1 tenses

1.0.1 simple

• finished
• repeated
• permanent

1.0.2 continuous

• in progress
• temporary
• unfinished

1.0.3 perfect

• connect two time periods

1.1 past tenses + present perfect

1.1.1 past simple

• a finished action in the past
• a repeated action in the past
• a permanent state in the past

1.1.2 past continuous

• action in progress at a moment in the past
• a temporary situation in the past (e.g. When I talked to him 3 months ago he was living with his grandparents.)

1.1.3 past perfect simple

• to show which action happened first in the past
• from past to further past

e.g. By the time I called him, he had already sold his car.

e.g. By 2012, the company had gone bankrupt.

1.1.3.1 exceptions:

1. I came back home, sat in my armchair and turned on the TV. (we go from past to closer past)
2. Before we arrived, the party had already finished.

1.1.4 past perfect continuous

• a longer action finished or not that happened first in the past

e.g. She had been studying for days before she finally passed the exam.

e.g. When we returned home he had been watching TV for 3 hours already.