Unit 3: Past time
Ngữ pháp Past time: past simple, past continuous, past perfect simple, past perfect continuous, would, used to / be/get used to
📘 Giải thích tiếng Việt
Past simple (Quá khứ đơn)
Diễn tả hành động hoàn thành, thói quen, tình huống lâu dài trong quá khứ và chuỗi sự kiện chính của câu chuyện: Tom and I played chess and he won. Có thể dùng did để nhấn mạnh: I did win!
Past continuous (Quá khứ tiếp diễn)
Cấu tạo was/were + V-ing, tả hành động đang diễn ra tại một thời điểm trong quá khứ, tình huống tạm thời, hoặc bối cảnh của câu chuyện: At five o'clock, I was reading. Kết hợp với quá khứ đơn khi một hành động cắt ngang hành động đang diễn ra: I was playing… when it crashed. Không dùng cho hành động lặp lại đều đặn.
Past perfect simple (Quá khứ hoàn thành)
Cấu tạo had + V3, diễn tả điều xảy ra trước một mốc khác trong quá khứ: I'd already bought the game when I saw it cheaper. Nhiều khi khác biệt với quá khứ đơn rất nhỏ; cụm It was the first/second time… đi với thì này.
Past perfect continuous (Quá khứ hoàn thành tiếp diễn)
Cấu tạo had been + V-ing, nhấn mạnh quá trình kéo dài đến (hoặc vừa dừng trước) một mốc quá khứ: Sarah looked tired because she had been exercising all morning.
would / used to (Thói quen quá khứ)
Cả hai + động từ nguyên thể tả thói quen xưa. Khác biệt tinh tế: used to dùng được cho cả trạng thái (used to have a house), còn would chỉ dùng cho hành động lặp lại, không dùng cho trạng thái (would have a house).
be/get used to (Quen với)
be used to + V-ing/danh từ = đã quen với điều gì (I'm used to it now); get used to nhấn mạnh quá trình dần trở nên quen: I'm gradually getting used to being in a new team. Đừng nhầm với used to + V (thói quen xưa).
Theory
Past simple
| Form | Example |
|---|---|
| statement | I/you/he/she/it/we/they played … |
| negative | I/you/he/she/it/we/they didn't play … |
| question | Did I/you/he/she/it/we/they play …? |
Use
| Use | Example |
|---|---|
| Single completed actions | Tom and I played a game of chess and he won. |
| Habits in the past | Did you collect stamps when you were younger? |
| Permanent situations in the past | A famous footballer lived in our house before we bought it. |
| General truths and facts about the past | Crosswords didn't become popular until the 1930s. |
| The main events in a story | The referee blew the whistle and Simon passed the ball to James, who ran towards the goal. |
✓ We lost 5-0 but at least we did get into the final.
Past continuous
| Form | Example |
|---|---|
| statement | I/he/she/it was playing … You/we/they were playing … |
| negative | I/he/she/it wasn't playing … You/we/they weren't playing … |
| question | Was I/he/she/it playing …? Were you/we/they playing …? |
Use
| Use | Example |
|---|---|
| Actions happening at a particular moment in the past | At five o'clock, I was reading my new book. |
| Temporary situations in the past | Greg was living in London at the time. |
| Annoying past habits (usually with always) | When we were young, my brother was always borrowing my toys. |
| Actions in progress over a period of time | Daniel was playing video games all morning yesterday. |
| Two actions in progress at the same time | Were Ulla and her friends playing Monopoly while we were playing Draughts? |
| Background information in a story | The sun was shining and the birds were singing. Lisa opened the window and looked out. |
✓ I was playing on my computer when it suddenly crashed.
✓ When we were on holiday, we played volleyball every day.
✗
Past perfect simple
| Form | had + past participle | |
|---|---|---|
| Use | ||
| Situations and states before the past | We'd lived next to the gym for a couple of months before I decided to join. | |
| Completed actions before a moment in the past | I'd already bought the computer game when I saw it was cheaper in another shop. | |
| Completed actions where the result is important at a moment in the past | We didn't feel like playing Scrabble because we had just finished a long game of Monopoly. | |
✓ We'd lived next to the gym for a couple of months before I decided to join.
✓ We lived next to the gym for a couple of months before I decided to join.
✓ It was the second time I'd been on a plane.
Past perfect continuous
| Form | had been + -ing |
|---|---|
| Use | |
| Actions continuing up to a moment in the past | When you saw us, we had been running for six miles – and we still had a mile to go! |
| Actions stopping just before a moment in the past | Sarah looked tired because she had been exercising all morning. |
would
| Form | would + bare infinitive |
|---|---|
| Past habits, particularly for the distant past | When I was very young, my grandfather would take me to the park to play. |
✓ We would never play games together as a family when I was growing up.
used to
| Form | used to + bare infinitive |
|---|---|
| statement | I/you/he/she/it/we/they used to train three times a week. |
| negative | I/you/he/she/it/we/they didn't use to be good at football. |
| question | Did I/you/he/she/it/we/they use to play hockey here? |
| Past habits and states, particularly for the distant past | My mother used to play a lot of squash before I was born. |
✓ We used to have a house that was right next to the park.
✗
be/get used to
| Form | be/get used to + -ing form / noun |
|---|---|
| A situation that is familiar or no longer strange | I didn't like being the goalkeeper at first but now I'm used to it. |
✓ I'm gradually getting used to being in a new team.
Exercise A
Circle the correct word or phrase.
Exercise B
Complete using the correct form of the verb in brackets.
Exercise C
Circle the correct word or phrase.
Dear Lisa,
Thanks for your letter. I (1) __________ for school when I saw the postman and he (2) __________ it to me. It was really funny! I (3) __________ it during maths and it (4) __________ me laugh. I almost (5) __________ in trouble!
Anyway, I'm excited because I (6) __________ my first judo lesson yesterday. I (7) __________ late for the lesson because when I (8) __________ there, I suddenly realised I (9) __________ my judo suit at home! So I (10) __________ all the way home and when I (11) __________ back, the lesson (12) __________.
The instructor was really nice, though, and I (13) __________ how to do some basic throws. Can't wait till next time!
What about you and your taekwondo? The last time I (14) __________ to you, you (15) __________ about giving it up. What (16) __________?
I think that's all for now. My mum and I are going shopping shortly, so I'd better post this.
Speak to you soon.
Love, Charlotte
Exercise D
Complete using the past perfect simple or past perfect continuous of the verbs in the box. You may need to use a negative form.
Exercise E
Choose the correct answer.
Exercise F
Circle the incorrect words or phrases and rewrite them correctly.
Exercise G
Circle the correct word or phrase.
Exercise H
Complete each second sentence using the word given, so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence. Write between two and five words in each gap.
Fifty years ago, __________ than they do now.
My parents __________ let me stay out late when I was young.
Did you know that Carol __________ basketball for her country?
We __________ messages around the world instantly.
When he was a teacher, my dad __________ quite late.
Do you think you could __________ without your mobile phone?
In the past, people __________ as far away on holiday as they do today.
This town __________ so many cinemas.
Exercise I
Find the extra word in each line.
Childhood
1 Childhood would used to be quite different from what it is today. Young 2 people didn't use not to have so much leisure time. Today's children may 3 complain about their schoolwork, but our great-grandparents would to go 4 out to work at a very young age. They had often been left school by 5 the time they were fourteen and were found a job. This meant that they 6 have had little free time for hobbies or leisure activities, especially when 7 they had been working hard all day. Of course, they got themselves used 8 to working long hours eventually, but it would meant that they had to 9 grow up very quickly. Today, we are got used to having some free time to 10 do things we enjoy, a luxury people in the past rarely were had.
Write the extra word for each line (1–10):
Exercise J
Write one word in each gap.
The night before
Jane lay awake. She had (1) __________ preparing for the next day (2) __________ a long time and now she couldn't sleep. Her team (3) __________ playing the local champions at water polo in the final and Jane was the captain. She (4) __________ feeling the pressure.
She turned over and remembered how she (5) __________ learned to swim. Her father had taught her. They (6) __________ go to the local pool every day after school and her father (7) __________ to show her what to do. She hadn't liked the water at first, but she soon (8) __________ used to it. She learned quickly and joined the water polo team. She had (9) __________ their youngest member!
She quickly got used to scoring goals and (10) __________ under pressure, but tomorrow was different. It was the biggest match of her life. She closed her eyes again and tried to get to sleep. 'I (11) __________ used to have problems sleeping,' she thought to herself. 'But then again, I didn't (12) __________ to be the captain of the team.' She watched the clock change slowly and knew that it was going to be a long night.
