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31
He left yesterday.
They married in 1975.
She returned two hours ago.
I saw them last Monday.
That night nobody slept.
b) by some other past actions (denoted by the verb in the past indefinite or past continuous).
He came when I was already at home.
They started when the sun was rising.
Thus the very fact that the past indefinite is used in a narrative or in a single sentence is generally an
indication that some past time not connected with the present is referred to.
§ 32. The past indefinite is the verb form most frequently used; its range of application is immense,
especially in all kinds of narratives.
The past indefinite is used:
1.
To state simple facts in the past.
The house stood on the hill.
She was beautiful.
I did not know who the man was.
I did not hear your question.
I did not see you at the theatre.
What did you say?
The past indefinite, never the present perfect, is used in questions beginning with when, even though no
indication of past time is made, because when implies a certain moment in the past. The answer can be either in
the past indefinite or in the present perfect, depending on the situation: When did you see him? - I saw him two
days ago. - I have just seen him.
Likewise, the past indefinite, not the present perfect, is used in questions beginning with where because in
such questions the reference to some past moment is implied: Where did you buy that hat? The implication is:
when you were at the place where the action was performed.
2. To denote habitual actions in the past.
All summer I got up at 7.
On Sunday evening he took her to the pictures.
He usually took the first morning train.
Note:
Besides the past indefinite there are other ways of expressing habitual actions in the past:
a) by means of the form used to + infinitive:
Some years ago he used to call on me, now he never does.
The negative construction of used to is formed in one of two ways: didn’t used to and didn’t use to.
She didn’t use to knit in the evenings.
The interrogative construction is: did (he) used to? or did (he) use to...?
Did she used to write her articles at night?
Did he use to do it?