Past Indefinite Tense: Definition of Past Indefinite Tense It shows that has completed in the past or which has been pursued as a h...
Past Indefinite Tense:
Definition of Past Indefinite Tense
It shows that has completed in the past or which has been pursued as a
habit.
The 2nd form of verb is used in the simple past tense only in active
voice.
- In the active voice, the verb is used in the past tense after the subject. To make the sentence is meaning full often the adverbs of time, for example “once a year ago, yesterday, and other adverbs, etc are used.
Summary of past indefinite tense |
Example:
We met them last year.
He went to Pakistan a few years
ago.
- Adverbs of time may not be used when we know when the action in the past got completed.
Example:
They all swam in the canal.
They stopped talking, but soon
they forget their quarrel.
- In negative sentence, we use the first form of verb after did not or didn't.
Example:
I did not injure her feeling in
any way.
- If there is action in question the subject is used after did and then the first form of verb is used. If there is no action was/ were are used. Why, where, when, how, which etc are used before was and were.
Example:
Did you injure her feeling?
Was she absent form class?
Which of five plays did they see?
How did Salma dare criticize our
efforts
Passive voice of past indefinite tense:
Method:
Subjective form of object helping verb third form of verb by objective form of subject
A song was/were sung by him.
In passive voice the third form is used after was/were. In negative sentences
not or never is used between was /were and then the third form of verb is used
.In questions at the start why, where, what, etc are used before was/were.
Formula of passive voice of present indefinite tense:
Past indefinite tense====èaddition of was/were
He sang a song ======è A song was sung by him.
Examples:
Tonight the gate was locked.
They were never operated on.
How was this experiment performed in the laboratory?