Key Idea: These tenses let you tell stories and talk about plans: the past in progress, the earlier past, habits that are over, and the future.
Past continuous
- Form: was (I/he/she/it) or were (you/we/they) + -ing.
- Use it to set the scene and for two actions at the same time.
- Long action + short interruption: "I was reading when the phone rang."
- Finished actions and state verbs (know, want, like) take the past simple.
Past perfect
- Form: had + past participle. "had" is the same for every subject.
- Use it for the earlier of two past events, often after by the time, before, after.
- Also in reported speech and the third conditional.
- Only the earlier event takes had. Write "had gone", not "had went".
| Meaning | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Prediction, decision now, promise, offer | will + base verb | I'll call. |
| Plan, or prediction from evidence | be going to + base verb | She's going to study. |
| Fixed arrangement | present continuous | We're meeting at six. |
| Timetable | present simple | The train leaves at 6:55. |
Used to & would
- used to + base verb: past states AND repeated habits. "I used to be shy."
- would + base verb: repeated actions only, never a state. "Every summer we would camp."
- Negative and question: didn't use to / Did you use to…? (no -d).
- One single finished event takes the past simple.
English has no single future tense. Pick the form by meaning: a promise, a plan, a booking or a timetable.
"While I ___ (walk) home, it started to rain." was walking: the longer action in progress.
"When I arrived, the film ___ (already start)." had already started: it happened first.
Look at those clouds! What do you say about the rain? "It's going to rain": a prediction from evidence.
Is "I would have a dog" correct for a past habit? No. would never takes a state. Say "I used to have a dog".
What is wrong with "I will to help you"? No "to" after will: "I will help you".