The simple past 
 It is used principally to describe events in the past, although it also has some other uses. Regular English verbs form the simple past in -ed; however there are a few hundred irregular verbs with different forms.

Regular verbs form the simple past in -ed; however there are a few hundred irregular verbs with different forms. For details see English verbs: Past tens.

Most verbs have a single form of the simple past, independent of the person or number of the subject (there is no addition of -s for the third person singular as in the simple present). However the copula verbs be has two past tense forms: was for the first and third persons singular, and were in other instances. The form werecan also be used in place of was in conditional clauses and the like; for information on this, see english sunjunctive. This is the only case in modern English where a distinction in form is made between the indicative and subjunctive moods in the past tense.

• • I/you/he/she/it/we/they helped
• Expanded (emphatic) simple past:
  • I/you/he/she/it/we/they did help
• Question form:
  • Did I/you/he/she/it/we/they help?
• Negative:
  • I/you/he/she/it/we/they did not (didn't) help?
• Negative question:
• Did I/you/he/she/it/we/they not help? / Didn't I/you/he/she/it/we/they help

The PAST PROGRESSIVE TENSE

 indicates continuing action, something that was happening, going on, at some point in the past. This tense is formed with the helping "to be" verb, in the past tense, plus the present participle of the verb (with an -ing ending):

• I was riding my bike all day yesterday.
• Joel was being a terrible role model for his younger brother.

The past progressive indicates a limited duration of time and is thus a convenient way to indicate that something took place (in the simple past) while something else was happening:

• Carlos lost his watch while he was running.

The past progressive can express incomplete action.

• I was sleeping on the couch when Bertie smashed through the door.

(as opposed to the simple past, which suggests a completed action:

• I slept on the couch last night.

The past progressive is also used to poke fun at or criticize an action that is sporadic but habitual in nature:

• Tashonda was always handing in late papers.
• My father was always lecturing my brother.

English Conditionals

There are several structures in English that are called conditionals.

"Condition" means "situation or circumstance". If a particular condition is true, then a particular result happens.

There are three basic conditionals that we use very often. There are some more conditionals that we do not use so often.

Structure of Conditional Sentences

The structure of most conditionals is very simple. There are two basic possibilities. Of course, we add many words and can use various tenses.

First Conditional: real possibility

We are talking about the future. We are thinking about a particular condition or situation in the future, and the result of this condition. There is a real possibility that this condition will happen. For example, it is morning. You are at home. You plan to play tennis this afternoon. But there are some clouds in the sky. Imagine that it rains.

Second Conditional

The second conditional is like the first conditional. We are still thinking about the future. We are thinking about a particular condition in the future, and the result of this condition. But there is not a real possibility that this condition will happen. For example, you do not have a lottery ticket. Is it possible to win? No! No lottery ticket, no win! But maybe you will buy a lottery ticket in the future. So you can think about winning in the future, like a dream. It's not very real, but it's still possible.

Third Conditional: no possibility

The first conditional and second conditionals talk about the future. With the third conditional we talk about the past. We talk about a condition in the past that did not happen. That is why there is no possibility for this condition. The third conditional is also like a dream, but with no possibility of the dream coming true.