×

Usamos cookies para ayudar a mejorar LingQ. Al visitar este sitio, aceptas nuestras politicas de cookie.

image

Oxford Online English, How to Talk About the Past in English

How to Talk About the Past in English

Hi, I'm Martin.

Welcome to Oxford Online English!

In this lesson, you can learn how to talk about the past in English.

Talking about the past includes many things.

Do you want to talk about interesting experiences you've had, tell a funny story, or talk

about something you regret in the past?

In this lesson, you'll see the words, phrases and structures you need to talk about the

past in clear, fluent English.

Let's start by seeing how you can talk about your experiences in the past.

Have you ever been bungee jumping?

No, I haven't.

I've been skydiving, though.

What about you?

Have you ever done any extreme sports like that?

Does windsurfing count?

I've tried windsurfing, although that was a long time ago.

I think windsurfing definitely counts!

I've seen people doing it and they were going at crazy speeds.

I've never done anything like that myself.

Skydiving sounds very extreme to me.

Where did you do it?

It was in Spain.

I did a tandem jump.

It was fun, but I'm not sure I'd do it again.

You probably know already that English has different past verb forms to talk about the

past in different ways.

However, you often need a present verb form to talk about the past.

You saw an example in the dialogue you just heard.

Use the present perfect to talk or ask about experiences in the past, but only if you don't

say a time!

For example:

I've tried windsurfing.

I've never been bungee jumping.

Have you ever been skydiving?

Of course, you can change these to talk about different things, like this:

I've read ‘The Idiot'.

I've never drunk whisky.

Have you ever grown your own vegetables?

However, as soon as you mention a time, you need to switch to a past tense.

For example:

I went windsurfing three years ago.

I didn't drink a lot last year.

Did you eat a lot of sushi when you were in Japan?

For this reason, when you're talking about life experiences, you often start with the

present perfect, and then switch to the past tense when you mention a specific time.

For example, someone might ask you, Have you ever been to Australia?

You might answer, Yes, I went there two years ago, for my friend's wedding.

The question is present perfect, because it's asking about experiences without mentioning

a time.

The answer mentions a time—two years ago—and so you need the past simple.

Next, let's see how you can talk about differences between the past and the present.

Wow!

You used to have a beard?

You look so different!

Yeah!

That was during my punk rock phase.

Really?

Did you use to be in a band or something?

Yes, but it wasn't anything big.

There were a few of us who were all mates, and we would play in pubs or small clubs.

So, what were you?

Singer?

Guitar?

Drummer!

I used to play the drums.

And now?

You don't play any more?

No, I gave up.

In English, there are past structures which you can use to show a difference between the

past and the present.

Can you remember any of these from the dialogue?

You can use used to to talk about something which was true in the past, but isn't true

now.

For example:

He used to have a beard.

--> He had a beard in the past, but he doesn't have one now.

I used to live in Berlin.

--> I lived in Berlin in the past, but I don't live there now.

You can also use the negative form—didn't use to—to talk about things that weren't

true in the past, but are true now.

For example:

They didn't use to get on so well.

--> They didn't get on well in the past, but they do now.

I didn't use to wear glasses.

--> I wear glasses now, but I didn't in the past.

You can also make questions:

Did you use to play a musical instrument?

Didn't he use to work here?

You can also use would to talk about actions or habits which you did in the past, but you

don't do now.

For example:

When we got home, Mum would make us beans on toast and then we'd watch cartoons.

There was this bakery near the office where I would go every lunchtime to get a sandwich

and chat to the other regulars.

Finally, you can also use a present verb plus any more.

This has a similar meaning to used to.

Let's look:

She doesn't live here any more.

--> She lived here in the past, but she doesn't live here now.

I don't have time to listen to music any more.

--> I had time in the past, but now I don't.

What about you?

How is your life different now?

Let's practice: pause the video and make three sentences about how your life is different

to the past.

Try to use all of the language from this section: used to, would and any more.

You can say your sentences out loud, or write them down.

Pause the video and do it now!

In the next two sections, you're going to see useful language for telling a story.

Oh!

Have I told you what happened to us on our trip?

No!

What happened?

It's a really crazy story.

So, we were sitting on the bus, ready to leave…

Where were you going?

Sofia.

Anyway, the weather was awful.

It was raining so hard you couldn't even see out of the window, and…

Who were you travelling with?

With my wife.

We were planning to visit some old friends who…

Where was the bus leaving from?

From Athens.

Look, can I tell my story, or not?

Oh, sorry…

When you tell a story, you need to set the scene.

What does ‘set the scene' mean?

It means you need to describe the background of the story.

What was happening at the start of the story?

Who was there, and what were the people in your story doing at the start?

To give background to a story, you use the past continuous.

For example:

We were sitting on the bus, ready to leave.

It was raining so hard you couldn't even see out of the window.

If you're telling a story from your own life, you'll often start with one or two

sentences in the past continuous to set the scene.

You might say:

I was living in a small apartment at the time.

I was driving home after work.

This isn't just useful when you're telling long stories; you can use this any time you're

giving a slightly longer answer about the past, for example in a job interview or an

IELTS exam.

However, if you do want to tell a longer story, there are some other things you'll need

to know.

Did I tell you about my driving test?

No, what happened?

I passed!

You know, I took it last week, and I hadn't taken any lessons.

Not one!

No way!

But, you must have practiced at least?

No!

I had only driven a car twice in my life How on earth did you pass?

It was rush hour.

We drove out of the test centre, and then we sat in a traffic jam.

All of the streets were totally stuck.

I made three left turns, and finally we arrived back at the test centre.

I just drove around the block once!

And that counts as a pass?

Hey, I didn't make any mistakes.

So what happened next?

Did you drive home?

Well…

What happened?

I tried, and I had a very small accident.

I mean, I don't think it even counts as an accident.

Maybe you should take some driving lessons.

Very funny.

When you start a story, you usually say when these things took place.

You'll say something like:

Last week…

This happened two years ago, in summer.

So, yesterday, I was walking down the street…

This time reference ‘fixes' the time when your story starts.

What does this mean?

Well, think about the story you heard in the dialogue.

The time reference was ‘last week'.

During the story, I talked about things that happened before the start of the story, even

further in the past.

I also talked about things that happened in the story, meaning they happened after the

start of the story.

Do you know how to talk about these two different ideas?

Do you remember from the dialogue?

To talk about things that happened before the start of the story, use the past perfect:

had done.

For example:

I hadn't taken any driving lessons.

I had only driven a car twice in my life.

The story was about taking a driving test.

You need to use the past perfect to talk about things that had happened before the start

of the story.

Let's see another example:

When I was 25, I quit my job and decided to train as a pilot.

I had always wanted to learn to fly.

Here, you have a time reference which ‘fixes' the start of the story

Then, you use the past perfect to talk about things which happened before that time, further

in the past.

If you're talking about the events of your story, just use the past simple, like this:

We drove out of the test centre.

We sat in a traffic jam for ages.

I had a small accident on the way home.

Using these verb tenses, you can make it clear when things happened in the past, and whether

something happened before or after something else.

Do you have a funny story you'd like to share?

Let us know in the comments!

Let's look at one more topic.

Do you speak any other languages?

Not really.

I used to speak Spanish, but I haven't used it for years.

I wish I'd started learning other languages when I was younger.

It's so much easier if you start earlier.

Yeah, I know what you mean.

If only I'd kept my Spanish going…

Why don't you pick it up again?

It'd come back.

Maybe…

You know what, though?

I wish I'd spent some time in Latin America when I had the chance.

I could have lived there for a year or two, and my Spanish would have got really good.

Well, you could still do it, right?

In the dialogue, you saw three different forms you can use to talk about regrets in the past.

Do you remember them?

First, you can use wish plus the past perfect to talk about something you regret.

For example:

I wish I'd learned other languages when I was younger.

I wish I hadn't said that.

Remember that here you're talking about the opposite of what really happened.

If you say I wish I hadn't said that, you did say something in reality, and now you

regret it.

You can also use if only plus the past perfect, like this:

If only I'd kept my Spanish going.

If only I hadn't wasted so much time.

The meaning is very similar to wish: you did something, or didn't do something, in the

past, and now you regret it.

Finally, you can sometimes use could have to express regrets in the past, often as part

of a longer if-sentence.

For example:

I could have tried harder.

If I hadn't left things to the last minute, I could have passed easily.

Let's do one more practice.

Think of three regrets that you have.

Make three sentences using the language from this section.

Try to use all three forms: wish, if only and could have.

Pause the video, and make your sentences now!

You can say them aloud, or write them down.

Done?

Great!

Now, you've learned many different ways to talk about the past in English.

Which English past form do you find the most difficult to use?

Let us know in the comments, and maybe you'll get some useful tips!

Remember to check out our website to see more free English lessons: Oxford Online English

dot com.

Thanks for watching!

See you next time!

Learn languages from TV shows, movies, news, articles and more! Try LingQ for FREE

How to Talk About the Past in English Wie man auf Englisch über die Vergangenheit spricht How to Talk About the Past in English Cómo hablar del pasado en inglés Comment parler du passé en anglais Come parlare del passato in inglese 英語で過去を語るには 영어로 과거에 대해 이야기하는 방법 Praten over het verleden in het Engels Jak mówić o przeszłości po angielsku Como falar sobre o passado em inglês Как говорить о прошлом на английском языке İngilizce'de Geçmiş Hakkında Nasıl Konuşulur? Як говорити про минуле англійською мовою 如何用英语谈论过去 如何用英語談論過去

Hi, I'm Martin. ||Привет, я Мартин.

Welcome to Oxford Online English!

In this lesson, you can learn how to talk about the past in English. |||||||||||минулий час|| |esta||||||||||||

Talking about the past includes many things. |à propos de||||| ||||||cosas Розмови||||||

Do you want to talk about interesting experiences you've had, tell a funny story, or talk

about something you regret in the past? |||wish undone||| |||arrependimento||| |algo||||| über etwas, das Sie in der Vergangenheit bereut haben?

In this lesson, you'll see the words, phrases and structures you need to talk about the In dieser Lektion lernen Sie die Wörter, Sätze und Strukturen kennen, die Sie brauchen, um über die

past in clear, fluent English. Vergangenheit in klarem, fließendem Englisch.

Let's start by seeing how you can talk about your experiences in the past. |||||||konuşmak|||||| Давайте||||||||||||| Beginnen wir damit, wie Sie über Ihre Erfahrungen in der Vergangenheit sprechen können.

Have you ever been bungee jumping? ||||saut à l'élastique| ||||bungee jumping|bungee jumping ||||salto de bungee| ||||bungee jumping yaptın mı| Чи були|ти|||банджі-джампінг| ||||puenting| Haben Sie schon einmal Bungee-Jumping gemacht?

No, I haven't. Nein, das habe ich nicht.

I've been skydiving, though. ||jumping from planes| ||paracaidismo|aunque ||paraquedismo|embora ||стрибав з парашутом| Ich bin aber schon Fallschirm gesprungen.

What about you? Was ist mit Ihnen?

Have you ever done any extreme sports like that? |||||adventurous||| ||||||||eso Haben Sie schon einmal eine solche Extremsportart betrieben? Já praticou algum desporto radical como esse?

Does windsurfing count? |the sport| |windsurfing| |windsurfing| Zählt Windsurfen?

I've tried windsurfing, although that was a long time ago. ||||||||uzun zaman önce| |||embora|||||| ||windsurfing||||||| Ich habe Windsurfen ausprobiert, aber das ist schon lange her.

I think windsurfing definitely counts! ||||is valid ||Bence rüzgar sörfü kesinlikle sayılır!|| ||||враховується |creo||| Ich denke, Windsurfen zählt auf jeden Fall!

I've seen people doing it and they were going at crazy speeds. ||||||вони||||| Ich habe Leute gesehen, die das gemacht haben, und sie fuhren mit verrückter Geschwindigkeit.

I've never done anything like that myself. |||nada||| Ich selbst habe so etwas noch nie gemacht.

Skydiving sounds very extreme to me. Стрибки з парашутом||||| Fallschirmspringen klingt für mich sehr extrem.

Where did you do it? Wo haben Sie das getan?

It was in Spain. |||the country Es war in Spanien.

I did a tandem jump. |||with an instructor| |||salto duplo| Ich habe einen Tandemsprung gemacht. Fiz um salto em tandem.

It was fun, but I'm not sure I'd do it again. Es hat Spaß gemacht, aber ich bin mir nicht sicher, ob ich es wieder tun würde.

You probably know already that English has different past verb forms to talk about the Sie wissen wahrscheinlich schon, dass es im Englischen verschiedene Vergangenheitsformen gibt, um über die

past in different ways. Vergangenheit auf unterschiedliche Art und Weise.

However, you often need a present verb form to talk about the past. Um über die Vergangenheit zu sprechen, braucht man jedoch oft eine Verbform im Präsens. Однак вам часто потрібна теперішня форма дієслова, щоб говорити про минуле.

You saw an example in the dialogue you just heard. Sie haben in dem Dialog, den Sie gerade gehört haben, ein Beispiel gesehen. Ви побачили приклад у діалозі, що ви тільки що почули.

Use the present perfect to talk or ask about experiences in the past, but only if you don't Використовуйте||||||||||||||||| Verwenden Sie das Präsens im Perfekt, wenn Sie über Erfahrungen in der Vergangenheit sprechen oder danach fragen, aber nur, wenn Sie nicht Використовуйте Present Perfect, щоб розмовляти або запитувати про досвід у минулому, але тільки якщо ви не

say a time! sagen Sie eine Zeit! скажи час!

For example: Наприклад:

I've tried windsurfing. Ich habe Windsurfen ausprobiert. Я пробував віндсерфінг.

I've never been bungee jumping. Ich habe noch nie Bungee-Jumping gemacht.

Have you ever been skydiving? Waren Sie schon einmal Fallschirmspringen?

Of course, you can change these to talk about different things, like this: Sie können diese natürlich ändern, um über andere Dinge zu sprechen, etwa so:

I've read ‘The Idiot'. |||novel by Dostoe Ich habe "Der Idiot" gelesen.

I've never drunk whisky. |||whisky Ich habe noch nie Whisky getrunken.

Have you ever grown your own vegetables? |||cultivado||| ||коли-небудь|||| Haben Sie schon einmal Ihr eigenes Gemüse angebaut? Чи ви коли-небудь вирощували своє овочі?

However, as soon as you mention a time, you need to switch to a past tense. |||||||||||mudar para||||verbo Sobald Sie jedoch einen Zeitpunkt nennen, müssen Sie zur Vergangenheitsform wechseln. Однак, як тільки ви згадаєте про час, вам потрібно переключитися на минулий час.

For example: Zum Beispiel: Наприклад:

I went windsurfing three years ago. Vor drei Jahren habe ich mit dem Windsurfen begonnen. Я почав віндсерфінг три роки тому.

I didn't drink a lot last year. Ich habe letztes Jahr nicht viel getrunken.

Did you eat a lot of sushi when you were in Japan? Haben Sie viel Sushi gegessen, als Sie in Japan waren?

For this reason, when you're talking about life experiences, you often start with the Deshalb beginnt man, wenn man über Lebenserfahrungen spricht, oft mit der Тому, коли ви говорите про життєві досвіди, ви часто починаєте з

present perfect, and then switch to the past tense when you mention a specific time. давньої давності, а потім перейдіть до минулого часу, коли згадуєте конкретний час.

For example, someone might ask you, Have you ever been to Australia? Jemand könnte Sie zum Beispiel fragen: "Waren Sie schon einmal in Australien? Наприклад, хтось може запитати вас: Ви коли-небудь були в Австралії?

You might answer, Yes, I went there two years ago, for my friend's wedding. Sie könnten antworten: Ja, ich war vor zwei Jahren dort, zur Hochzeit meines Freundes. Ви можете відповісти: Так, я їздив туди два роки тому, на весілля мого друга.

The question is present perfect, because it's asking about experiences without mentioning ||||||||||sin| Die Frage steht im Präsens, denn sie fragt nach Erfahrungen, ohne zu erwähnen

a time.

The answer mentions a time—two years ago—and so you need the past simple. In der Antwort wird eine Zeit genannt - vor zwei Jahren - und deshalb brauchen Sie das past simple.

Next, let's see how you can talk about differences between the past and the present. Als Nächstes wollen wir sehen, wie man über Unterschiede zwischen der Vergangenheit und der Gegenwart sprechen kann. Далі давайте подивимося, як ви можете говорити про відмінності між минулим і сучасним.

Wow! Ого!

You used to have a beard? |||||barba Du hattest früher einen Bart? Ти колись мав бороду?

You look so different! Du siehst so anders aus! Ти виглядаєш так інакше!

Yeah! Ja! Так!

That was during my punk rock phase. |||||rock| ||||punk rock|| ||||панк|| Das war während meiner Punkrock-Phase. Це було під час моєї панк-рок фази.

Really? Wirklich?

Did you use to be in a band or something? Warst du früher in einer Band oder so? Voltál valamikor egy zenekarban vagy ilyesmi? Чи ви колись були у гурті або щось подібне?

Yes, but it wasn't anything big. Ja, aber es war nichts Besonderes. Igen, de ez nem volt valami nagy dolog. Так, але це було ніщо велике.

There were a few of us who were all mates, and we would play in pubs or small clubs. |||||||||amigos||||||||| |||||||||друзі||||||||| Einige von uns waren befreundet und wir spielten in Kneipen oder kleinen Clubs. Éramos alguns amigos e tocávamos em pubs ou pequenos clubes. Було кілька з нас, хто всі були друзями, і ми грали в пабах або невеликих клубах.

So, what were you? Und was waren Sie? Szóval, mi voltál? Отже, ким ти був?

Singer? Sängerin? Співак?

Guitar? musical instrument guitarra Gitár? Гітарист?

Drummer! Batteur ! musician on drums ¡Baterista baterista Барабанщик!

I used to play the drums. |||||percussion instrument |||||batería Ich habe früher Schlagzeug gespielt. Régebben doboltam. Я колись грав на барабанах.

And now? Und jetzt? А зараз?

You don't play any more? Du spielst nicht mehr? Ти вже не граєш?

No, I gave up. Nein, ich habe aufgegeben. Ні, я здаався.

In English, there are past structures which you can use to show a difference between the Im Englischen gibt es Vergangenheitsstrukturen, die Sie verwenden können, um einen Unterschied zwischen dem Az angol nyelvben vannak olyan múltbeli szerkezetek, amelyeket használhatsz arra, hogy megmutasd a különbséget a Англійська має минулі структури, які можна використовувати для відображення відмінності між

past and the present. минулим і теперішнім.

Can you remember any of these from the dialogue? ||||||||conversation Erinnern Sie sich an eines dieser Themen aus dem Dialog?

You can use used to to talk about something which was true in the past, but isn't true Sie können used to verwenden, um über etwas zu sprechen, das in der Vergangenheit wahr war, aber nicht mehr wahr ist A used to-t használhatod arra, hogy olyasmiről beszélj, ami a múltban igaz volt, de ma már nem igaz. Ви можете використовувати конструкцію used to, щоб говорити про щось, що було правдою в минулому, але не є правдою зараз.

now. jetzt.

For example: Zum Beispiel:

He used to have a beard. |||||barbe |||||facial hair Er trug früher einen Bart. Régebben szakálla volt.

--> He had a beard in the past, but he doesn't have one now. --> Er hatte früher einen Bart, aber jetzt hat er keinen mehr. --> Régebben szakálla volt, de most nincs.

I used to live in Berlin. |||||Berlín Ich habe früher in Berlin gelebt. Régebben Berlinben éltem.

--> I lived in Berlin in the past, but I don't live there now. |||||||||||allí| --> Ich habe früher in Berlin gelebt, aber jetzt lebe ich nicht mehr dort.

You can also use the negative form—didn't use to—to talk about things that weren't |||||||||||||cosas|| Sie können auch die Negativform verwenden - nicht verwenden -, um über Dinge zu sprechen, die nicht waren Ви також можете використовувати негативну форму - не вживали - щоб говорити про речі, які не були

true in the past, but are true now. правдою в минулому, але зараз вони правдиві.

For example: Наприклад:

They didn't use to get on so well. Früher haben sie sich nicht so gut verstanden. Régebben nem jöttek ki olyan jól egymással. Não costumavam dar-se muito bem. Вони раніше не дуже ладналися.

--> They didn't get on well in the past, but they do now. --> Früher kamen sie nicht gut miteinander aus, aber jetzt schon. --> Вони не влаштовувалися добре в минулому, але зараз вони ладять.

I didn't use to wear glasses. Ich habe früher keine Brille getragen. Nem szoktam szemüveget hordani. Я раніше не носив окуляри.

--> I wear glasses now, but I didn't in the past. --> Ich trage jetzt eine Brille, aber früher nicht. --> Most már hordok szemüveget, de régebben nem hordtam. --> Тепер я ношу окуляри, але раніше цього не робив.

You can also make questions: Sie können auch Fragen stellen: Також можна ставити запитання:

Did you use to play a musical instrument? Haben Sie früher ein Musikinstrument gespielt? Játszottál valamilyen hangszeren? Чи ти колись грав на музичному інструменті?

Didn't he use to work here? Hat er nicht früher hier gearbeitet? Nem itt dolgozott?

You can also use would to talk about actions or habits which you did in the past, but you ||||||||||customs|||||||| Sie können auch "would" verwenden, um über Handlungen oder Gewohnheiten zu sprechen, die Sie in der Vergangenheit getan haben, aber Sie Ви також можете використовувати would, щоб говорити про дії або звички, які ви робили у минулому, але вже не робите.

don't do now. jetzt nicht tun. ne tegye most. Наприклад:

For example: Наприклад:

When we got home, Mum would make us beans on toast and then we'd watch cartoons. ||||||||baked beans||on bread|||||animated shows |||||||||||||||dibujos animados Wenn wir nach Hause kamen, machte Mama uns Bohnen auf Toast und dann schauten wir Zeichentrickfilme. Amikor hazaértünk, anya babot csinált nekünk pirítóssal, aztán rajzfilmet néztünk. Коли ми приходили додому, мама готувала нам боби з тостом, і після цього ми дивилися мультфільми.

There was this bakery near the office where I would go every lunchtime to get a sandwich |||пекарня||||||||||||| In der Nähe des Büros gab es eine Bäckerei, in der ich mir mittags immer ein Sandwich holte. Біля офісу була пекарня, куди я ходив кожним обідом за сендвічем,

and chat to the other regulars. |||||habitués |||||frequent patrons |||||os habituais ||||otro|habituales |||||постійні відвідувачі und plaudern Sie mit den anderen Stammgästen. і розмовляв з іншими постійними відвідувачами.

Finally, you can also use a present verb plus any more. Schließlich können Sie auch ein Verb im Präsens plus any more verwenden. Нарешті, ви також можете використовувати теперішній час дієслова і ще раз.

This has a similar meaning to used to. esto||||||| Dies hat eine ähnliche Bedeutung wie used to. Це має схоже значення з використанням.

Let's look: Schauen wir mal: Подивимось:

She doesn't live here any more. Sie wohnt nicht mehr hier. Вона вже не живе тут.

--> She lived here in the past, but she doesn't live here now. --> Sie hat früher hier gelebt, aber sie wohnt jetzt nicht mehr hier. --> Вона жила тут в минулому, але вже не живе тут.

I don't have time to listen to music any more. Ich habe keine Zeit mehr, Musik zu hören. Я більше не маю часу слухати музику.

--> I had time in the past, but now I don't. --> Früher hatte ich Zeit, aber jetzt nicht mehr.

What about you? Was ist mit Ihnen?

How is your life different now? Wie hat sich Ihr Leben jetzt verändert?

Let's practice: pause the video and make three sentences about how your life is different |||||||tres||||||| Üben wir: Halten Sie das Video an und sagen Sie in drei Sätzen, was in Ihrem Leben anders ist

to the past. in die Vergangenheit.

Try to use all of the language from this section: used to, would and any more. Versuchen Sie, alle Begriffe aus diesem Abschnitt zu verwenden: used to, would und any more.

You can say your sentences out loud, or write them down. |||||||||las| Sie können Ihre Sätze laut aussprechen oder aufschreiben. Ви можете вимовляти свої речення вслух або записувати їх.

Pause the video and do it now! Призупиніть відео і зробіть це зараз!

In the next two sections, you're going to see useful language for telling a story. ||||||збираєтеся|||||||| In den nächsten beiden Abschnitten werden Sie nützliche Formulierungen für das Erzählen einer Geschichte kennenlernen. У наступних двох розділах ви побачите корисну лексику для розповіді історії.

Oh! Oh!

Have I told you what happened to us on our trip? |||||сталося||||| Habe ich Ihnen schon erzählt, was uns auf unserer Reise passiert ist? Чи розповідав я тобі, що сталося з нами під час поїздки?

No! Nein! Ні!

What happened? Was ist passiert? Що сталося?

It's a really crazy story. Es ist eine wirklich verrückte Geschichte.

So, we were sitting on the bus, ready to leave… ||estávamos||||||| Wir saßen also im Bus, bereit zur Abfahrt...

Where were you going? |||куди йшов Wo wolltest du hin? Куди ти йшов?

Sofia. Sofia. Sofia (name) Sofía Sofia. Софія.

Anyway, the weather was awful. ||el tiempo|| ||||terrible De qualquer forma|||| У будь-якому разі|||| Wie auch immer, das Wetter war schrecklich. В будь-якому випадку, погода була жахливою.

It was raining so hard you couldn't even see out of the window, and… Es regnete so stark, dass man nicht einmal aus dem Fenster sehen konnte, und...

Who were you travelling with? ||||con Mit wem waren Sie unterwegs?

With my wife.

We were planning to visit some old friends who… Wir hatten vor, einige alte Freunde zu besuchen, die...

Where was the bus leaving from? Von wo aus fuhr der Bus ab?

From Athens. |the city |Atenas

Look, can I tell my story, or not? Darf ich meine Geschichte erzählen, oder nicht?

Oh, sorry… Oh, Entschuldigung...

When you tell a story, you need to set the scene. ||||||||||context ||||||||sahneyi kurmak|| Коли||||||||||сцена Wenn Sie eine Geschichte erzählen, müssen Sie den Rahmen abstecken. Коли ви розповідаєте історію, вам потрібно створити атмосферу.

What does ‘set the scene' mean? ||||context| ||встановити||| Was bedeutet "in Szene setzen"? Що означає «створити атмосферу»?

It means you need to describe the background of the story. Das heißt, Sie müssen den Hintergrund der Geschichte beschreiben. Це означає, що вам потрібно описати фон історії.

What was happening at the start of the story? Was geschah zu Beginn der Geschichte?

Who was there, and what were the people in your story doing at the start? Wer war da, und was haben die Personen in Ihrer Geschichte zu Beginn gemacht?

To give background to a story, you use the past continuous. |надати||||||||| Um den Hintergrund einer Geschichte zu erzählen, verwendet man die kontinuierliche Vergangenheit. Щоб дати задній план для історії, використовуйте минулий тривалий час.

For example: Наприклад:

We were sitting on the bus, ready to leave. Wir saßen im Bus und waren bereit zur Abfahrt. Estávamos sentados no autocarro, prontos para partir. Ми сиділи в автобусі, готові виїхати.

It was raining so hard you couldn't even see out of the window. Es regnete so stark, dass man nicht einmal aus dem Fenster sehen konnte.

If you're telling a story from your own life, you'll often start with one or two |||||||||başlarsın|sık sık||||| ||||||||||||con||| Wenn Sie eine Geschichte aus Ihrem eigenen Leben erzählen, beginnen Sie oft mit ein oder zwei

sentences in the past continuous to set the scene. |||passado|||||cena

You might say: |podrías|

I was living in a small apartment at the time. |жив|||||||| Damals wohnte ich in einer kleinen Wohnung. У той час я жив у невеликій квартирі.

I was driving home after work. Ich war auf dem Heimweg nach der Arbeit. Я їхав додому після роботи.

This isn't just useful when you're telling long stories; you can use this any time you're Це|||||||||ти/ви|||||будь-коли| Dies ist nicht nur nützlich, wenn Sie lange Geschichten erzählen; Sie können dies immer dann verwenden, wenn Sie Це не лише корисно, коли ви розповідаєте довгі історії; ви можете це використовувати будь-коли

giving a slightly longer answer about the past, for example in a job interview or an ||somewhat||||||||||||| |||||||минуле|||||||| ||um pouco|||||||||||||

IELTS exam.

However, if you do want to tell a longer story, there are some other things you'll need ||||||||||там є|||||| Wenn Sie jedoch eine längere Geschichte erzählen wollen, benötigen Sie einige andere Dinge

to know. zu wissen.

Did I tell you about my driving test? Habe ich dir von meiner Fahrprüfung erzählt?

No, what happened? Nein, was ist passiert?

I passed! Ich habe bestanden!

You know, I took it last week, and I hadn't taken any lessons. |||||||||не брав||| Weißt du, ich habe sie letzte Woche gemacht, und ich hatte noch keinen Unterricht genommen.

Not one!

No way! Ні за що!|

But, you must have practiced at least? ||||trained|| ||||||принаймні Aber Sie müssen doch wenigstens geübt haben?

No!

I had only driven a car twice in my life How on earth did you pass? ||||||||||||tierra||| ||||||||||||як це|||здати іспит |||||||||vida|||como é que|||passar de carro Ich bin erst zweimal in meinem Leben Auto gefahren. Wie um alles in der Welt haben Sie bestanden?

It was rush hour. ||busy time| |||година пік Es war Hauptverkehrszeit.

We drove out of the test centre, and then we sat in a traffic jam. ||||||||entonces|||||| ||виїхали з||||центру тестування|||||||| Wir fuhren aus dem Testzentrum heraus und standen dann im Stau.

All of the streets were totally stuck. ||||||paradas Alle Straßen waren völlig verstopft.

I made three left turns, and finally we arrived back at the test centre. ||||||sonunda||||||| ||tres||||||||||| Ich bog dreimal links ab, und schließlich kamen wir wieder im Testzentrum an.

I just drove around the block once! ||проехал|||| ||||||один раз Ich bin nur einmal um den Block gefahren!

And that counts as a pass? |||||uma aprovação |||||І це зараховується? |eso||||

Hey, I didn't make any mistakes. Hey, ich habe keine Fehler gemacht.

So what happened next? Und was geschah dann?

Did you drive home? Bist du nach Hause gefahren?

Well… Na ja...

What happened? Was ist passiert?

I tried, and I had a very small accident. ||||||||mishap Ich habe es versucht, und ich hatte einen kleinen Unfall.

I mean, I don't think it even counts as an accident. Я|||не думаю||||||| Ich meine, ich glaube nicht, dass es überhaupt als Unfall zählt.

Maybe you should take some driving lessons. Можливо|||взяти||| Vielleicht solltest du ein paar Fahrstunden nehmen.

Very funny. Дуже смішно.| Sehr lustig.

When you start a story, you usually say when these things took place. ||||||||||||ocorrem ||||||||||||відбувалися |||||||||estas|cosas|| Wenn man eine Geschichte beginnt, sagt man normalerweise, wann diese Dinge stattgefunden haben.

You'll say something like: ||algo| Sie werden etwas sagen wie:

Last week…

This happened two years ago, in summer. esto|||||| Dies geschah vor zwei Jahren, im Sommer.

So, yesterday, I was walking down the street… Also, gestern ging ich die Straße entlang...

This time reference ‘fixes' the time when your story starts. |||fija|el||||| |||fixe|||||| ||point|indicates|||||| |||determina|||||| ||часова прив'язка|визначає|||||| Dieser Zeitbezug legt den Zeitpunkt fest, an dem Ihre Geschichte beginnt. Цей часовий посил на 'встановлює' час початку вашої історії.

What does this mean? Що це означає?

Well, think about the story you heard in the dialogue. |piensa|||||||| Nun, denken Sie an die Geschichte, die Sie im Dialog gehört haben. Добре, подумайте про історію, яку ви почули у діалозі.

The time reference was ‘last week'. ||посилання|||

During the story, I talked about things that happened before the start of the story, even Während der Geschichte habe ich über Dinge gesprochen, die vor dem Beginn der Geschichte passiert sind, sogar Під час розповіді я говорив про події, які сталися до початку історії, навіть

further in the past. más||| weiter in der Vergangenheit. ще в минулому.

I also talked about things that happened in the story, meaning they happened after the Ich habe auch über Dinge gesprochen, die in der Geschichte passiert sind, d. h. die nach der Також я говорив про події, які відбулися в самій історії, що означає, що вони відбулися після

start of the story.

Do you know how to talk about these two different ideas? ||||||||||ideas Wissen Sie, wie Sie über diese beiden unterschiedlichen Ideen sprechen können? Чи ви знаєте, як говорити про ці дві різні ідеї?

Do you remember from the dialogue? |||||conversation Ви пам'ятаєте з діалогу?

To talk about things that happened before the start of the story, use the past perfect: Um über Dinge zu sprechen, die vor dem Beginn der Geschichte passiert sind, verwenden Sie das Perfekt: Щоб говорити про події, які відбулися до початку історії, використовуйте парний час:

had done. getan hatte. зробив.

For example: Наприклад:

I hadn't taken any driving lessons. Ich hatte keine Fahrstunden genommen. Я не брав жодних уроків водіння.

I had only driven a car twice in my life. Ich hatte in meinem Leben erst zweimal ein Auto gefahren. Мені тільки двічі в житті вдалося керувати автомобілем.

The story was about taking a driving test. In der Geschichte ging es um eine Fahrprüfung. Історія йшла про складання водійського тесту.

You need to use the past perfect to talk about things that had happened before the start Sie müssen das Plusquamperfekt verwenden, um über Dinge zu sprechen, die vor dem Beginn der Handlung passiert sind. Ви повинні використовувати давній доконаний час, щоб говорити про події, які відбулися до початку

of the story.

Let's see another example:

When I was 25, I quit my job and decided to train as a pilot. ||||left|||||||||aircraft operator ||||звільнився з роботи||||||||| Als ich 25 war, kündigte ich meinen Job und beschloss, eine Ausbildung zum Piloten zu machen.

I had always wanted to learn to fly. Ich wollte schon immer fliegen lernen. Я завжди хотів навчитися літати.

Here, you have a time reference which ‘fixes' the start of the story |||||часова прив'язка||||||| Hier haben Sie einen Zeitbezug, der den Beginn der Geschichte "festlegt". Тут у вас є часова посилання, яке 'зафіксовує' початок історії

Then, you use the past perfect to talk about things which happened before that time, further Потім ви використовуєте минулий доконаний час, щоб говорити про речі, які відбулися до цього часу, далі

in the past.

If you're talking about the events of your story, just use the past simple, like this: |||||narrative occurrences||||||||||

We drove out of the test centre. Wir fuhren aus dem Testzentrum heraus.

We sat in a traffic jam for ages. |||||traffic congestion||a long time

I had a small accident on the way home. Auf dem Heimweg hatte ich einen kleinen Unfall.

Using these verb tenses, you can make it clear when things happened in the past, and whether |estos|||||||||||||||si Mit diesen Zeitformen können Sie deutlich machen, wann etwas in der Vergangenheit passiert ist und ob За допомогою цих часів дієслів, ви можете чітко показати, коли відбулись події в минулому, і чи

something happened before or after something else. etwas geschah vor oder nach etwas anderem. щось відбулося перед або після чогось іншого.

Do you have a funny story you'd like to share? Haben Sie eine lustige Geschichte, die Sie gerne erzählen möchten? У вас є смішна історія, яку ви хотіли б поділитися?

Let us know in the comments! Lassen Sie es uns in den Kommentaren wissen! Дайте нам знати у коментарях!

Let's look at one more topic. Lassen Sie uns ein weiteres Thema betrachten.

Do you speak any other languages? Sprechen Sie noch andere Sprachen?

Not really. Nicht wirklich.

I used to speak Spanish, but I haven't used it for years. ||||іспанською мовою|||||||роки Früher habe ich Spanisch gesprochen, aber ich habe es seit Jahren nicht mehr benutzt.

I wish I'd started learning other languages when I was younger. Ich wünschte, ich hätte mit dem Lernen anderer Sprachen begonnen, als ich jünger war. Я бажав би, щоб я почав вивчати інші мови, коли був молодшим.

It's so much easier if you start earlier. Es ist so viel einfacher, wenn man früher damit anfängt. Це набагато простіше, якщо починати раніше.

Yeah, I know what you mean. Так, я розумію, що ти маєш на увазі.

If only I'd kept my Spanish going… Wenn ich nur mein Spanisch behalten hätte... Якби я хоч трохи тримав свою іспанську…

Why don't you pick it up again? Warum heben Sie es nicht wieder auf? Чому б тобі не почати знову?

It'd come back. it would|| Es würde zurückkommen. Це б повернулося.

Maybe…

You know what, though? |||pues Aber wissen Sie was? Ne var biliyor musun? Та знаєш що?

I wish I'd spent some time in Latin America when I had the chance. |||||||Latin America|||||| Ich wünschte, ich hätte einige Zeit in Lateinamerika verbracht, als ich die Gelegenheit dazu hatte. Я бажаю, щоб я провів трохи часу в Латинській Америці, коли у мене була нагода.

I could have lived there for a year or two, and my Spanish would have got really good. Ich hätte dort ein oder zwei Jahre leben können, und mein Spanisch wäre wirklich gut geworden. Я міг би прожити там рік або два, і мій іспанський би став дуже хорошим.

Well, you could still do it, right? Sie können es doch trotzdem tun, oder?

In the dialogue, you saw three different forms you can use to talk about regrets in the past. ||||||||||||||past regrets||| ||||||||||||||regrets||| ||||||||||||||arrependimentos||| In dem Dialog haben Sie drei verschiedene Formen gesehen, die Sie verwenden können, um über Bedauern in der Vergangenheit zu sprechen.

Do you remember them? |||ellos Erinnern Sie sich an sie?

First, you can use wish plus the past perfect to talk about something you regret. ||||||||||||||wish ||||||||||||algo|| Erstens können Sie wish plus past perfect verwenden, um über etwas zu sprechen, das Sie bedauern.

For example:

I wish I'd learned other languages when I was younger. ||||otros||||| |gostaria|||||||| Ich wünschte, ich hätte andere Sprachen gelernt, als ich jünger war.

I wish I hadn't said that. Ich wünschte, ich hätte das nicht gesagt.

Remember that here you're talking about the opposite of what really happened. Denken Sie daran, dass Sie hier über das Gegenteil dessen sprechen, was wirklich passiert ist.

If you say I wish I hadn't said that, you did say something in reality, and now you Wenn Sie sagen: "Ich wünschte, ich hätte das nicht gesagt", haben Sie in Wirklichkeit etwas gesagt, und jetzt haben Sie

regret it.

You can also use if only plus the past perfect, like this:

If only I'd kept my Spanish going. Wenn ich nur mein Spanisch behalten hätte. Se ao menos tivesse continuado com o meu espanhol.

If only I hadn't wasted so much time. Hätte ich nur nicht so viel Zeit vergeudet.

The meaning is very similar to wish: you did something, or didn't do something, in the Die Bedeutung ist sehr ähnlich wie "wünschen": Sie haben etwas getan oder nicht getan, in der

past, and now you regret it.

Finally, you can sometimes use could have to express regrets in the past, often as part

of a longer if-sentence. eines längeren if-Satzes.

For example:

I could have tried harder. Ich hätte mich mehr anstrengen müssen.

If I hadn't left things to the last minute, I could have passed easily. Hätte ich nicht bis zur letzten Minute gewartet, hätte ich leicht bestehen können.

Let's do one more practice.

Think of three regrets that you have. Denken Sie an drei Dinge, die Sie bedauern.

Make three sentences using the language from this section. |tres||||||| Bilden Sie drei Sätze unter Verwendung der Sprache aus diesem Abschnitt.

Try to use all three forms: wish, if only and could have. Versuchen Sie, alle drei Formen zu verwenden: wünschte, wenn nur und könnte haben.

Pause the video, and make your sentences now!

You can say them aloud, or write them down. Sie können sie laut aussprechen oder aufschreiben.

Done? Erledigt?

Great!

Now, you've learned many different ways to talk about the past in English.

Which English past form do you find the most difficult to use? Welche englische Vergangenheitsform ist für Sie am schwierigsten zu verwenden?

Let us know in the comments, and maybe you'll get some useful tips!

Remember to check out our website to see more free English lessons: Oxford Online English

dot com. punto|

Thanks for watching! gracias||

See you next time!