Time Phrases Used with the Past Tense

Let’s look at a few more examples on how we might use the simple past tense in everyday conversations.

Note: Time phrases that tell us when the event/action happened are shown in purple below.

Example 1

I lived in Tsim Sha Tsui for 3 years.

我以前喺尖沙咀住過三年。（但無講邊三年）

Example 2

During Thomas Edison’s lifetime, he held many patents.

（科學家）愛迪生在他的一生中擁有多項發明專利。

Example 3

When I was 5 years old, I lived with my grandmother.

我五歲時同我婆婆一齊住。

Example 4 

I knew.

我已經知道了。（但無講幾時知道嘅）

 Example 5

The book was on the table.

本書頭先喺枱面。（但無講頭先幾耐之前）

當Past Tense走在Timeline上

Is the action over or completed?

Today we are going to use timelines to explain how to use the Past Tense in some common scenarios.

當我哋要描述一件發生咗或者已經完成嘅事情，就會用到 Past Tense。而發生咗好耐或者唔係好耐都可以。就算係啱啱發生，只要件事已經完成同埋無延伸至同現在 ( now ) 有關連就無問題啦。

Here are a few examples.

Case 1 => 句子講喺以前嘅邊一刻發生咗乜嘢事

The bus left 3 minutes ago.

㗎巴士喺三分鐘前走咗。

Case 2 => 句子無講幾時發生，只講乜嘢事發生咗

I fell.

我頭先跌倒。

Case 3 => 件事喺以前嘅一個時期發生咗

Michael Jackson was a very popular singer during the 1980s.

米高積遜在八十年代是一名非常受歡迎的歌手。