Pasado en inglés: cuándo usar cada tiempo verbal

Tiempos del pasado en inglés

Be: was/were, been (ser / estar)

¡Buenos días! En esta entrada repasaremos todos los tiempos verbales que se utilizan para expresar el pasado. Trataremos las siguientes formas verbales:

• Past Simple
• Past Continuous
• Present Perfect
• Past Perfect

Os dejo un vídeo de Selvaingles en el que nos enseñan a utilizar los tiempos verbales correspondientes (Past Simple, Present Perfect o Past Perfect), principalmente los irregulares, utilizando siempre un adverbio o expresión de tiempo en una oración. De esta manera se quedará más fijado que si nos limitamos a aprendernos de memoria la lista de verbos irregulares con las tres columnas (infinitive, past simple, past participle).

Past Simple

• Afirmative: They got married last year.
• Negative: I didn't have time to do my homework.
• Interrogative: What time did you wake up this morning?

Uses

• Use the Past Simple for a completed action in the past:
  • Sophie finished school in 2010.
• A series of completed actions in the past:
  • When she worked as a journalist, he met interesting people and travelled to faraway countries.

Time expressions

yesterday, last week, two days ago, in 2011, in the 1960s, in the 19th century, when, then.

Past Continuous

• Afirmative: The driver lost control of his car because he was talking on his mobile.
• Negative: I was not (wasn't) dancing.
• Interrogative: What were you doing at six o'clock last night?

I was dancing
You were dancing
He / She / It was dancing
We / You / They were dancing

Uses

• An incomplete action in progress at a specific time in the past:
  • Last year she was working as a waitress.
• An incomplete action interrupted by another action:
  • Tom was cooking dinner when someone knocked at the door.
• Two incomplete actions taking place at the same time in the past:
  • They were listening to music while they were sunbathing.

Time expressions

at two o'clock, last month, last year, when, while, as.

Present Perfect

• Afirmative: She has never met (she's met) his ex-wife.
• Negative: I've been to London, but I haven't been to Cambridge.
• Interrogative: Have you ever lost your credit card?

Uses

• An action that took place at an unstated time in the past, but is connected to the present:
  • I'm not going to the cinema with them tonight because I've already seen that film.
  • Broadway musicals have always been famous.
• An action that started in the past and continues to the present:
  • The singer hasn't performed for over a month.
  • She has had a TV show since 1995.
  • How long has the band toured around the world?

Time expressions

always, so far, ever, never, just, yet, recently, already, in recent years, for, since, how long?

Past Perfect

• Afirmative: When they turned on the TV, the match had already finished.
• Negative: We couldn't get a table in the restaurant because we hadn't booked.
• Interrogative: Had you eaten?

Uses

• An action which happened before another action in the past:
  • I had never been to a live concert until I went to the Shakira concert.
  • The actor had grown a beard before appearing in that film.
  • I felt nervous because I hadn't flown before.

Time expressions

already, by the time, after, before, until, never, just.

Verbos regulares e irregulares

Cuando el verbo es regular, para formar el pasado y el participio basta con agregar -ed al final del verbo.

En el caso de los verbos irregulares, tendremos que aprenderlos de memoria. Aquí hay una lista de los más comunes: