PTE Past Tense

PTE Past Tense

1. SIMPLE PAST TENSE

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Structure Box

Affirmative:   Subject + V2 + Object
Negative:      Subject + did not + V1 + Object
Question:      Did + Subject + V1 + Object?

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Uses

1. Completed action in the past
2. Action at a specific time
3. Series of past actions
4. Past habits (no longer true)
5. Past facts

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⏰ Time Adverbs Table

Type	Examples
Specific time	yesterday, last night
Past period	last week, last year
Exact time	in 2020, ago
Sequence	then, after that

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✏ Examples (5)

1. She went to school yesterday.
   👉 ऊ हिजो विद्यालय गइ।
2. I finished my homework last night.
   👉 मैले हिजो राति गृहकार्य सकेँ।
3. They played football in the evening.
   👉 उनीहरूले बेलुका फुटबल खेले।
4. He lived in Pokhara in 2020.
   👉 ऊ २०२० मा पोखरामा बस्यो।
5. We watched a movie yesterday.
   हामीले हिजो फिल्म हेऱ्यौं।

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2. PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE

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Structure Box

Affirmative:   Subject + was/were + V-ing + Object
Negative:      Subject + was/were not + V-ing + Object
Question:      Was/Were + Subject + V-ing + Object?

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Uses

1. Action happening at a specific time in the past
2. Interrupted action (when/while)
3. Parallel actions in the past
4. Background description in stories
5. Temporary past situation

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⏰ Time Adverbs Table

Type	Examples
Specific time	at 5 PM yesterday
Interrupted	when, while
Duration	all day, all night
Background	then, at that moment

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✏ Examples (5)

1. She was reading a book at 8 PM.
   👉 ऊ ८ बजे किताब पढिरहेकी थिइ।
2. They were playing football when it started to rain.
   👉 पानी पर्न थालेपछि उनीहरू फुटबल खेलिरहेका थिए।
3. I was watching TV while my brother was studying.
   👉 म टिभी हेर्दै थिएँ जब मेरो दाइ पढ्दै थियो।
4. He was working all day.
   👉 ऊ दिनभरि काम गर्दै थियो।
5. We were talking at that moment.
   👉 हामी त्यतिबेला कुरा गरिरहेका थियौं।

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3. PAST PERFECT TENSE

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Structure Box

Affirmative:   Subject + had + V3 + Object
Negative:      Subject + had not + V3 + Object
Question:      Had + Subject + V3 + Object?

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Uses

1. Action completed before another past action
2. Sequence of past events
3. Reported speech
4. Cause/result in past
5. Unreal situations (if clauses)

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⏰ Time Adverbs Table

Type	Examples
Sequence	before, after
Time	already, just
Reference	by the time, earlier
Order	first, then

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✏ Examples (5)

1. She had finished her homework before dinner.
   👉 उसले खाना खानु अघि गृहकार्य सकेकी थिइ।
2. They had left before I arrived.
   👉 म आइपुग्नुअघि उनीहरू गइसकेका थिए।
3. I had seen that movie before.
   👉 मैले त्यो फिल्म पहिले नै हेरेको थिएँ।
4. He had completed the work earlier.
   👉 उसले काम पहिले नै सकाएको थियो।
5. We had eaten before they came.
   👉 उनीहरू आउनुअघि हामीले खाना खाइसकेका थियौं।

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4. PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS TENSE

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Structure Box

Affirmative:   Subject + had been + V-ing + Object
Negative:      Subject + had not been + V-ing + Object
Question:      Had + Subject + been + V-ing + Object?

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Uses

1. Action continuing before a past moment
2. Duration before something happened
3. Cause of a past result
4. Long ongoing past action
5. Emphasis on duration

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⏰ Time Adverbs Table

Type	Examples
Duration	for, since
Time reference	before, until
Cause	because
Length	all day, for hours

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✏ Examples (5)

1. She had been studying for two hours before the exam.
   👉 परीक्षाअघि ऊ दुई घण्टादेखि पढिरहेकी थिइ।
2. They had been playing football before it rained.
   👉 पानी पर्नुअघि उनीहरू फुटबल खेलिरहेका थिए।
3. I had been working all day before I rested.
   👉 आराम गर्नु अघि म दिनभरि काम गरिरहेको थिएँ।
4. He had been waiting for an hour before the bus arrived.
   👉 बस आउनुअघि ऊ एक घण्टादेखि पर्खिरहेको थियो।
5. We had been living there for five years before moving.
   👉 सर्ने अघि हामी पाँच वर्षदेखि त्यहाँ बसिरहेका थियौं।

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QUICK COMPARISON

Tense	Main Idea	Example
Simple Past	Completed action	She went
Past Continuous	Ongoing past	She was going
Past Perfect	Before another past	She had gone
Past Perfect Continuous	Duration before past	She had been going

Practice

SET 1: SIMPLE PAST TENSE

Passage

Yesterday, I ______ (1) to the market and ______ (2) some fruits. After that, I ______ (3) my friend and we ______ (4) a movie together. We ______ (5) home late at night.

Options

1. (go / went / going)
2. (buy / bought / buying)
3. (meet / met / meeting)
4. (watch / watched / watching)
5. (return / returned / returning)

 

✅ Answers

1. went
2. bought
3. met
4. watched
5. returned

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SET 2: PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE

Passage

At 7 PM yesterday, I ______ (1) dinner while my sister ______ (2) TV. Suddenly, the lights ______ (3) off when we ______ (4) our activities. We ______ (5) in the dark for a few minutes.

Options

1. (was cooking / cooked / cook)
2. (was watching / watched / watch)
3. (go / went / going)
4. (were doing / did / do)
5. (were sitting / sat / sit)

✅ Answers

1. was cooking
2. was watching
3. went
4. were doing
5. were sitting

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SET 3: PAST PERFECT TENSE

Passage

By the time we reached the station, the train ______ (1). We ______ (2) our tickets earlier, but we ______ (3) late due to traffic. The train already ______ (4) when we arrived, so we ______ (5) to wait for the next one.

Options

1. (left / had left / leaves)
2. (buy / bought / had bought)
3. (arrive / arrived / had arrived)
4. (depart / had departed / departing)
5. (have / had / having)

 

✅ Answers

1. had left
2. had bought
3. arrived
4. had departed
5. had

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SET 4: PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS TENSE

Passage

She ______ (1) for two hours before the teacher ______ (2) the class. The students ______ (3) noise because they ______ (4) for a long time. The teacher realized they ______ (5) restless.

Options

1. (studied / had been studying / was studying)
2. (entered / had entered / entering)
3. (make / were making / had been making)
4. (wait / had been waiting / were waiting)
5. (become / had become / had been becoming)

 

✅ Answers

1. had been studying
2. entered
3. had been making
4. had been waiting
5. had become

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SET 5: MIXED PAST TENSES (PTE LEVEL)

Passage

Last night, I ______ (1) a strange noise while I ______ (2) asleep. I ______ (3) up and ______ (4) to the window. Someone ______ (5) outside for a long time before I noticed.

Options

1. (hear / heard / hearing)
2. (was / were / am)
3. (wake / woke / waking)
4. (go / went / going)
5. (waited / had waited / had been waiting)

 

✅ Answers

1. heard
2. was
3. woke
4. went
5. had been waiting

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EXTRA PRACTICE (TRY YOURSELF)

Passage

When I ______ (1) the room, everyone ______ (2) quietly. They ______ (3) for the teacher who ______ (4) not arrived yet. Some students ______ (5) for over an hour.

Options

1. (enter / entered / entering)
2. (sit / were sitting / sat)
3. (wait / were waiting / had been waiting)
4. (had / has / have)
5. (waited / had waited / had been waiting)

 

Try it yourself! Ask me for answers when ready.

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PTE TIP (Very Important)

✔ Look for time signals:

• yesterday → Simple Past
• while/when → Past Continuous
• before/after → Past Perfect
• for/since → Past Perfect Continuous