Past Tenses for Data Analysts: Describing Processes and Events
Warm-up & Discovery
“Think about yesterday at 10:00 PM. What were you doing?”
“What did you do immediately after you finished your lunch yesterday?”
“Why do we use two different tenses to describe the same day?”
Guessing Activity
Decide if the bolded part represents a Background Action – long action/process (Continuous) or a Specific Event – past fact (Simple).
“While I was analyzing the data, the software crashed.”
“I imported the file, and then I cleaned the headers.”
“The server was lagging while we were running the model.”
Past Simple (Completed Actions)
Note: In the negative and question forms, the main verb always remains in the base form because “did” handles the past tense.
| Subject | Positive (+) | Negative (-) | Question (?) |
| I | I cleaned the raw dataset. | I didn’t clean the dataset. | Did I clean the dataset? |
| You | You ran the SQL query. | You didn’t run the query. | Did you run the query? |
| He / She | She visualized the trends. | He didn’t visualize the trends. | Did she visualize the trends? |
| It | It forecasted the growth. | It didn’t forecast the growth. | Did it forecast the growth? |
| We | We aggregated the totals. | We didn’t aggregate the totals. | Did we aggregate the totals? |
| They | They built the model. | They didn’t build the model. | Did they build the model? |
Past Continuous (Ongoing/Background Actions)
Note: This tense uses “was” for singular subjects (I, He, She, It) and “were” for plural subjects (You, We, They).
| Subject | Positive (+) | Negative (-) | Question (?) |
| I | I was querying the database. | I wasn’t querying the database. | Was I querying the database? |
| You | You were filtering the data. | You weren’t filtering the data. | Were you filtering the data? |
| He / She | She was calculating the ROI. | He wasn’t calculating the ROI. | Was she calculating the ROI? |
| It | It was processing the inputs. | It wasn’t processing the inputs. | Was it processing the inputs? |
| We | We were building the dashboard. | We weren’t building the dashboard. | Were we building the dashboard? |
| They | They were segmenting users. | They weren’t segmenting users. | Were they segmenting users? |
The “Storytelling” Irregulars
These are the verbs you must memorize because they are the most common ways to describe errors, project progress, or meetings.
| Verb (Base) | Past Simple | Data Context Example |
| Do | Did | “I did the data cleaning yesterday.” |
| Go | Went | “The server went offline during the update.” |
| Run | Ran | “I ran the SQL query twice.” |
| Write | Wrote | “She wrote the script for the automation.” |
| Find | Found | “We found a redundancy in the dataset.” |
| Make | Made | “The team made a decision to change the model.” |
| Give | Gave | “He gave the presentation on Q3 trends.” |
| Hold | Held | “We held a meeting to discuss the latency.” |
| See | Saw | “I saw an error in the logs this morning.” |
| Build | Built | “We built the dashboard last week.” |
Quizlet practice – Irregular verbs for Data Analysts
The “Common” Regulars
These verbs are highly predictable, which is great for building confidence. Pay special attention to the -ed pronunciation (the /t/, /d/, and /ɪd/ endings).
Say id only after t & d as in tested, imported, documented, decided etc.
| Verb (Base) | Past Simple | Data Context Example |
| Analyze | Analyzed | “I analyzed the customer behavior metrics.” |
| Update | Updated | “We updated the Python libraries.” |
| Test | Tested | “The QA team tested the new feature.” |
| Deploy | Deployed | “They deployed the code to production.” |
| Log | Logged | “The system logged the user activity.” |
| Fix | Fixed | “I fixed the syntax error.” |
| Import | Imported | “I imported the CSV into Pandas.” |
| Export | Exported | “He exported the report to Excel.” |
| Check | Checked | “I checked the file integrity.” |
| Document | Documented | “We documented the migration process.” |
Quizlet practice – Regular verbs for Data Analysts
Practical Exercises
Task 1: Fill in the Gaps (15 Sentences)
While I _____ (analyze) the data, the system _____ (shut) down.
We _____ (not/work) on the project when the client _____ (call).
I _____ (find) a critical error while I _____ (test) the new feature.
He _____ (write) the report when he _____ (realize) the data was missing.
They _____ (deploy) the update while the users _____ (sleep).
I _____ (not/export) the file because the connection _____ (be) unstable.
While she _____ (document) the process, she _____ (make) a list of bugs.
We _____ (run) the SQL query when the server _____ (lose) power.
You _____ (fix) the bug while the team _____ (wait) for results.
I _____ (see) the error while I _____ (check) the logs.
While we _____ (build) the dashboard, we _____ (need) more RAM.
He _____ (give) the presentation while the manager _____ (take) notes.
I _____ (not/find) the mistake because I _____ (look) at the wrong file.
They _____ (hold) a meeting when the internet _____ (go) off.
You _____ (update) the library while I _____ (restart) the PC.
Task 2: Fill in the Gaps (15 Sentences)
Yesterday at 5 PM, I _____ (work) on my report.
I _____ (create) a new model last Monday.
We _____ (not/test) the application yesterday morning.
_____ (you/see) the warning in the console?
While the database _____ (sync), I _____ (drink) a coffee.
The team _____ (build) this tool in 2024.
My colleague _____ (find) a way to reduce latency.
We _____ (not/deploy) the code yesterday.
I _____ (write) a script last night.
_____ (she/analyze) the customer data yesterday?
While I _____ (debug), the computer _____ (crash).
They _____ (make) a huge mistake with the dataset.
We _____ (hold) the meeting at 9:00 AM.
I _____ (not/give) the final report yet.
The system _____ (log) every action while we _____ (work).
Task 3: Error Correction (15 Sentences)
Find the mistake and fix it.
I was fix the code yesterday.
Did you analyzed the report?
While I worked, the server was crash.
She didn’t writed the query.
We was running the test when it happened.
What did you was doing at 9 AM?
I see a bug in the logs last night.
The team were deploy the update.
Was you testing the API?
While I was check the data, I found an error.
They didn’t runned the script.
We was holding a meeting when he arrived.
I did made a mistake in the SQL.
He were writing the report.
I was go to the office yesterday.
Task 4: Error Correction (15 Sentences)
I did not imported the CSV correctly.
While the model trained, I was closing the laptop.
They was finding the redundant data.
Why did you was working so late?
I was start the project last week.
She didn’t checked the latency.
While we was debugging, the power failed.
Did you wrote the documentation?
The server was down, so we was stop the work.
I fix the error while you was talking.
We was exported the data to Excel.
He didn’t builded the model well.
What was you do when the system crashed?
I was gave the presentation yesterday.
While I was update the system, it freeze.
Task 5:The Tense Detective (Fill-in-the-Gaps)
Choose whether to use Past Simple or Past Continuous based on the context of the sentence.
1. The Weekend Balance
Anna: Morning, Dmytro! Did you do anything interesting over the weekend?
Dmytro: Not really. I __________ (troubleshoot) the server all Sunday because we __________ (have) a major outage.
Anna: Oh, that sounds stressful! I __________ (analyze) some user metrics when the system __________ (go) offline for me too.
2. The New Dashboard
Olga: Hey, have you seen the new sales dashboard?
Vasyl: Yes, I __________ (build) it last week. I __________ (find) some redundant files, so I removed them.
Olga: It looks great! I __________ (look) for trends yesterday and it __________ (make) my job much easier.
3. The SQL Struggle
Dmytro: Hi! How is your project going?
Olga: It’s okay, but I __________ (run) a complex SQL query for three hours yesterday.
Dmytro: That’s long. Did you get any results?
Olga: Finally, yes! I __________ (extract) the data, but then I __________ (see) that the file was corrupted.
4. The Deployment Issue
Vasyl: I noticed the report was delayed this morning.
Anna: Yeah, sorry. We __________ (deploy) the new code when we __________ (spot) a bottleneck.
Vasyl: No worries. I __________ (write) the documentation anyway.
5. Learning New Tools
Olga: I’m thinking about trying a new Python library. What are you working on?
Vasyl: I __________ (test) a new visualization tool all morning.
Olga: Sounds cool! Did you learn anything new?
The Small Talk Bridge (Analysis)
Instructions: Look at the dialogues again. Find the “Rapport/Small Talk” phrases and the “Work/Professional” phrases.
Answer Key Tasks 1 – 4
Task 1: Fill in the Gaps (The “Log”)
While I was analyzing the data, the system shut down.
We weren’t working on the project when the client called.
I found a critical error while I was testing the new feature.
He was writing the report when he realized the data was missing.
They were deploying the update while the users were sleeping.
I didn’t export the file because the connection was unstable.
While she was documenting the process, she made a list of bugs.
We were running the SQL query when the server lost power.
You fixed the bug while the team was waiting for results.
I saw the error while I was checking the logs.
While we were building the dashboard, we needed more RAM.
He was giving the presentation while the manager was taking notes.
I didn’t find the mistake because I was looking at the wrong file.
They were holding a meeting when the internet went off.
You were updating the library while I was restarting the PC.
Task 2: Fill in the Gaps (The “Review”)
Yesterday at 5 PM, I was working on my report.
I created a new model last Monday.
We didn’t test the application yesterday morning.
Did you see the warning in the console?
While the database was syncing, I drank a coffee.
The team built this tool in 2024.
My colleague found a way to reduce latency.
We didn’t deploy the code yesterday.
I wrote a script last night.
Did she analyze the customer data yesterday?
While I was debugging, the computer crashed.
They made a huge mistake with the dataset.
We held the meeting at 9:00 AM.
I didn’t give the final report yet.
The system logged every action while we were working.
Task 3: Error Correction
I fixed the code yesterday.
Did you analyze the report?
While I worked, the server crashed.
She didn’t write the query.
We were running the test when it happened.
What were you doing at 9 AM?
I saw a bug in the logs last night.
The team was deploying the update.
Were you testing the API?
While I was checking the data, I found an error.
They didn’t run the script.
We were holding a meeting when he arrived.
I made a mistake in the SQL.
He was writing the report.
I went to the office yesterday.
Task 4: Error Correction (Advanced)
I did not import the CSV correctly.
While the model was training, I closed the laptop.
They were finding the redundant data.
Why were you working so late?
I started the project last week.
She didn’t check the latency.
While we were debugging, the power failed.
Did you write the documentation?
The server was down, so we stopped the work.
I fixed the error while you were talking.
We exported the data to Excel.
He didn’t build the model well.
What were you doing when the system crashed?
I gave the presentation yesterday.
While I was updating the system, it froze.
DIALOGUES – READING PRACTICE
Dialogue 1: The Weekend Work-Life Balance
Context: Monday morning at the coffee machine.
Anna: Morning, Dmytro! Did you do anything interesting over the weekend?
Dmytro: Not really. I was troubleshooting the server all Sunday because we had a major outage. It was a nightmare.
Anna: Oh, that sounds stressful! I was analyzing some user metrics when the system went offline for me too.
Dmytro: Exactly! I was cleaning the data when it crashed. Hopefully, this week will be quieter.
Dialogue 2: The New Dashboard
Context: Waiting for a Zoom meeting to start.
Olga: Hey, have you seen the new sales dashboard?
Vasyl: Yes, I was building it last week. I found some redundant files, so I removed them.
Anna: It looks great! I was looking for some trends yesterday, and it made my job so much easier.
Vasyl: Thanks! I wrote the script for the automation on Friday.
Dialogue 3: The SQL Struggle
Context: Standing desk area.
Dmytro: Hi! How is your project going?
Olga: It’s okay, but I was running a complex SQL query for three hours yesterday.
Dmytro: That’s long. Did you get any results?
Olga: Finally, yes! I extracted the data, but then I saw that the file was corrupted. I had to start over.
Dialogue 4: The Deployment Issue
Context: Slack huddle or casual chat.
Vasyl: I noticed the report was delayed this morning.
Anna: Yeah, sorry about that. We were deploying the new code when we spotted a bottleneck in the process.
Vasyl: No worries. I was writing the documentation anyway, so the delay didn’t affect me.
Anna: Great. We fixed the issue and then exported the data.
Dialogue 5: Learning New Tools
Context: Lunch break.
Olga: I’m thinking about trying a new Python library. What are you working on?
Vasyl: I was testing a new visualization tool all morning.
Olga: Sounds cool! Did you learn anything new?
Vasyl: Yes, I learned how to segment the user base better. It’s much faster than Excel.