Past Simple (simple past) is one of the most common tenses in the English language. By using Past Simple we can convey events that happened in the past, and in some cases, events in the present. Therefore, at any level of English proficiency, you will learn something new about Past Simple.
How is the past simple formed?
Statement
In order to form Past Simple, we add an ending to the verb -ed, if the verb is correct ( work – worked, learn – learned, ask – asked). If the verb is irregular, then we look for the form for Past Simple in the second column. Most likely, at first it will be difficult for you to immediately determine which verb is in front of you. You will find the irregular verb in the table. If it's not there, it's correct.
- In the article "" you will learn about a method that will help you quickly and easily remember not regular verbs.
Negation
In a negative sentence in Past Simple auxiliary verb appears did(second form of irregular verb do) and particle not. IN English sentence only one verb can be in the past tense, so as soon as it appears did, the main verb takes the form of the infinitive without a particle to (go, look, feel).
In colloquial speech did And not combine to form a shortened form didn't:
- He didn't tell.
- We didn't discuss.
Question
To ask a question in Past Simple, we put it first did, followed by the subject, then the main verb.
The verb to be in the Past Simple
As you already know from the article “”, to be is an irregular verb, so you need to remember the past tense form. But in the past tense it does not have one form, like all other verbs, but two: was(for nouns and pronouns in singular) And were(for plural nouns and pronouns).
In denial was (were) combines with not and forms the shortened form:
- I wasn't at work.
- They weren't happy.
For your convenience, we have divided all functions Past Simple into three groups according to the level of English language proficiency: elementary (green frame), intermediate (yellow frame), advanced (red frame). This way you can learn exactly those functions that correspond to your level.
Using the Past Simple
First level
Let us immediately note that the main functions Past Simple And Present Simple match up. We only need to transfer the action from the present to the past.
- Past Simple shows a fact in the past or a single action that ended in the past.
Words that indicate the duration of action are often used here: yesterday(yesterday), two weeks ago(two weeks ago), the other day(the other day), a long time ago(for a long time), last month(last month), in 2010 (in 2010), on Monday(on Monday), during my holidays(during the holidays), etc. These words must necessarily denote a completed period of time.
I saw him yesterday. - I saw his yesterday. (single action in the past, yesterday already ended)
The Titanic sank in 1912. - Titanic sank 1912. (fact)
He went to Italy last month. - He traveled to Italy last month.
Words indicating the duration of the action may not be used in this feature.
She spoke to him in a low voice. - She is quiet spoke with him. (single action in the past)
Aivazovsky painted"The Ninth Wave" – Aivazovsky wrote painting "The Ninth Wave". (fact)
Also Past Simple used to describe a condition in the past.
They were friends many years ago. - They were friends many years ago. (they are not friends now)
That museum had a great collection of paintings. - In that museum was huge collection of paintings. (currently the museum does not have a huge collection)
- We use Past Simple to talk about old habits and repetitive actions. These actions have occurred many times in the past, but are no longer being done. Such sentences may contain adverbs often(often), sometimes(Sometimes), always(always) etc.
We took evening courses two years ago. - We went for evening courses 2 years ago. (currently we do not take evening courses)
He always bought newspapers on Sunday. - He always bought newspapers on Sundays. (he doesn't do that now)
- We can also use the construction if we are talking about old habits.
- We use Past Simple when we tell a story or list several events that happened one after another in the past.
She came in, sat at the table, and started writing. - She came in, villages at the table and started write.
He entered the cafe, he ordered a cup of tea and a piece of cake. - He has entered in the cafe, ordered a cup of tea and a piece of pie.
Where else is the Past Simple found?
Average level
- We use Past Simple to tell the details of some news or some event that happened in our lives. We report the news itself in time Present Perfect
. We can use other past tenses to give details, but Past Simple is used in these cases more often than others.
I"ve hurt my leg. I fell off a ladder when I was repairing the roof. My telephone rank unexpectedly. - I hurt my leg. I fell from the stairs when I was fixing the roof, because suddenly rang telephone.
I've got this job. It was a hard and exhausting interview, but it turned out that I was a perfect applicant. – I got this job. This was difficult, exhausting interview, but it turned out that I am the ideal candidate.
- Past Simple used in subordinate tenses after conjunctions after(after), before(before), when(When), until(not yet) as soon as(as soon as). In such a sentence Past Simple shows a completed action in the past.
As soon as she graduated from the university, she found a suitable job. – As soon as she graduated university, she found a suitable job.
He was astonished when I told him the news. - He was amazed When I reported him this news.
Complex cases of using Past Simple
High level
- Past Simple, as well as Present Simple, used in conditional sentences after the union if(If). Past Simple we need to form conditional sentences of the second type ( Second Conditional). The situation in this type of conditional refers to the present or future tense. Such a sentence implies an unrealistic condition: that is, the probability that the condition will be satisfied is extremely small. Second Conditional is constructed as follows:
If he had enough money, he would buy that car. – If him was enough money he I would buy this car. (now he has no money, if he had, he would buy a car)
If I wanted to lose weight, I would eat less bread. – If I wanted lose weight, I I would eat less bread. (but I don't want to lose weight)
If in the condition we encounter a verb to be, then we will use the form were for all persons and numbers.
If I were in your shoes, I wouldn't rush into a decision. – If I were if I were you, I I wouldn't rush with a solution. (but I'm not in your shoes)
If she were on her vacation, she would spend it in Australia. – If she was she's on vacation would spend him in Australia. (but she's not on vacation right now)
- You can refresh your knowledge about conditional sentences in the article “”.
- We use Past Simple after I wish(literally – I want, I wish). Offers with I wish express regret: we want to show that something we want does not happen the way we want, or does not happen at all.
I wish- this is the main clause, it remains unchanged, followed by a subordinate clause. We use it in a subordinate clause Past Simple, if action is implied in the present or future. We connect I wish And clause by conjunction that(what, to), but in conversation this conjunction is most often omitted.
I wish translated in two ways: “sorry” and “how I wish.” If we start with “sorry,” then we translate the sentence the other way around: a statement in English becomes a negation in Russian, a negation in English becomes a statement in Russian.
I wish that I lived near the sea. – It's a pity, what am I I don't live near the sea. / How I wish I could live near the sea.
I wish that I knew what to do about the problem. – It's a pity, what am I Don't know, How to solve this problem. / How I wish I knew, How to solve this problem.
With verb to be we use form were for all persons and numbers. But in colloquial speech you can hear was, and this will not be considered an error.
I wish you were here. – It's a pity, What you Here No. / I wish I could, to You Here was.
I wish he were a friend of mine. – It's a pity, What he is not My friend. / I wish I could, to he was my friend.
- We use Past Simple after construction It is time(it's time), it tells us that the action should have been performed, but it has not yet been done. Past Simple in this case denotes a situation occurring in the present or future. If we want to put more emotion into a statement, we can say: It is high time / It is about time(it’s high time, it’s about time).
It is time we left for the station. The train leaves in two hours. – It's time us drive the station. The train leaves in two hours.
It is high time you settled down and found a job! – It's time you already undertake for intelligence and find work!
Past Simple is one of the most common and easiest to understand tenses in the English language. It occurs in speech even more often than the present tense, and the range of its functions is very wide.
(*.pdf, 190 Kb)
Exercise 1. Put the verbs in the following sentences into the affirmative and negative past simple forms.
1. I (to do) morning exercises.2. He (to work) at a factory.
3. She (to sleep) after dinner.
4. We (to work) part-time.
5. They (to drink) tea every day.
6. Mike (to be) a student.
7. Helen (to have) a car.
8. You (to be) a good friend.
9. You (to be) good friends.
10. It (to be) difficult to remember everything.
Exercise 2. Open the brackets using verbs in .
1. Alice (to have) a sister.2. Her sister’s name (to be) Ann.
3. Ann (to be) a student.
4. She (to get) up at seven o"clock.
5. She (to go) to the institute in the morning.
6. Jane (to be) fond of sports.
7. She (to do) her morning exercises every day.
8. For breakfast she (to have) two eggs, a sandwich and a cup of tea.
9. After breakfast she (to go) to the institute.
10. Sometimes she (to take) a bus.
11. It (to take) her an hour and a half to do her homework.
12. She (to speak) English well.
13. Her friends usually (to call) her at about 8 o’clock.
14. Ann (to take) a shower before going to bed.
15. She (to go) to bed at 11 p.m. m.
Exercise 3. Open the brackets using verbs in .
1. My working day (to begin) at six o"clock.2. I (to get) up, (to switch) on the TV and (to brush) my teeth.
3. It (to take) me about twenty minutes.
4. I (to have) breakfast at seven o’clock.
5. I (to leave) home at half past seven.
6. I (to take) a bus to the institute.
7. It usually (to take) me about fifteen minutes to get there.
8. Classes (to begin) at eight.
9. We usually (to have) four classes a day.
10. I (to have) lunch at about 2 o’clock.
Exercise 4. Use the words in brackets to form sentences in . Pay attention to what form the sentence should be in (affirmative or negative).
1) They _____ football at the institute. (to play)2) She _____ emails. (not / to write)
3) ____ you____ English? (to speak)
4) My mother ____ fish. (not / to like)
5) ____ Ann ____ any friends? (to have)
6) His brother _____ in an office. (to work)
7) She ___ very fast. (cannot / to read)
8) ____ they ____ the flowers every 3 days? (to water)
9) His wife _____ a motorbike. (not / to ride)
10) ____ Elizabeth_____ coffee? (to drink)
Exercise 5. Insert Past Simple in the required form.
1. I...a student.2. My father ... not a shop-assistant, he ... a scientist.
3. ...your aunt a nurse? - Yes, she... .
4. ... are they at home? - No, they... not. They ... at school.
5. ... are you an engineer? - Yes, I....
6. ... your friend a photographer? No, she ... not a photographer, she ... a student.
7. ...your brothers at school? - Yes, they... .
8. ... this her watch? - Yes, it... .
9. Max...an office-worker.
10. We... late, sorry!
Exercise 6. Translate into English:
1. She was busy. (to be busy)2. I wasn't busy.
3. Were you busy?
4. Were they at home? (to be at home)
5. He was not at home.
6. I didn't know.
7. Did they know?
8. She didn't know.
9. Who knew?
10. Nobody knew.
11. He read English books? (to read English books)
12. They never read. (never / to read)
13. Did she have an apartment? (to have a flat)
14. He had nothing.
15. Who was it?
Right answers:
Exercise 1. 1 - did, 2 - worked, 3 - slept, 4 - worked, 5 - drank, 6 - was, 7 - had, 8 - were, 9 - were, 10 – was.Exercise 2. 1 - had, 2 - was, 3 - was, 4 - got, 5 - went, 6 - was, 7 – did, 8 - had, 9 - went, 10 - took, 11 - took, 12 - spoke , 13 - called, 14 - took, 15 – went.
Exercise 3. 1 - began, 2 - got, switched, brushed, 3 - took, 4 - had, 5 - left, 6 - took, 7 - took, 8 - began, 9 - had, 10 - had.
Exercise 4. 1 - played, 2 – did not (=didn't) write, 3 – Did (you) speak, 4 – did not (=didn't) like, 5 – Did (Ann) have, 6 - worked , 7 – could not (=couldn't) read, 8 – Did (they) water, 9 – did not (=didn't) ride, 10 – Did (Elizabeth) drink.
Exercise 5. 1 - was, 2 – was, was, 3 – Was, was, 4 – Were, were, were, 5 – Were, was, 6 – Was, was, was, 7 – Were, were, 8 – was , was, 9 - was, 10 - were.
Exercise 6. 1 – She was busy, 2 – I was not busy, 3 – Were you busy?, 4 – Were they at home?, 5 – He was not at home, 6 – I didn’t know, 7 – Did they know?, 8 – She didn’t know, 9 – Who knew?, 10 – No one (=nobody) knew, 11 – Did he read English books?, 12 – They never read, 13 – Did she have a flat?, 14 – He didn’t have anything (=He had nothing), 15 – Who was it?
Past Simple is translated as “simple past”. This tense would be really simple if it weren't for the irregular verbs. If you remember, verbs in the Past Simple are regular and irregular. But if they are “wrong”, they should not exist in nature at all, why teach them? But language has its own laws, and today we will try to understand them.
First, let's talk about Past Simple in general.
We use the Past Simple when we talk about a completed action in the past. We often clarify When this is exactly what happened (yesterday, last week when I was young).
In the Past Simple, verbs are used to describe single or regular actions in the past.
How exactly is the simple past tense formed?
By changing the verb. All regular past simple tense verbs change in the same way, but the forms of irregular verbs need to be memorized.
First, let's discuss regular verbs.
All verbs have a base form, this is the form we see in the dictionary, e.g.
listen - listen
call - to call
To form the Past Simple form from a regular verb, just add the ending -ed to the base form.
How regular verbs change in the Past Simple: table
Depending on the final letters of the verb, ed can be added in different ways:
- If the verb ends in -e, only -d is added:
Move - moved
Like - liked - If the verb ends in a consonant + y, y changes to -ied:
Cry - cried
- If the verb has stress on the last syllable and ends in a vowel + one consonant, the final consonant is doubled:
Prefer - preferred
- Regardless of stress, if the verb ends in l, this letter is doubled in the Past Simple:
Travel - travelled
Irregular verbs Past Simple in English
For some reason, this phrase evokes sacred awe and, in best case scenario, the first lines of the table, learned in school. You don’t have to call them “irregular” and use a “softer” version of the name of verbs that are not formed according to the rules - irregular Verbs. All this means is that these verbs form the past tense and the past participle not with the help of the -ed ending, but in their own way. This is due to processes that inevitably occur in language. English was constantly changing, influenced by other languages and historical events. Therefore, some grammatical phenomena are not always explainable by logic.
Native English speakers themselves do not like these irregular verbs, make mistakes in them, and children, out of ignorance, produce sentences like:
I fell
Everything seems to be clear, English word“to fall” they added -ed... But this is an irregular verb - fall, its Past Simple is fell. Children who make such mistakes do not know this yet.
But you and I are not children, are we? So let's quickly arm ourselves with knowledge! Yes, you may first have to paper all the walls with lists of these non-standard verbs. When speaking English, sometimes you will stop and think - is this a correct verb? What would the verb “say” look like in the Past Simple? Did I pronounce the correct form, or did I mix up anything? This will happen, but over time, less and less often. Soon you will reach a level where irregular verb forms will come to mind automatically. This is inevitable because:
- These verbs are very, very common. You will get used to them, there is no other way. Neither eat- eat (Past Simple - ate), neither say something - say (Past Simple - said), nor write(write), nor get something (get) in English will not work without them. You will hear these forms anywhere and everywhere. And therefore remember them better.
- There are enough of them, but still a limited number. Many new verbs appear every year, but they are all regular, that is, they form the past tense with -ed. For example, there is a new verb to google - to google, or search for something in the Google search engine. The past tense will be googled.
I googled"Past Simple irregular verbs" and found this article - I googled "Paste Simple irregular verbs" and found this article
Google is the correct verb, it is new; found - incorrect, invented a long time ago.
So how do you teach them, these irregular verbs? - you ask.
The most proven tool for learning different forms of Past Simple is a table of verbs. Humanity has not yet invented anything more perfect. Additionally, you can use applications to memorize irregular verbs, do exercises where you need to choose them correct form, and even sing memory songs (they are on Youtube).
In the tables, the first column contains the verb in its basic form - the infinitive, the second - the past tense form, the third - the past participle (Past Participle).
The past participle is used in Perfect tenses:
I have done my homework (I did my homework)
and in passive voice:
My homework was done (Homework was done).
Learning lists of irregular verbs is not easy. To make the task easier, you can select different groups and subgroups of these verbs, and teach them separately. Many of them have common characteristics. For example, there are verbs in which the forms do not differ from each other, others in which the same vowels alternate, and so on. So,
Past Simple verb table No. 1: verbs where all three forms are the same
Table No. 2 - verbs where the Past Simple and Past Participle forms do not differ from each other (these are the most):
And finally, Past Simple verbs, table No. 3 - when all three options are different. There are several patterns in which they change, i.e. different letters appear in certain places:
Good luck to you in the difficult but necessary task of learning irregular verbs! Let's treat them like beautiful old English cars. There are not many of them left; new ones are no longer produced. They may not be as convenient to use, but they are unusual in shape and absolutely unique!
Hello! Today we continue to get acquainted with the temporary forms of the English language. Our next step is the simple past tense (indefinite), namely the Past Simple, or as it is also called Past Indefenite. Our goal is to learn how to conjugate verbs in the affirmative, interrogative and negative forms in the Past Simple Tense, and also to understand in which cases the Past Simple Tense should be used.
First, let's define what Past Simple Tense is. So, Past Simple Tense expresses actions or states that occurred at some period of time in the past. At the same time, their duration, completion, precedence in relation to another action, etc. are not indicated, i.e., the action is expressed as a fact.
The Past Simple is a tense form that is used to narrate events that happened in the past. This tense is typical for both written language and oral speech. Rules for forming the past tense in English
Education Rules Past Simple Tense
Now let's move on to the main thing - the rules for forming Past Simple Tense in English.
Affirmative form Past Simple Tense
To form the affirmative form of the Past Simple Tense, auxiliary verbs are not required.
Regular verbs form the Past Simple Tense by adding an ending -ed to the stem of the infinitive without a particle to. This applies to all persons alone and plural.
Rules for pronunciation of the ending - ed:
1. after voiceless consonants, except t → [t]
to work - worked
to help - helped
2. after voiced consonants, except d, and after vowels → [d]
to answer [ˈɑːnsə] – answered [ˈɑːnsəd]
to open [ˈəʊpən] — opened [ˈəʊpənd]
3. after consonants t and d → [ɪd]
to land - landed [ˈlændɪd]
to want - wanted [ˈwɒntɪd]
Rules for adding the ending -ed:
1. If the verb ends in silent - e, That - e is missed.
to hop e− hoped
to blam e- blamed
2. If the verb ends in -y, and there is a consonant before -y, then -y changes to —i.
to tr y-tr i ed to cr y-cr i ed
If before -y there is a vowel, then no changes occur.
to pla y- played
3. If a one-syllable verb ends in a consonant preceded by a short vowel, then the final consonant is doubled.
to sto p-sto pp ed
4. If a multi-syllable verb ends in a consonant preceded by a stressed vowel, then the final consonant is doubled.
to prefer r—prefe rr ed to permi t—permi tt ed
5. In such cases, the final consonant l doubles before both a stressed and an unstressed vowel.
to travel l— travel ll ed to compe l- compe ll ed
to walk
- I walk ed in the forest.
- You walk ed in the forest.
- He/ She/ It walk ed in the forest.
- We walk ed in the forest.
- You walk ed in the forest.
- They walk ed in the forest.
Irregular verbs do not form Past Simple Tense according to general rule, and with the help of the II main form of irregular verbs, which is also the same for all singular and plural persons. You can find a table of irregular verbs in the article Irregular verbs in English. Verb to be, in this case, is an exception, and we will return to it later. 
List of irregular verbs to understand in Past Simple Tense in the affirmative form:
- I understood the question.
- You understood the question.
- He/She/It understood the question.
- We understood the question.
- You understood the question.
- They understood the question.
Question form Past Simple Tense
The interrogative form for both regular and irregular verbs in English is formed using the auxiliary verb did (Past Simple from to do) and the infinitive form of the main verb.
To form the interrogative form Past Simple an auxiliary verb did comes first, followed by the subject, and the subject is followed by the infinitive of the main verb.
Regular verb conjugation example to walk
- Did I walk in the forest?
- Did do you walk in the forest?
- Did he/ she/ it walk in the forest?
- Did we walk in the forest?
- Did do you walk in the forest?
- Did do they walk in the forest?
Example of irregular verb conjugation to understand in Past Simple Tense in interrogative form:
- Did I understand the question?
- Did
- Did he/ she/ it understand the question?
- Did do we understand the question?
- Did do you understand the question?
- Did do they understand the question?
Negative Past Simple Tense
The negative form in English is also formed using an auxiliary verb did, but already in combination with a negative particle not. So, the subject comes first, followed by the auxiliary verb did + negative particle not, and finally the infinitive of the main verb.
Auxiliary did usually merges into one with the particle not:
did not - didn't
Regular verb conjugation example to walk
- I did not (didn't) walk in the forest.
- You did not (didn't) walk in the forest.
- He/She/It did not (didn't) walk in the forest.
- We did not (didn't) walk in the forest.
- You did not (didn't) walk in the forest.
- They did not (didn't) walk in the forest.
Example of irregular verb conjugation to understand in Past Simple Tense in negative form:
- I did not (didn't) understand the question.
- You did not (didn't) understand the question.
- He/She/It did not (didn't) understand the question.
- We did not (didn't) understand the question.
- You did not (didn't) understand the question.
- They did not (didn't) understand the question.
And now, in order to make it easier for you to navigate the Past Simple Tense construction, let’s summarize all these rules into tables.
Regular verb conjugation table
| Number | Face | Affirmative form | Interrogative form | Negative form |
| Unit h. | 1
2 3 | I walk ed
You walk ed He/ She/ It walk ed | Did I walk? Did do you walk? Did he/ she/ it walk? | I did not (didn't) walk You did not (didn't) walk He/She/It did not (didn't) walk |
| Mn. h. | 1
2 3 | We walk ed
You walk ed They walk ed | Did we walk? Did do you walk? Did do they walk? | We did not (didn't) walk You did not (didn't) walk They did not (didn't) walk |
Conjugation table for irregular verbs
| Number | Face | Affirmative form | Interrogative form | Negative form |
| Unit h. | 1
2 3 | I understood
You understood He/She/It understood | Did I understand? Did do you understand? Did he/ she/ it understand? | I did not (didn't) understand You did not (didn't) understand He/She/It did not (didn't) understand |
| Mn. h. | 1
2 3 | We understood
You understood They understood | Did do we understand? Did do you understand? Did do they understand? | We did not (didn't) understand You did not (didn't) understand They did not (didn't) understand |
And now, as promised, we return to the verb exception to be. This verb acts as an auxiliary and forms interrogative and negative forms without did.
Conjugation table for the verb to be
| Number | Face | Affirmative form | Interrogative form | Negative form |
| Unit h. | 1
2 3 | I was
You were He/She/It was | Was I? Were you? Was he/ she/ it? | I was not (wasn't)
You were not (weren't) He/She/It was not (wasn't) |
| Mn. h. | 1
2 3 | We were
You were They were | Were we? Were you? Were they? | We were not (weren't)
You were not (weren't) They were not (weren't) |
Past Simple Tense is used
1. When expressing facts that happened in the past that are not related to the present. Most often, the relationship of an action or state to a specific period in the past tense becomes clear from the context (the content of the sentence or neighboring sentences).
- I read this book in London - I read this book in London. (The circumstance in London indirectly indicates the time of the action.)
- I called for help, but no one answered - I called for help, but no one answered (The verbs called, answered express a sequence of actions.)
- I’m sorry I was out when you called - I’m very sorry, I was absent when you called. (The subordinate clause when you called indicates time.)
Very often sentences in the Past Simple Tense contain time adverbials:
- Yesterday - yesterday
- last night - last night
- last week - last week
- last month - last month
- last year - last year
- last summer - last summer
- the other day - on another day
- in 1945 - in 1945
As well as phrases with adverbs ago:
- five minutes ago - five minutes ago
- an hour ago - an hour ago
- two years ago - two years ago
- Where did you travel last year? —Where did you travel last year?
- I was born in 1982— I was born in 1982.
- They were here ten minutes ago“They were here ten minutes ago.”
Interrogative adverbs when And how can also indicate the past tense.
What is Past Simple (Past Idefinite)
Past Simple (Past Indefinite) is the simple past tense in English, which is used to convey information about a specific event or action that happened in the past.
The name speaks for itself - this tense form is actually considered the simplest in the ocean of past tenses of the English language. The action could take place in the recent past or the distant past, and its duration, duration or completion does not matter.
Formula education Past Simple
When using correct English verbs:
Subject + verb infinitive without particle « to» + ending -ed.
My grandma danced a lot when she was young.
My granny a lot danced when I was young.
When using irregular English verbs:
Subject + 2 verb form.
Jessica hung out with her foreign mates at the record store last week.
Last week Jessica hanging out with my foreign friends.
Word markers and pointers in the Past Simple
The main indicators of “Past Simple” time include the following words and phrases:
- yesterday- yesterday,
- last week- last week,
- two hours ago- two hours ago,
- then- Then,
- in 1998- in 1998, etc.
Mom bought that bag by Gucci in 2005.
Ma bought that Gucci bag in 2005.
Yesterday they watched their favorite photos from the past.
Yesterday They watched your favorite photos from the past.
Affirmative sentences in Past Simple
The affirmative sentence in “Past Simple” is constructed quite simply. First comes subject, followed by verb with ending «- ed"if it is correct (regular); or second verb form, if it refers to irregular verbs. Regardless of person or number English subject, the predicate remains identical for everyone. Past Simple rules and examples can be found in the table below.
Interrogative sentences in Past Simple
To create interrogative sentence (interrogative sentence) in “Past Simple”, you just need to put the auxiliary verb “ did", then subject and finally initial form of the semantic verb(i.e. infinitive without the particle “to”).
Negative sentences in Past Simple
As in a regular affirmative sentence, a negative sentence ( negative sentence) you should start with subject. Next we add the auxiliary verb “ did"with a negative particle" not»: « did not / didn't", and then we use the infinitive form of the verb without using the particle " to" Voila!
| REGULAR VERB | IRREGULAR VERB | ||
| I + DIDN'T+ PAINT | I didn't draw | I + DIDN'T + SLEEP | I did not sleep |
| You + DIDN'T+ PAINT | You didn't draw | You + DIDN'T + SLEEP | You did not sleep |
| She + DIDN'T+ PAINT He + DIDN’T+ PAINT It + DIDN'T+ PAINT |
She didn't draw He didn't draw It didn't draw |
She + DIDN'T + SLEEP He + DIDN'T + SLEEP It + DIDN'T + SLEEP |
She didn't sleep He didn't sleep It didn't sleep |
| We + DIDN'T + PAINT | We didn't draw | We + DIDN'T + SLEEP | We didn't sleep |
| You + DIDN'T+ PAINT | You didn't draw | You + DIDN'T + SLEEP | you didn't sleep |
| They + DIDN'T+ PAINT | They didn't draw | They + DIDN'T + SLEEP | They didn't sleep |
Using verbs in the Past Simple
When it comes to the past tense in English, many people probably have a question: “How to use the verb correctly?” be"?" To avoid asking such a question, let us recall that this verb has a couple of forms: “ was» / « were» / « been" Since we are talking about “Past Indefinite”, we, accordingly, need the second options based on the rules for constructing this English-speaking tense.
It's time to give a couple of examples " Past Simple" for clarity:
Gee, I don't have any idea where that guy was last time!
My God, I have no idea where was that guy last time!
Their kids were typical sweetums and binged on candies almost every day back in the days.
In the past their children were typical sweet tooths and ate candy almost every day.
Formation of Past Simple in active and passive
When we touch on "Past Simple", it is important to remember that this tense has 2 options. One is used for active voice - time " Past Simple Active" The second is for passive voice - time " Past Simple Passive ».
- Passive voice:
If used correct verbs in " Past Simple»:
Subject + verb was/were + infinitive verb without particles « to» With ending «- ed».
That seascape was painted by Edward William Cooke in the 19th century.
That seascape was painted by Edward William Cook in the 19th century.
Subject + verb was/were + 3 form verb
Their names were forgotten two decades ago.
Their names were forgotten two decades ago.
Affirmative sentence: "Past Simple Passive" vs. "Past Simple Active":
"Black Widow" was written by Iggy Azalea in 2014.
Iggy Azalea wrote"Black Widow" in 2014.
Iggy Azalea wrote the song "Black Widow" in 2014.
Negative sentence: "Past Simple Passive" vs. "Past Simple Active"
"Cloud Atlas" wasn't directed by Hayao Miyazaki then.
Hayao Miyazaki didn't direct"Cloud Atlas" then.
Hayao Miyazaki was not the director of Cloud Atlas back then.
Interrogative sentence: "Past Simple Passive" vs. Past Simple Active"
Was that mansion built by my ancestors last century?
Did my ancestors build that mansion last century?
My ancestors built that mansion last century?
Uses of Past Simple
Difference between Past Simple and Present Perfect
| Past Simple | Present Perfect |
| The action happened at a certain moment in the past. | The action ended at an indefinite moment, we have the result, but we do not know in what exact period of time the action occurred. |
| Elizabeth left us yesterday. Elizabeth left us yesterday. |
Elizabeth has left for Seoul. Elizabeth went to Seoul. |
| An action happened at a certain point in the past and cannot be repeated. | The action happened, we have the result for now, and it can be repeated. |
| We met Princess Diana. We met Princess Diana. |
We have spoken to Nicki Minaj. We spoke with Nicki Minaj. |
| Past Simple - a certain fact in the past, a given that some action took place in the past. We do not know whether it lasted, is still lasting, or has already ended; it just was. | Present Perfect - the specific result of an action at the present moment in time, the action not only happened but also ended. Whether it completed successfully or not will be clear from the context and the words of the markers. |
Nota Bene: To understand “Past Simple” once and for all and understand what the difference is between it and “Present Perfect”, do not forget to pay attention to the free online simulator from EnglishDom. There you will find not only an explanation of the grammatical nuances of using these two tenses, but you will also be able to consolidate the learned material in practice.
Conclusion
So we figured out what this strange time “Past Indefinite” is, and also talked about the differences between “Past Simple” and “Present Perfect”. Feel free to use this time in English speaking and share your memories and impressions with friends and colleagues!
We invite you to familiarize yourself with other tenses of the English language
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