Narrative Tenses

تانية بكالوريا English

الدرس ده عن إيه؟

Narrative tenses are the past tenses we use to tell a story: the past simple (main events), the past continuous (background and actions in progress) and the past perfect (an earlier past).

الدرس ده عن الأزمنة اللي بنحكي بيها قصة حصلت في الماضي. أي حكاية محتاجة 3 حاجات: الأحداث الأساسية (حصل إيه؟)، الخلفية (كان بيحصل إيه حوالينا؟)، وحاجة حصلت قبلها (كان حصل إيه قبل كده؟). لكل واحدة زمن.

في الكتاب الدرس ده في Unit 2: Leisure Time. الكتاب بيقول في أول الوحدة إنك هتستخدم the three narrative tenses، وبيشوفهم في القصة Not Exactly a Relaxing Day (رحلة العجل على النيل، صفحة 58-60)، وبعدين بتستخدمهم في كتابة diary entry (صفحة 62-63)، وبييجي سؤال عليهم في Consolidation Review A.

الفكرة ببساطة: القصة زي فيلم

Think of a story as a film. The past continuous is the scene in the background. The past simple is the action that moves the story forward. The past perfect is a flashback to something that happened earlier.

1) Past Simple: الأحداث الأساسية

Form: verb + -ed (regular) or the second form (irregular). Negative: didn't + base. Question: Did … + base? Use it for finished actions and for a sequence of events in the story.

بنستخدمه للأحداث اللي خلصت، خصوصًا لما تيجي ورا بعض بالترتيب: «صحيت، لبست، ركبت العجلة». ده العمود الفقري لأي قصة.

• We took short breaks, drank water and continued moving forward.3 أحداث ورا بعض بالترتيب ← past simple.
• My friend insisted that I join him.حدث واحد خلص.

2) Past Continuous: الخلفية واللي كان بيحصل

Form: was / were + verb-ing. Use it for (1) the background of a scene, (2) an action in progress when another action happened, (3) two actions happening at the same time (while).

بنستخدمه في 3 حالات:

1. وصف المشهد في أول القصة: The wind was blowing and people were walking by the river.
2. حدث طويل اتقطع بحدث قصير: I was cycling when my phone rang. (الطويل continuous، والقصير اللي قطعه past simple)
3. حدثين طوال في نفس الوقت بـ while: While I was struggling, my friend was cycling happily.

الكتاب في جدول الـ diary بيقول: في الـ turning point استخدم الـ Past Continuous علشان توصف اللي كان بيحصل حواليك في اللحظة دي.

3) Past Perfect: الماضي اللي قبل الماضي

Form: had + past participle (V3) for all subjects. Use it for an action that happened before another past action or a past time. Common words: by the time, before, after, already, just, never… before, when.

لو عندك حدثين في الماضي، والحدث الأول حصل قبل التاني، الأقدم ياخد had + V3، والأحدث ياخد past simple.

• When we finally stopped, I realised we had cycled much farther than I had expected.الأول: لفّينا مسافة كبيرة وكنت متوقع أقل. بعدين: وقفنا وأدركت. الأقدم had + V3.
• By the time we reached the river, the sun had already risen.by the time + past simple ← الجزء التاني past perfect. الشمس طلعت قبل ما نوصل.
• I had never felt so exhausted before.never … before = عمري ما حسيت كده قبل كده.

الكلمات الدالة

Time words help you choose the tense, but always check the meaning too.

أفعال شاذة لازم تحفظها

في المراجعة فيه سؤال على had already risen: لازم تعرف التصريف التالت صح. أشهر الأفعال في القصص:

أمثلة من موضوعات الوحدة

الأمثلة دي عن الهوايات، الرياضة، والخروج في الطبيعة، زي قصة رحلة العجل في الكتاب.

• I was scrolling through my phone when my coach called me.حدث طويل (كنت بقلّب) اتقطع بحدث قصير (اتصل).
• While the crowd was cheering, Malak was running the last lap.حدثين طوال في نفس الوقت ← while + past continuous.
• By the time the concert began, the musicians had attended five rehearsals.البروفات حصلت قبل الحفلة ← had attended.
• Ziad had never played the oud before he joined the music club.never … before ← past perfect، وبعدها حدث أحدث past simple.
• The air was still cool, and the road was quiet.وصف الخلفية بفعل was (حالة مش حدث). وصف مستمر ممكن كمان بالـ continuous.
• At one point, I seriously considered giving up.حدث في القصة ← past simple.
• My legs were aching and my breathing was uneven.وصف إحساس مستمر في اللحظة دي.
• After we had rested in the shade, we continued cycling.after + past perfect للأقدم، وبعده past simple.
• I didn't realise how tired I was until I sat down.past simple منفي ومثبت.
• When we got back, my mother had already cooked dinner.الأكل اتعمل قبل ما نرجع.

إزاي نستخدمهم في كتابة الـ Diary

A good diary entry mixes the three tenses: past continuous to set the scene, past simple for the main events, and past perfect to look back at what happened earlier.

الكتاب بيطلب diary entry من 150-180 كلمة، والـ checklist بتاعته فيها: narrative tenses، كلمات الدرس، simile (تشبيه بـ like / as)، contrast، صوتك الشخصي، وreflection (اللي اتعلمته). شوف النموذج ده (الأزمنة bold):

إزاي بييجي في الأسئلة؟

الأسئلة في الكتاب والمراجعات بتيجي بالأشكال دي. هنحل مثال لكل شكل:

1) Only one sentence in each group is grammatically correct. Choose the correct answer.

a. By the time the guests arrived, we had already decorate the hall.

b. By the time the guests arrived, we had already decorated the hall.

c. By the time the guests arrived, we have already decorated the hall.

d. By the time the guests arrived, we were already decorated the hall.

الإجابة: b. ليه؟ by the time + past simple ← had + V3 (decorated). (a) decorate مش V3. (c) have للحاضر. (d) were decorated معناها «احنا اتزيّنا»!

2) Complete with the correct form of the verb in brackets.

While Hany (practise) ______ the piano, the lights suddenly (go) ______ out.

الإجابة: was practising / went. ليه؟ while + حدث طويل ← past continuous، والحدث القصير اللي قطعه ← past simple.

3) Read and answer: Find a sentence that shows something happened before another past action.

When Laila reached the stadium, her team had already scored two goals. She was disappointed, but she cheered loudly until the end.

الإجابة: «her team had already scored two goals» ← الأهداف حصلت قبل ما توصل، والدليل had + V3 وكلمة already.

تدريب

A. Choose the correct answer from a, b, c or d.

1. 1. I ______ along the river when I saw an old friend. a. walked b. was walking c. had walked d. walk

   Show answer

   b. was walking — حدث طويل اتقطع بحدث قصير (saw).

2. 2. By the time we got to the cinema, the film ______. a. already started b. has already started c. had already started d. was already start

   Show answer

   c. had already started — by the time ← past perfect.

3. 3. While the musicians ______, the lights suddenly went out. a. played b. were playing c. had played d. play

   Show answer

   b. were playing — while + حدث طويل كان مستمر، والحدث القصير اللي قطعه (went out) past simple.

4. 4. Yesterday, Mazen ______ his first marathon. a. was running b. had run c. ran d. runs

   Show answer

   c. ran — yesterday + حدث كامل خلص ← past simple.

5. 5. She ______ never ______ a horse before she visited the farm. a. has / ridden b. had / ridden c. had / rode d. was / riding

   Show answer

   b. had / ridden — never … before + حدث في الماضي ← had + V3 (ride → rode → ridden).

6. 6. When I opened the window, it ______ heavily, so I quickly closed it again. a. rained b. had rained c. was raining d. rains

   Show answer

   c. was raining — المطر كان شغال لما فتحت الشباك (خلفية).

7. 7. After he ______ his homework, Ahmed went out to play football. a. had finished b. has finished c. was finishing d. finishes

   Show answer

   a. had finished — after + الحدث الأقدم ← had + V3.

8. 8. We ______ to the beach because the weather was terrible. a. didn't went b. weren't go c. didn't go d. hadn't went

   Show answer

   c. didn't go — didn't + base.

B. Only one sentence in each group is grammatically correct. Choose the correct answer.

1. 9. a. While I was painting, my little brother was watching me. b. While I painted, my little brother watching me. c. While I was paint, my little brother was watching me. d. While I painting, my little brother watched me.

   Show answer

   a — حدثين طوال في نفس الوقت، والاتنين was + ing.

2. 10. a. When we arrived, the match has finished. b. When we arrived, the match had finish. c. When we arrived, the match had finished. d. When we arrived, the match was finish.

   Show answer

   c — الماتش خلص قبل ما نوصل ← had + V3.

3. 11. a. They was training when the storm started. b. They were training when the storm started. c. They were training when the storm was start. d. They trained when the storm had starting.

   Show answer

   b — they ← were، والحدث القصير started (past simple).

4. 12. a. I had never swam in the sea before that summer. b. I had never swim in the sea before that summer. c. I had never swum in the sea before that summer. d. I have never swum in the sea before that summer.

   Show answer

   c — swim → swam → swum، و before that summer (ماضي) ← had.

C. Complete the story with the correct form of the verbs in brackets.

1. 13. Last Friday, my cousin and I (decide) ______ to climb a small hill near Fayoum.

   Show answer

   decided — حدث كامل في الماضي (Last Friday).

2. 14. When we started, the sun (shine) ______ and a light wind (blow) ______.

   Show answer

   was shining / was blowing — وصف الخلفية لما بدأنا.

3. 15. I (never / climb) ______ a hill before, so I was a bit nervous.

   Show answer

   had never climbed — never … before في قصة ماضية ← past perfect.

4. 16. Halfway up, while we (rest) ______ on a rock, my cousin (drop) ______ his water bottle.

   Show answer

   were resting / dropped — حدث طويل + حدث قصير قطعه.

5. 17. By the time we (reach) ______ the top, we (drink) ______ all our water.

   Show answer

   reached / had drunk — by the time + past simple، والحدث الأقدم had + V3 (drink → drank → drunk).

6. 18. We (sit) ______ down, (look) ______ at the view and (laugh) ______ at how tired we were.

   Show answer

   sat / looked / laughed — أحداث ورا بعض بالترتيب ← past simple.

D. Join, correct and write as asked.

1. 19. Join with 'when': Mariam was reading in the garden. Her phone rang.

   Show answer

   Mariam was reading in the garden when her phone rang. — الطويل continuous والقصير simple.

2. 20. Join with 'by the time': The guests arrived. We prepared the food before that.

   Show answer

   By the time the guests arrived, we had prepared the food. — التحضير حصل الأول.

3. 21. Find and correct the mistake: While I cycled home, I was seeing a beautiful sunset.

   Show answer

   While I was cycling home, I saw a beautiful sunset. — الطويل continuous، و see فعل مش بييجي continuous بمعنى «شاف».

4. 22. Find and correct the mistake: I realised that I left my keys at the gym.

   Show answer

   I realised that I had left my keys at the gym. — نسيان المفاتيح حصل قبل ما أدرك.

5. 23. Write the opening of a diary entry (2 sentences) using the past continuous to set the scene.

   Show answer

   مثال: Dear Diary, This afternoon the streets were busy and people were rushing home. I was waiting at the bus stop with my football boots in my bag. — وصف المشهد بالـ continuous.

6. 24. Write ONE sentence about a time you finished something difficult. Use the past perfect and the past simple.

   Show answer

   مثال: When I finally crossed the finish line, I had run five kilometres for the first time in my life. — الجري حصل قبل لحظة الوصول.