Past Time Conjunctions
Read about the use of past time conjunctions as, while, when, before, after, as soon as and by the time. These conjunctions help you to combine shorter sentences into longer ones and use past tense forms correctly. Pay attention to the comma use in the example sentences.
As, while, when
- a longer activity happening around a short event
As/While/When I was watching a horror movie, I heard a noise.
- two longer activities happening at the same time
As /While/When I was working, my brother was sitting on the beach.
When
- a short event in the middle of a longer activity
I was watching a horror movie when I heard a noise outside
- a short event immediately before another short event
When he crossed the finish line, everybody cheered.
Before, after
- before always goes with the second action in the sequence
Before we left, I filled up/had filled up with petrol.
I filled up/had filled up with petrol before we left.
- after always goes with the first action in the sequence
After I filled up/had filled up with petrol, we left.
We left after I filled up/had filled up with petrol.
As soon as (= immediately after)
As soon as he went/had gone outside, it started raining.
It started raining as soon as he went/had gone outside.
By the time (=before)
By the time the police arrived, the robbers had run away.
The robbers had run away by the time the police came
- a longer activity happening around a short event
As/While/When I was watching a horror movie, I heard a noise.
- two longer activities happening at the same time
As /While/When I was working, my brother was sitting on the beach.
When
- a short event in the middle of a longer activity
I was watching a horror movie when I heard a noise outside
- a short event immediately before another short event
When he crossed the finish line, everybody cheered.
Before, after
- before always goes with the second action in the sequence
Before we left, I filled up/had filled up with petrol.
I filled up/had filled up with petrol before we left.
- after always goes with the first action in the sequence
After I filled up/had filled up with petrol, we left.
We left after I filled up/had filled up with petrol.
As soon as (= immediately after)
As soon as he went/had gone outside, it started raining.
It started raining as soon as he went/had gone outside.
By the time (=before)
By the time the police arrived, the robbers had run away.
The robbers had run away by the time the police came
Exercise 8
Past Time Conjunctions
Quiz
Decide which answer A, B, C or D best fits each space.
- …Joe arrived at the cinema, the film had finished.
- While
- As soon as
- By the time
- As
- …we were sitting in a traffic jam, our plane was taking off.
- As soon as
- While
- After
- By the time
- …I phoned Sara, she said she had been ill.
- While
- Before
- When
- By the time
- She fell asleep … she was reading her book.
- as soon as
- before
- by the time
- while
- …I turned on the TV, the programme ended.
- While
- As soon as
- By the time
- Before
- Mechanics had checked the cars … the race started.
- before
- while
- as
- after
- The police searched us … we arrived.
- as
- by the time
- while
- before
- I felt so relieved … I found my missing purse.
- while
- before
- by the time
- after
Used resources:
Bell J., Gower R. 2008. Firs Certificate Expert. Pearson Longman
Prodromou, L. 1999. Grammar and Vocabulary for First Certificate Luke. Pearson Longman
Bell J., Gower R. 2008. Firs Certificate Expert. Pearson Longman
Prodromou, L. 1999. Grammar and Vocabulary for First Certificate Luke. Pearson Longman