Past Simple:
To denote an action finished in the past
Examples,
- I read that novel last year.
- The blogger posted the article day before yesterday.
For past habits,
Examples,
- I visited Shimla every year.
- He ate many sweets every morning.
Past Continuous:
To indicate an action going on at some time in the past
Examples,
- Vikash was riding on his bike at that time.
- The children were making a noise in the hall.
Past Perfect:
To illustrate an action completed before a particular moment in the past or before another action took place.
Examples,
- I had not slept much in the running bus.
- I went to the railway station, but the train had already left the station.
Past Perfect Continuous:
To express an action which started before a particular point of time in the past and continued up to that time.
Examples,
- The wind had been blowing quickly for more than one hour before I shut all windows of my home.
- It had been raining cats and dogs for two hours at this time last Monday.
