<p>I really dont understand the difference between the past and past participle. Isnt the past participle, just the past? The definition in my book says past participle is putting -ed behind the end of the verb to create the past term.... isn't that just the past. help please</p>
<p>“They were” would be past, as opposed to “They had been.” “Been” is the past participle of the verb “To be.” Basically, you use the past participle when you use the word “had” before it. In english, it doesn’t do much more than sound formal as compared to normal chatter excluding it.</p>
<p>To Lie -> They lay (past) –> They had lain (past participle)
To Swim -> They swam (past) –> They had swum (past participle)</p>
<p>Get it? I don’t think there is a very distinguishable usuage between the two in which it would be better to use one case over the other, other than formality.</p>
<p>There are usage differences between the tenses. One is not more formal than the other.</p>
<p>See [Simple</a> Past and Past Perfect](<a href=“http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/simpas-pasper]Simple”>Simple Past and Past Perfect - English Grammar) for help with conjugation and usage.</p>