Practice Recap: Past Tenses

Goal: The student learns to separate finished past actions, past actions in progress, earlier past events, duration before a past result, and old habits.

1. The Decision System

Before choosing the tense, ask: What time meaning is the speaker trying to show?

1 Finished past action / exact past time?
Use Past Simple.
I worked yesterday.

2 Action in progress at a past moment?
Use Past Continuous.
I was working.

3 Before another past action?
Use Past Perfect.
I had worked.

4 Duration before a past moment?
Use Past Perfect Continuous.
I had been working.

5 Old habit that is not true now?
Use Used to.
I used to work.

2. Fast Recap Warm-Up

Choose the tense. Then say the reason out loud.

3. Tense Detective Lab

Identify the tense, explain the reason, then create a new personal sentence.

4. Same Verb, Different Meaning

One verb can create several different time meanings. Write a sentence for each tense.

5. Tense Switching: Choose the Meaning

Choose the sentence that best matches the meaning.

6. Error Correction Clinic

Correct the mistake. Then explain the reason using the decision system.

7. Speaking Frames: Real Answers

Answer each question using the target tense. Try to speak for 30–60 seconds.

8. Final Boss

Tell me about your past experience, what you were doing at an important time, what had happened before it, and something you used to do.

Past SimplePast ContinuousPast PerfectPast Perfect ContinuousUsed to

Your answer

Last year, I worked on several important projects. At that time, I was improving my communication skills and learning how to explain my ideas more clearly. Before I started that role, I had already studied the basics, and I had been practising for months. When I was younger, I used to feel less confident, but now I speak more comfortably.