Past Tenses

Past progressive(continuous): si usa per descrivere un’azione in corso nel passato a cui ci si riferisce ( lavoravo, stavo lavorando). Ex. There where a lot of people waiting at the airport. Some WERE SLEEPING, others WERE WALKING up and down; I WAS WAITING for Ann… Spesso descrive un’azione ripetuta in passato o un’abitudine noiosa: Ex. When Peter was younger, he WAS ALWAYS GETTING into trouble. Spesso si usa il past progressive con il past simple per esprimere un’azione in corso nel passato, improvvisamente interrotta: Ex. While John WAS PACKING his suitcase, the phone rang. Ricorda: alcuni verbi non richiedono la forma –ING, come TO TASTE. SIMPLE PAST: si usa per descrivere azioni finite nel passato. Ex. Susan WENT into the station and BOUGHT a ticket. Si usa per descrivere abitudini del passato, ma necessita la presenza di avverbi di tempo finito come yesterday, two months ago, last night, in 1995: Ex. What DID you DO THEN? I MET Robert YESTERDAY. I LIVED in France FOR SEVERAL YEARS. Si usa per raccontare una storia: Ex. Once upon a time there WAS a beautiful caste where a little princess BORN. One day a wizard CAME…