Simple Past
Explanation
Learn to describe completed actions and past events using regular & irregular verbs
The Simple Past tense is used for:
Completed actions in the past: This is the most common use. You use the simple past to describe single actions that started and ended at a specific point in the past.
Series of completed actions in the past: When you're telling a story or describing a sequence of events, you use the simple past for each action that happened one after another.
Past habits or routines: Similar to "used to," the simple past can describe actions that happened regularly in the past but don't happen anymore. You often use adverbs of frequency (e.g., often, sometimes, always) with this use.
Past states or conditions: The simple past is used to talk about how things were or how someone felt in the past. This often involves the verb to be.
With definite past time expressions: The simple past is frequently used with adverbs or phrases that specify when something happened in the past.
Simple Past Affirmative
Subject + Verb In The Past + the rest of the sentence.
In the Past Tense, the conjugation of the verb does not depend on the subject.
There are 2 kinds of verbs: Regulars - Irregulars.
Regulars: Add "-ed" at the end of the verbs to conjugate them in the past form.
E.g. Cook > Cooked.
If the verb ends in "-y", we change it for "-i + ed", except in those Verbs with a Vowel before the "-y". E.g. Study > Studied.
If the verb ends in "-e", we just add "-d" at the end of it. E.g. Smile > Smiled.
Irregulars: Change form and they appear in the 2° column of the Irregular Verbs list. IRREGULAR VERBS
Examples:
I walked to the park yesterday.
She finished her homework an hour ago.
They visited their grandparents last weekend.
He played soccer with his friends.
The bird flew away quickly.
Simple Past Negative
Subject + Did Not + Infinitive Verb + the rest of the sentence.
In the Negative form, it is written the auxiliary "Did not (Didn't)" before the Verb and it is written in Infinitive instead of being conjugated.
Examples:
I didn't watch TV last night.
She didn't go to the party.
They didn't like the movie.
He didn't finish his dinner.
We didn't see anything unusual.
Simple Past Interrogative
Did + Subject + infinitive verb + the rest of the sentence...?
In the interrogative, it is used the auxiliary "Did" before the subject of the sentence. The verb is not conjugated, it is written in infinitive.
Examples:
Did you call me yesterday?
Did she finish her project?
Did they travel to Paris last year?
Did he eat all the pizza?
Did we see that show already?
Quiz to Practice
Let's test your Simple Past skills! This tense helps us describe events that are done. You got this!
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