Complete the Learn this! box with the tenses below. Then underline an example of each of the rules (a—d) in the text in exercise 2.

LEARN THIS! Past tenses

a. We use the (1) past simple for a sequence of events that happened one after another.

In 1989, my parents met, fell in love and got married.

b. We use the (2) past continuous to describe a scene in the past. The events were in progress at the same time.

It was raining and people were rushing home from work.

c. We use the (3) past simple for a single event that interrupted a longer event in the past. We use the (4) past continuous for the longer event.

My parents got engaged while they were living in Wales.

d. We use the (5) past perfect for an event that happened before another event in the past.

He had started a business before he left school.

In the text in exercise 2:

• Underline an example of (1) past simple: "Her parents ran a shop in the town and she worked there when she was a teenager."
• Underline an example of (2) past continuous: "While she was serving in the shop in 1888, she met Vincent van Gogh, who had come in to buy pencils."
• Underline an example of (3) past simple: "In 1896, at the age of 21, she married Fernand Calment and then gave birth to a daughter, Yvonne."
• Underline an example of (5) past perfect: "Jeanne never needed to work." (implies that she had enough wealth before she died)