When British people tell a story about yesterday or their childhood, they mix several past forms, and each one has a job. Learners often use only one, so their stories sound flat or confusing. Typical mistakes from direct translation are "I was hoovering when the doorbell was ringing", "When I was a child, I was going to the beach every summer", or "I am used to go there". In this episode: • Past simple: finished events • Past continuous: background and interruptions • Used to and would: past habits • Past perfect: one past event before another • Family memory story • Practice • Self-check questions with answers Key phrases from this episode: I burnt the toast. — this morning, finished We went to the park on Saturday. — a finished event She rang me last night. — rang is the past of ring The kids made a cake and then ate half of it. — one action after another Did you sleep well? — question with did I didn't hear the alarm. — negative with didn't I was hoovering when the doorbell rang. — the long action, then the short one It was raining, so we stayed in. — the scene What were you doing at eight? — in progress at that time We used to go to my nan's every Sunday. — a past habit I used to have long hair. — a past state There used to be a bakery on the corner. — not any more Did you use to walk to school? — the question form I didn't use to like vegetables. — the negative form Grandad would make us porridge. — he did it many times By the time I got there, they'd already left. — they left first I realised I'd forgotten my purse. — I forgot it before I realised Real British English: the complete spoken course for learners worldwide — modern British accent, everyday grammar, phrasal verbs, idioms, slang, he/she/it for things, and real conversations at home. Listen, repeat out loud, then take the 52-question quiz. Audio voiced with AI from an original script by Dr. Rashmi R Nair.