RBSE Solutions Class 10 English Grammar Past Tense

Past Tense की पहचान है-था/ थी/थे या पुरानी बात। इस Tense में कार्य भूतकाल में हुआ था, हो रहा था/ हो चुका था या कुछ समय से होता रहा था अर्थात कार्य का कुछ भाग पूरा हो चुका था व शेष कार्य चल रहा था। इन्हीं बातों को ध्यान में रखते हुए Past Tense को चार भागों में बाँटा गया है।

Past Indefinite Tense जैसे-मैं फल खाता था या मैंने फल खाये। I ate fruits. इस Tense की पहचान है-ता था/ती थी/ते थे या पुरानी बात। इस Tense में Verb की IInd form काम में लेते हैं। जैसे- went, ate, saw आदि।

Past Continuous Tense जैसे-मैं फल खा रहा था। I was eating fruits. इस Tense की पहचान है-रहा था/रही थी/रहे थे। इस Tense में was/were + verb + ing काम में लेते हैं।

Past Perfect Tense जैसे-मैं फल खा चुका था। I had eaten fruits. इस Tense की पहचान है-चुका था/चुकी थी/चुके थे। इस Tense में had + verb की IIIrd form का प्रयोग किया जाता है।

यहाँ छात्र यह बात ध्यान देकर समझ लें कि Past Perfect Tense को प्रयोग तब भी होता है जब वाक्य में दो काम हो और वे साथ-साथ न होकर आगे-पीछे हों। इस Tense में दो काम होते हैं और वे before या after से जुड़े होते हैं। जैसे

The train had left before I reached the station. मेरे स्टेशन पहुँचने से पहले रेलगाड़ी जा चुकी थी।

The train left after I had reached the station. मेरे स्टेशन पहुँचने के बाद रेलगाड़ी रवाना हुई थी।

यहाँ दो बातें ध्यान से समझ लें कि

(i) Past Perfect Tense में before या after से जुड़े वाक्यों में एक जगह had + Verb की IIIrd form व दूसरी जगह Verb की IInd form आती है।

(ii) had + Verb की IIIrd form से पहले वह after के बाद आती है।

Past Perfect Continuous Tense जैसे-मैं तीन दिन से फल खा रहा था। I had been eating fruits for three days. इस Tense की पहचान है समय के बाद 'से' + रहा था/रही थी/रहे थे। इस Tense में had been + verb + ing + since या for + time आता है।

लीजिए अब हम Present Tense की forms का अध्ययन कर लें।

1. Past Indefinite Tense

(a) Past Indefinite Tense (Affirmative)

पहचानः (1) ता था/ती थी/ते थे। (2) पुरानी बात को ही Past Tense समझो।

नियमः (1) इसमें कोई helping verb नहीं आता।

(2) Verb की IInd form का प्रयोग करते हैं।

(3) Past Indefinite Tense में हिंदी में लिखते हैं खाया या खाता था लेकिन English में हमेशा verb की IInd form काम में आती है। जैसे- ate, worked, slept आदि।

(4) इस Tense में शब्द-क्रम (word-order) रहता है। Subject + Verb की IInd form + Object.

उदाहरण

(b) Past Indefinite Tense (Negative)

पहचानः नहीं + ........ ता था/ती थी/ते थे।

नियमः (1) इस Tense में did not + Verb की 1st form का प्रयोग करते हैं।

(2) इस Tense में शब्द-क्रम (word-order) रहता है। Subject + did not + Verb की 1st form + Object.

उदाहरण

1. I did not eat a guava. मैंने एक अमरूद नहीं खाया।

2. We did not eat a guava. हमने एक अमरूद नहीं खाया।

3. You did not eat a guava. तुमने एक अमरूद नहीं खाया।

4. He/She/It did not eat a guava. उसने एक अमरूद नहीं खाया।

5. They did not eat a guava. उन्होंने एक अमरूद नहीं खाया।

(c) Past Indefinite Tense (Interrogative)

पहचानः क्या + ता था/ती थी/ते थे + पुरानी बात?

नियमः (1) इसमें कोई helping verb – did का प्रयोग करते हैं।

(2) Verb की 1st form काम में आती है।

(3) इस Tense में शब्द-क्रम (word-order) रहता है। Did + Subject + Verb की 1st form + Object?

उदाहरण

1. Did I eat bananas? क्या मैंने केले खाये?

2. Did we eat bananas? क्या हमने केले खाये?

3. Did you eat bananas? क्या तुमने केले खाये?

4. Did he/she/it eat bananas? क्या उसने केले खाये?

5. Did they eat bananas? क्या उन्होंने केले खाये?

(d) Past Indefinite Tense (Interrogative Negative)

पहचानः क्या + नहीं + ता था/ ती थी/ते थे + पुरानी बात?

नियमः (1) इसमें कोई helping verb – did का प्रयोग करते हैं।

(2) इसे Tense में शब्द-क्रम (word-order) रहता है। Did + Subject + not + Verb की 1st form + Object?

उदाहरण

Exercise Solved

Question 1. Complete the sentences. Use one of these verbs in the simple past tense: enjoy, clean, die, open, finish, happen, rain, start, stay, want
1. It was hot in the room, so I _______ the window.
2. I _______ my teeth twice yesterday.
3. The shop _______ at 9 a.m. yesterday.
4. The match _______ at 6 in the evening.
5. I always _______ to be a doctor.
6. It is a nice day but yesterday it _______ all day.
Answer:
1. opened
2. cleaned
3. started
4. finished
5. wanted
6. rained
7. happened.
8. died
9. enjoyed
10. stayed
In simple words: To complete these sentences, choose the past tense form of the verbs given. This shows that the actions happened in the past.

🎯 Exam Tip: When using simple past tense, remember to use the second form of the verb. Regular verbs usually end in '-ed' and irregular verbs have unique past forms.

Question 2. Write the past simple/ past indefinite tense of the following verbs:
1. get
2. see
3. play
4. pay
5. visit
6. buy
7. go
8. think
9. copy
10. know
11. put
12. speak
Answer:
1. got
2. saw
3. played
4. paid
5. visited
6. bought
7. went
8. thought
9. copied
10. knew
11. put
12. spoke
In simple words: Change each verb into its simple past tense form, which describes actions that finished in the past. Remember that some verbs are irregular and do not follow the usual '-ed' pattern.

🎯 Exam Tip: Pay close attention to irregular verbs like 'get' (got) or 'see' (saw), as they do not simply add '-ed' to form their past tense.

2. Past Continuous Tense

(a) Past Continuous Tense (Affirmative)

पहचानः रहा था/रही थी/ रहे थे।

नियमः (1) इस Tense में शब्द-क्रम (word-order) रहता है। Subject + was/were + Verb + ing + Object.

(2) रहा/रही जब आते हैं, -ing को लाते हैं। be को संग बिठाते हैं, भाई be को संग बिठाते हैं। be की Past Tense form was/were.

उदाहरण

1. I was going to market. मैं बाज़ार जा रहा था।

2. We were going to market. हम बाज़ार जा रहे थे।

3. You were going to market. तुम बाज़ार जा रहे थे।

4. The girl was going to market. लड़की बाज़ार जा रही थी।

5. They were going to market. वे बाज़ार जा रहे थे।

(b) Past Continuous Tense (Negative)

पहचानः नहीं + रहा था/रही थी/ रहे थे।

नियमः (1) इस Tense में शब्द-क्रम (word-order) रहता है। Subject + was/were + not + Verb + ing + Object.

(2) As given in Past Continuous Tense (Affirmative).

उदाहरण

1. I was not flying a kite. मैं पतंग नहीं उड़ा रहा था।

2. We were not flying a kite. हम पतंग नहीं उड़ा रहे थे।

3. You were not flying a kite. तुम पतंग नहीं उड़ा रहे थे।

4. Kabir was not flying a kite. कबीर पतंग नहीं उड़ा रहा था।

5. They were not flying a kite. वे पतंग नहीं उड़ा रहे थे।

उदाहरण

1. Was I drinking milk? क्या मैं दूध पी रहा था?

2. Were we drinking milk? क्या हम दूध पी रहे थे?

3. Were you drinking milk? क्या तुम दूध पी रहे थे?

4. Was Kabir drinking milk? क्या कबीर दूध पी रहा था?

5. Were they drinking milk? क्यों वे दूध पी रहे थे?

(d) Past Continuous Tense (Interrogative Negative)

पहचानः क्या + नहीं + रहा था/रही थी/रहे थे।

नियमः (1) इस Tense में शब्द-क्रम (word-order) रहता है। Was/were + Subject + not + Verb + ing + Object?

(2) As given in Past Continuous Tense (Affirmative).

उदाहरण

1. Was I not playing foot-ball? क्या मैं फुटबॉल नहीं खेल रहा था?

2. Were we not playing foot-ball? क्या हम फुटबॉल नहीं खेल रहे थे?

3. Were you not playing foot-ball? क्या तुम फुटबॉल नहीं खेल रहे थे?

4. Was the porpoise not playing foot-ball? क्या पौरपोइस फुटबॉल नहीं खेल रही थी?

5. Were they not playing foot-ball? क्या वे फुटबॉल नहीं खेल रहे थे?

Exercise Solved

Question 1. Use the correct form of the verb given in the brackets:
1. We (watch) the shop windows when we met Vimal.
2. I (wait) outside the theatre when I saw Om.
3. When Vijay arrived, Soma (study).
4. When he saw Ramesh in the library, he (return) his books.
5. When I saw them at midnight, they (try) to find a taxi.
Answer:
1. We were watching the shop windows when we met Vimal.
2. I was waiting outside the theatre when I saw Om.
3. When Vijay arrived, Soma was studying.
4. When he saw Ramesh in the library, he was returning his books.
5. When I saw them at midnight, they were trying to find a taxi.
In simple words: These sentences describe actions that were ongoing in the past when another action happened. We use 'was/were' with the '-ing' form of the verb for the ongoing action.

🎯 Exam Tip: Remember to use 'was' for singular subjects (I, he, she, it) and 'were' for plural subjects (we, you, they) before the verb ending in '-ing'.

Question 2. Change the following sentences into negative:
1. Vishal was living in Kolkata in July last year.
2. Vimal was talking to Vijay at ten o'clock last night.
3. At four o'clock yesterday we were all drinking tea.
4. I was trying to get a taxi at ten o'clock last night.
5. It was raining in Chennai at five o'clock last evening.
Answer:
1. Vishal was not living in Kolkata in July last year.
2. Vimal was not talking to Vijay at ten o'clock last night.
3. At four o'clock yesterday we were not all drinking tea.
4. I was not trying to get a taxi at ten o'clock last night.
5. It was not raining in Chennai at five o'clock last evening.
In simple words: To make these past continuous sentences negative, just add 'not' after 'was' or 'were'. This shows that the action was not happening at that time in the past.

🎯 Exam Tip: Always place 'not' directly after the auxiliary verb ('was' or 'were') to form the negative in past continuous tense sentences.

Question 3. Change the following sentences into questions:
1. They were crying there.
2. He was playing cricket.
3. He was doing his homework.
4. Ruchi and Rubi were cooking in the kitchen.
5. We were going to the market.
Answer:
1. Were they crying there?
2. Was he playing cricket?
3. Was he doing his homework?
4. Were Ruchi and Rubi cooking in the kitchen?
5. Were we going to the market?
In simple words: To change these past continuous sentences into questions, move 'was' or 'were' to the beginning of the sentence, before the subject. This asks if the action was happening.

🎯 Exam Tip: When forming questions in past continuous tense, the auxiliary verb (was/were) always comes first, followed by the subject and then the main verb with '-ing'.

(3) Past Perfect Tense में had को IIIrd form के पहले लिखते हैं।

Important Point to Remember:

English के कुछ scholar-I had read को Past Perfect Tense मानते हैं। लेकिन अन्य विद्वानों के अनुसार Past Perfect Tense में दो कामों को होना आवश्यक है। दोनों काम एक वाक्य में Past Tense में होते हैं। किन्तु वे साथ-साथ नहीं होते, आगे-पीछे होते हैं। ऐसे वाक्य before या after से जुड़े होते हैं। ऐसे वाक्यों में एक जगह had + Verb की IIIrd form व दूसरी जगह Verb की IInd form आती हैं।

यदि वाक्य before से जुड़े हों तो had + Verb की IIIrd form -before के पहले आती है व Verb की IInd form, before के बाद आती है। यदि वाक्य after से जुड़े हों तो had + verb की IIIrd form, after के बाद आती है व Verb की IInd form, पहले आती है। जैसे

• I had reached the station before the train came.
• The train had left the station before I reached the station.

पहले वाक्य में, मैं स्टेशन पर पहले पहुँचा और रेलगाड़ी बाद में रवाना हुई।

दूसरे वाक्य में, रेलगाड़ी स्टेशन से पहले रवाना हो गई और मैं बाद में वहाँ पहुँचा।

उदाहरण

1. I had revised the lesson. मैं पाठ दोहरा चुका था।

2. We had revised the lesson. हम पाठ दोहरा चुके थे।

3. You had revised the lesson. तुम पाठ दोहरा चुके थे।

4. She had revised the lesson. वह पाठ दोहरा चुकी थी।

5. They had revised the lesson. वे पाठ दोहरा चुके थे।

(b) Past Perfect Tense (Negative)

पहचान नहीं + चुका था/ चुकी थी/चुके थे।

नियमः (1) इस Tense में शब्द-क्रम (word-order) रहता है। Subject + had + not + Verb की IIIrd form + Object.

(2) As given in Past Perfect Tense (Affirmative).

उदाहरण

1. I had not brought fruits. मैं फल नहीं ला चुका था।

2. We had not brought fruits. हम फल नहीं ला चुके थे।

पहचानः क्या + चुका था/चुकी थी/चुके थे।

नियमः (1) इस Tense में शब्द-क्रम (word-order) रहता है। Had + Subject + Verb की IIIrd form + Object?

(2) As given in Past Perfect Tense (Affirmative).

उदाहरण

1. Had I passed the examination? क्या मैं परीक्षा पास कर चुका था?

2. Had we passed the examination? क्या हम परीक्षा पास कर चुके थे?

3. Had you passed the examination? क्या तुम परीक्षा पास कर चुके थे?

4. Had Palak passed the examination? क्या पलक परीक्षा पास कर चुका थी?

5. Had They passed the examination? क्या वे परीक्षा पास कर चुके थे?

(d) Past Perfect Tense (Interrogative Negative)

पहचानः क्या + नहीं + चुका था। चुकी थी। चुके थे।

नियमः (1) इस Tense में शब्द-क्रम (Ord-order) रहता है। Had + Subject + Not + Verb की IIIrd form + Object?

(2) As given in Past Perfect Tense (Affirmative).

उदाहरण

1. Had I not begun my work? क्या मैं अपना कार्य प्रारंभ नहीं कर चुका था?

2. Had we not begun our work? क्या हम अपना कार्य प्रारंभ नहीं कर चुके थे?

3. Had you not begun your work? क्या तुम अपना कार्य प्रारंभ नहीं कर चुके थे?

4. Had the lion not begun his work? क्या शेर अपना कार्य प्रारंभ नहीं कर चुका था?

5. Had They not begun their work? क्या वे अपना कार्य प्रारंभ नहीं कर चुके थे?

Exercise Solved

Question 1. Use the correct form of the verb given in the brackets:
1. We (watch) the shop windows when we met Vimal.
2. I (wait) outside the theatre when I saw Om.
3. Did you think you (have seen, had seen, were seeing) me somewhere before?
4. I (have gone, had gone, have been going) to Mumbai once before.
5. They (have not read, were not reading, had not read) anything till night.
Answer:
1. We were watching the shop windows when we met Vimal.
2. I was waiting outside the theatre when I saw Om.
3. Did you think you had seen me somewhere before?
4. I had gone to Mumbai once before.
5. They had not read anything till night.
In simple words: This exercise uses both Past Continuous and Past Perfect tenses to show actions that were happening or completed before another past event. Understanding the sequence of events helps in choosing the correct verb form.

🎯 Exam Tip: Pay attention to keywords like 'when', 'before', and 'till night' as they often indicate the correct past tense to use (e.g., Past Perfect for actions completed before another past action, Past Continuous for ongoing actions interrupted by another). The first two sentences are from Past Continuous section, the rest are from Past Perfect section.

Question 2. Fill in the blanks with the correct form (Past Perfect Tense) of the verbs given in brackets.
1. The boys said that they _______ their work. (finish)
2. We _______ the ground before the match started. (reach)
3. He _______ on his clothes before the bell rang. (not put)
4. We _______ our lunch before my friend came. (eat)
5. The Principal was happy to find that the clerk _______ all letters. (type)
6. I _______ the book after I had read it. (close)
7. The patient _______ before his relatives reached. (die)
8. The teacher said that the boys _______ on a picnic. (go)
9. He _______ in this school for two years. before he left. (work)
10. After he _______ the flowers, he ran away. (pluck)
Answer:
1. had finished
2. had reached
3. had not put
4. had eaten
5. had typed
6. had closed
7. had died
8. had gone
9. had worked
10. had plucked
In simple words: For these sentences, use the Past Perfect Tense (had + past participle) to show that one action was completed before another action happened in the past. This clearly sets the order of events.

🎯 Exam Tip: The Past Perfect Tense is essential for showing which action happened first when you are talking about two past events. The action that happened earlier uses 'had' plus the verb's third form.

4. Past Perfect Continuous Tense

(a) Past Perfect Continuous Tense (Affirmative)

उदाहरण

1. I had been learning Geometry for ten days. मैं दस दिन से रेखागणित सीख रहा था।

2. We had been learning Geometry since 2 o'clock. हम दो बजे से रेखागणित सीख रहे थे।

3. You had been learning Geometry since Monday. तुम सोमवार से रेखागणित सीख रहे थे।

4. William had been learning Geometry since 1 July. विलियम 1 जुलाई से रेखागणित सीख रहा था।

5. They had been learning Geometry since 2005. वे 2005 से रेखागणित सीख रहे थे।

(c) Past Indefinite Tense (Interrogative)

पहचानः क्या + ता था/ती थी/ते थे + पुरानी बात?

नियमः (1) इसमें कोई helping verb – did का प्रयोग करते हैं।

(2) Verb की 1st form काम में आती है।

(3) इस Tense में शब्द-क्रम (word-order) रहता है। Did + Subject + Verb की 1st form + Object?

उदाहरण

1. Did I eat bananas? क्या मैंने केले खाये?

2. Did we eat bananas? क्या हमने केले खाये?

3. Did you eat bananas? क्या तुमने केले खाये?

4. Did he/she/it eat bananas? क्या उसने केले खाये?

5. Did they eat bananas? क्या उन्होंने केले खाये?

(d) Past Indefinite Tense (Interrogative Negative)

पहचानः क्या + नहीं + ता था/ ती थी/ते थे + पुरानी बात?

नियमः (1) इसमें कोई helping verb – did का प्रयोग करते हैं।

(2) इसे Tense में शब्द-क्रम (word-order) रहता है। Did + Subject + not + Verb की 1st form + Object?

उदाहरण

1. Was I not playing foot-ball? क्या मैं फुटबॉल नहीं खेल रहा था?

2. Were we not playing foot-ball? क्या हम फुटबॉल नहीं खेल रहे थे?

3. Were you not playing foot-ball? क्या तुम फुटबॉल नहीं खेल रहे थे?

4. Was the porpoise not playing foot-ball? क्या पौरपोइस फुटबॉल नहीं खेल रही थी?

5. Were they not playing foot-ball? क्या वे फुटबॉल नहीं खेल रहे थे?

Exercise Solved

Question 1. Use the correct form of the verb given in the brackets:
1. We (watch) the shop windows when we met Vimal.
2. I (wait) outside the theatre when I saw Om.
3. When Vijay arrived, Soma (study).
4. When he saw Ramesh in the library, he (return) his books.
5. When I saw them at midnight, they (try) to find a taxi.
6. That woman had not stepped out of the house till the day before yesterday.
7. I had already revised this lesson.
8. I had never seen such a terrible snake before.
9. Indirect Speech in Direct Speech के Present Perfect Tense और Past Indefinite Tense को Past Pefect में बदल दिया जाता है, यदि Reporting Verb Past Tense में हो। Direct Speech : Ram said, "I have finished my work." Indirect Speech: Ram said that he had finished his work." Direct Speech : He said, "I shot a bird yesterday." Indirect Speech: He said that he had shot a bird the previous day."
Answer:
1. We were watching the shop windows when we met Vimal.
2. I was waiting outside the theatre when I saw Om.
3. When Vijay arrived, Soma was studying.
4. When he saw Ramesh in the library, he had returned his books.
5. When I saw them at midnight, they were trying to find a taxi.
6. That woman had not stepped out of the house till the day before yesterday.
7. I had already revised this lesson.
8. I had never seen such a terrible snake before.
9. Indirect Speech: Ram said that he had finished his work.
10. Indirect Speech: He said that he had shot a bird the previous day.
In simple words: To correctly use the past tense, match the action's duration and sequence. For ongoing past actions, use past continuous. For completed actions before another past event, use past perfect.

🎯 Exam Tip: Pay close attention to time markers like "when," "while," "before," and "after" as they help determine the correct past tense form.

Question 2. Fill in the blanks with the correct form (Past Perfect Tense) of the verbs given in brackets.
1. The boys said that they ________ their work. (finish)
2. We ________ the ground before the match started. (reach)
3. He ________ on his clothes before the bell rang. (not put)
4. We ________ our lunch before my friend came. (eat)
5. The Principal was happy to find that the clerk ________ all letters. (type)
6. I ________ the book after I had read it. (close)
7. The patient ________ before his relatives reached. (die)
8. The teacher said that the boys ________ on a picnic. (go)
9. He ________ in this school for two years before he left. (work)
10. After he ________ the flowers, he ran away. (pluck)
Answer:
1. The boys said that they had finished their work.
2. We had reached the ground before the match started.
3. He had not put on his clothes before the bell rang.
4. We had eaten our lunch before my friend came.
5. The Principal was happy to find that the clerk had typed all letters.
6. I had closed the book after I had read it.
7. The patient had died before his relatives reached.
8. The teacher said that the boys had gone on a picnic.
9. He had worked in this school for two years before he left.
10. After he had plucked the flowers, he ran away.
In simple words: When filling in blanks for Past Perfect Tense, always use 'had' followed by the third form of the verb. This tense shows an action that was completed before another event in the past.

🎯 Exam Tip: Remember to use the 'had + past participle' structure for all verbs in the Past Perfect Tense, regardless of the subject.

Question 3. Did you think you ________ me somewhere before? (have seen, had seen, were seeing.)
Answer: (3) had seen
In simple words: The sentence talks about seeing someone earlier than the act of thinking, so we use "had seen" to show an action completed before another past action.

🎯 Exam Tip: Use "had seen" when referring to an action that happened before another past event, indicating a past perfect tense.

Question 4. I ________ to Mumbai once before. (have gone, had gone, have been going)
Answer: (4) had gone
In simple words: "Had gone" is correct because it shows an action of going to Mumbai that was completed before some implied past event.

🎯 Exam Tip: "Had gone" is the correct past perfect form for an action completed before a specific past point or event.

Question 5. They ________ anything till night. (have not read, were not reading, had not read)
Answer: (5) had not read
In simple words: "Had not read" shows that the action of reading was not completed before a specific point in the past (till night), making it a past perfect negative.

🎯 Exam Tip: For actions not completed before a past deadline, use "had not" followed by the past participle.

Question 6. ________ he been studying for examination for four days? (had, have)
Answer: (6) Had
In simple words: "Had" is used here to form the Past Perfect Continuous Interrogative tense, asking if an action was ongoing for a period up to a certain point in the past.

🎯 Exam Tip: Always use "had" as the auxiliary verb at the beginning of an interrogative sentence in the Past Perfect Continuous Tense.

Question 7. Where had he been ________ for so many days? (lived, live, living)
Answer: (7) living
In simple words: "Living" is the correct present participle form needed to complete the Past Perfect Continuous interrogative structure. This form indicates a continuous action in the past.

🎯 Exam Tip: Remember that in Past Perfect Continuous Tense, the main verb always ends in "-ing" (present participle form).