Grammar
This page shows different ways of using the Past Indefinite (or Simple Past) through dialogues from English literature.
Illustrative Examples:
1. The children in the junior form have great difficulty in writing compositions, so the teacher is trying to teach them how to do it; they are writing together on the blackboard a composite account of the holiday.
The teacher: John, tell me something that you did.
John: Went to the seaside, miss.
The teacher: How?
John: Bus.
The teacher: By yourself?
John: No. Lot of us kids went. Us went with the Mothers’ Union, miss.
The teacher: Right. Now put all that into sentences that I can write on the blackboard. Well, come along. You can start by saying, “During the holidays I went to the seaside.” What shall we put next?
Anne: I went in a bus.
The teacher: Now what?
The teacher: I went with the Mother’s Union.
Another pupil: I went with some others.
Another pupil: I went on a Saturday.
Another pupil: I went with my sister.
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Grammar
Using Past Indefinite through Dialogues
- Contents → Grammar in Dialogues → Using Past Indefinite
This page shows different ways of using the Past Indefinite (or Simple Past) through dialogues from English literature.
I
The Past Indefinite is used to express a single action completed in the past. It is performed within a period of time which is already over. An indication of the past time is given or implied in the situation. The speaker is mostly interested in the circumstances of the action, not the action itself.Illustrative Examples:
John: Went to the seaside, miss.
The teacher: How?
John: Bus.
The teacher: By yourself?
John: No. Lot of us kids went. Us went with the Mothers’ Union, miss.
The teacher: Right. Now put all that into sentences that I can write on the blackboard. Well, come along. You can start by saying, “During the holidays I went to the seaside.” What shall we put next?
Anne: I went in a bus.
The teacher: Now what?
The teacher: I went with the Mother’s Union.
Another pupil: I went with some others.
Another pupil: I went on a Saturday.
Another pupil: I went with my sister.
(Miss Read. Village School)
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Contents → Grammar in Dialogues → How to Use Past Perfect Read and understand the following explanations on usage of Future Perfect tense and then examine illustrative examples from Classics. 1. The Future Perfect expresses an action accomplished...
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Contents → Grammar in Dialogues → Past Perfect (When to Use) In this page we examine the Past Perfect Tense in a detail: what it actually means and how it is used. Some illustrative extracts from English literature are given below. Past Perfect expresses...
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Contents → Grammar in Dialogues → Present Perfect (When to Use) Present Perfect Tense Explanation and Illustrative Examples from Classics Present Perfect is used to express an accomplished action (both, a single action and an action or state of some...
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Contents → Grammar in Dialogues → Using Present Indefinite This page shows different ways of using the Present Indefinite through dialogues from English literature. The Present Indefinite mainly expresses permanent or recurrent actions in the...
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Below are short texts and dialogues which contain all the modal verbs. I hope that exploring these examples of the use of modal verbs will help learners build their confidence in using them. Text 1The Story of Helen Keller, The Girl Who Could Not See,...