in the same form (in this case, -ing). All continuous tenses are
formed using to be + -ing, we have already studied present and past continuous, and
we will study present perfect continuous and past perfer continuous in the next
units. They are all formed following the same rule.
Negative
You don´t need the auxiliary verb do.
I was not
working
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You weren´t
He/she/it wasn´t
We weren´t
You weren´t
They weren´t
working
working
working
working
working
Interrogative
You don´t need the auxiliary verb do. Remember that the subject comes between
the auxiliary to be and the main verb in questions:
Was I
Were you
Was he/she/it
Were we
Were you
Were they
working?
working?
working?
working?
working?
working?
Remember!! Adverbs of frecuency always come before the main verb and after the
auxiliary:
always, only, never, ever, still, just…
You were always watching TV.
He was never playing football.
2.2.3. Short answers
Yes,
No,
I
You, we, you, they
He, she, it
I
You, we, you, they
He, she, it
was
were
was
was not
weren´t
wasn´t
- Were you watching TV last night?
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- No, I wasn't → this is the short form to say “No, I wasn't watching TV last
night”.
- Was he playing the piano yesterday?
- Yes, he was → this is the short form to say “Yes, he was playing the piano
yesterday”.
2.3. VOCABULARY
2.3.1. -ED and –ING adjectives
-ED is the past participle of regular verbs. Participles can be used as adjectives to
describe people, things or situations. Participles always have a passive meaning: the
person, thing or situation described is affected by some emotion or event:
Verb TO BORE (aburrir) → Past participle: BORED (aburrido) → Peter was
bored in class ((Peter estaba aburrido en clase).
Verb TO INTEREST (interesar) → Past Participle: interested (interesado) →
Peter is interested in art (Peter está interesado en el arte).
The class bores Peter → Peter is affected by the event described by the verb
bore: Peter is bored.
Art interests Peter → Peter is affected by the event described by the verb
interest: Peter is interested.
- ING is the gerund (gerundio) form of verbs. It can be used as an adjective to
describe people, things or situations. The gerund always has an active meaning: the
person, thing or situation is performing the action described by the verb in gerund:
Verb to bore → gerund: boring → The class is boring.
Verb to interest → gerund: interesting → Art is interesting.
The class bores Peter → the class is what bores Peter: The class is boring.
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Art interests Peter → Art is what interests Peter: Art is interesting.
Remember: In Spanish this contrast can be expressed in different ways. Sometimes,
the adjective in -ed corresponds to a participle (una persona interesada en el arte)
while the adjective in -ing corresponds to an adjective in -ante (una persona
interesante). The verbs ser and estar can also express this contrast: Pepe es aburrido
(boring) / Pepe está aburrido (bored).
Common pairs of adjectives in -ed / -ing:
ADJECTIVES -ING
ADJECTIVE -ED
Amusing (algo / alguien que es Amused (alguien que está entretenido,
divertido)
pasándolo bien)
Annoying (algo / alguien que es
Annoyed (alquien que está molesto)
molesto)
Boring (algo / alguien que es
Bored (alquien que está aburrido)
aburrido)
Concerning (concerniente;
Concerned (algo / alguien involucrado;
preocupante)
preocupado)
Confusing (alguien / algo que es
Confused (alguien / algo que está
confuso)
confuso)
Embarrassing (algo / alguien que es
Embarrassed (alguien que está
vergonzoso, que da vergüenza)
avergonzado, incómodo)
Encouraging (algo / alguien que da
Encouraged (alguien que está
valor)
envalentonado)
Entertaining (algo / alguien que es
Entertained (alguien que está
entrenedido)
entretenido)
Exciting (excitante)
Excited (excitado)
Exhausting (extenuante)
Exhausted (extenuado)
Frightening (alguien / algo que da
Frightened (asustado)
miedo)
Frustrating (frustrante)
Frustrated (frustrado)
Humiliating (humillante)
Humiliated (humillado)
Interesting (interesante)
Interested (interesado)
Overwhelming (abrumador)
Overwhelmed (abrumado)
Relaxing (relajante)
Relaxed (relajado)
Satisfying (satisfactorio)
Satisfied (satisfecho)
Shocking (chocante, impresionante) Shocked (chocado, impresionado)
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Surprising (sorprendente)
Surprised (sorprendido)
2.3.2. Travel vocabulary
Useful verbs
To drive: conducir
To book / to make a reservation:
To fly: volar
reservar / hacer una reserva
To go abroad: irse al extranjero
To check in at the hotel: registrarse en el
To go by bus / by train / by car / by plane hotel
/etc.: ir en autobús / tren / coche /etc.
To check in the luggage: facturar las
To go camping: ir de acampada
maletas
To go climbing: Ir de escalada
To check out at the hotel: marcharse del
To go on holiday / vacation: irse de hotel (dejar la llave, pagar, etc.)
vacaciones
To go hiking: ir a hacer una ruta de
To go skiing: ir a esquiar
montaña
To go swimming: ir a nadar
To go sightseeing: ir a visitar lugares de
To go to the beach: ir a la playa
interés turístico
To have a bad time: pasarlo mal
To have a good time: pasarlo bien
To stay: quedarse
To land: aterrizar
To take a photograph / picture: hacer To leave: marcharse
una fotografia
To lie: estar tumbado
To take the bus / train / etc.: coger el To miss a train / a plane / etc.: perder un
autobús / tren / etc.
tren /avión / etc.
To take the subway: coger el metro To miss someone / something /
(USA): coger el metro
somewhere: echar de menos
To arrive: llegar
To park: aparcar
To pick up: recoger
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To relax: relajarse
To take off: despegar
To rent a car: alquilar un coche
To take the tube / the underground (UK):
To set off: salir de viaje, partir
coger el metro
To sunbathe: tomar el sol
To travel: viajar
General vocabulary
Beach: playa
Map: mapa
Bike: bicicleta
Monument: monumento
Bridge: puente
Motorbike: motocicleta
Bus: autobús
Motorcycle: moto
Bus stop: parada de autobús
Motorcyclist: motociclista
Camping site, campsite: camping
Museum: museo
Car crash: accidente de coche
One way ticket: billete de ida
Coach: autocar / autobús turístico / Opera house: ópera
vagón de pasajeros (en un tren)
Park: parque
Cycle lane: carril bici
Parking fine: multa de aparcamiento
Cyclist: ciclista
Passenger: pasajero
Flight: vuelo
Passport: pasaporte
Fortnight: quincena
Pedestrian area: zona peatonal
Gate: puerta (de embarque en un
Plane: avión
aeropuerto)
Platform: andén
Helicopter: helicóptero
Post office: oficina de correos
Schedule: horario
Railway station: estación de ferrocarril
Hospital: hospital
Return ticket: billete de ida y vuelta
Hostel: hostal
Rush hour: hora punta
Hotel: hotel
Season: temporada
Church: iglesia
Seat belt: cinturón de seguridad
Building: edificio
Single room: habitación individual
Sunstroke: insolación
Square: plaza
Helmet: casco
Station: estación
High season: temporada alta
Street car / Trolley (USA): tranvía
Holiday: vacaciones
Subway (USA): metro
Inn: posada
Suitcase: maleta
Itinerary: itinerario
Brochure: folleto
Journey: travesía, trayecto
Sunburn: quemadura solar
Lorry: camión
Swimming pool: piscina
Low season: temporada baja
Taxi: taxi
Luggage: equipaje
Theater: teatro
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Tourist: turista
Tourist guide: guía turística
Tourist office: ofina turística
Towel: toalla
Traffic jam: atasco
Train: tren
Tram (UK): tranvía
Trip: viaje, excursión
Underground (UK): metro
Vacation: vacaciones
Van: furgoneta
Sunglasses: gafas de sol
Balloon: globo
Guide: guía
Double room: habitación doble
Weather: tiempo, clima
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