Past Tense, Forms of Past Tense, Kinds of Tenses

Past Tense (Simple Past Tense)

PAST INDEFINITE
Syntax: Sub+V2
He wrote a letter.
Negative: Sub+did+not+V1
They did not play match yesterday.
Interrogative: Did+sub+V1
Did they go for a walk?
Negative & Interrogative: Did+sub+not+V1
Did you not take your lunch?
PAST CONTINUOUS
Syntax: Sub+was/were+V1+ing
Gita was making tea.
Negative: Sub+was/were+not+V1+ing
You were not reading.
Interrogative: Was/Were+sub+V1+ing
Were they running?
Negative & Interrogative: Was/Were+sub+not+V1+ing
Were children not taking bath?
PAST PERFECT
Syntax: Sub+had+V3
We had watched TV.
The train had left by then.
Negative: Sub+had+not+V3
I had not played.
Rakesh had not come for three months.
Interrogative: Had+sub+V3
Had they won?
Negative & Interrogative: Had+sub+not+V3
Had they not washed the clothes?
Note: Mostly the sentences are made in this tense when an action completed before a point of time in past:
i) The guests had not reached till Sunday.
ii) The movie had started before I reached home.
iii) She had completed her work before 3pm.
PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS
Syntax: Sub+had+been+V1+ing+since/for
She had been helping me for three years.
Negative: Sub+had+not+been+V1+ing+since/for
He had not been watching TV since noon.
Interrogative: Had+sub+been+V1+ing+since/for
Had they been gossipping for 2 hours?
Negative & Interrogative:Had+sub+not+been+V1+ing+ since/for
Had you not been going to office for last two days?