Past Simple · Past Continuous · Past Perfect Simple · Past Perfect Continuous
Visão Geral: Narrative Tenses
No nível B2 você aprende a combinar com maestria os quatro tempos verbais do passado para estruturar narrativas envolventes, relatos e histórias.
Past Simple
Ações principais concluídas e em sequência cronológica: She opened the door, stepped inside, and sat down.
Past Continuous
Ação de fundo (background) ou interrompida: The rain was falling softly as she walked home.
Past Perfect Simple
Ação concluída ANTES de outro evento passado: When I arrived, the train had already left.
Past Perfect Continuous
Duração de uma ação contínua até um ponto no passado: They had been waiting for two hours before help arrived.
Ações Interrompidas e Simultâneas
Interrupção (While + Past Cont, Past Simple)
While I was cooking dinner, the lights went out.
Ações simultâneas de fundo
While the band was playing, the crowd was dancing.
Past Perfect vs Past Perfect Continuous
Past Perfect Simple (Foco no resultado/conclusão)
He had written three letters before lunch.
Past Perfect Continuous (Foco na duração/atividade)
His hands were dirty because he had been working in the garden.
Importante: Cuidado com o significado de 'when'! 'When I arrived, the film started' significa que o filme começou no momento da chegada. 'When I arrived, the film HAD started' significa que o filme começou antes da chegada.
Erros comuns de falantes de português
When I arrived, the movie started 10 minutes ago.
→
When I arrived, the movie had started 10 minutes before.
Use Past Perfect para eventos anteriores à chegada.
I was knowing him for years.
→
I had known him for years.
Verbos de estado (know, believe) não se usam no contínuo.
He was exhausted because he was running.
→
He was exhausted because he had been running.
Para a causa de um estado passado, use Past Perfect Continuous.
While I cooked, the phone rang.
→
While I was cooking, the phone rang.
Use Past Continuous para a ação de fundo interrompida.