The Past Tenses:

The simple past tense : This is used to describe an activity that happened in the past.

• I ran to the bus stop.

The past progressive tense : This is used to describe an on-going activity in the past. Often, it is used to set the scene for another action.

• I was running to the shops when I saw Tom.

The past perfect tense : This is used to emphasise that an action was completed before another took place.

• I had run to the shops, but they were closed.

The past perfect progressive tense : This is used to show that an on-going action in the past has completed.

• I had been running to the bus stop, but I have now started walking.