Using the Past Tense

It is vital that you know which tense you are writing in. In history lessons it is often the past tense. Here are some tips to help you with this.


Putting Sentences into the past tense

To put a sentence into the past tense you need the following things: The Subject (for example I, he, a, the king etc) and the past form of your sentence (for example, said, decided, moved).

For example: The King invaded because he wanted to have more land.

Invaded and wanted  are the verbs in their past form

Putting questions in the past tense

To put questions in the past tense is a little more difficult because it needs an auxiliary verb as well as a subject and the main verb in its present form

For example: Why did the King invade?

In this sentence did is the auxiliary verb and invade  is the main verb in its present form


Making negative statements in the past tense

For this you need the subject plus an auxiliary verb (with the word not) plus the main verb in its past form

For example: The King did not get any more land when he invaded.

Did is the auxiliary verb and invaded is the main verb in its past form