Simple Past Tense

For actions that happened and finished at a specific time in the past

The Simple Past Tense is used to talk about:

  • Completed actions in the past
  • Events that happened at a definite time
  • Short actions in a story or list of past events
  • Past habits or repeated past actions

Structure: Verb (past form)

Core Characteristics

  • Completed Past: Action began and ended in the past
  • Time Known or Implied: Usually tied to a time like “yesterday,” “last year,” etc.
  • No Connection to Present: Not used for actions continuing now
  • Used in Storytelling: To describe sequences of actions
  • Often with Time Expressions: like “in 2020,” “at 5 p.m.,” “two days ago”

Formation Rules - Simple Past Tense

1. Regular Verbs

Rule: Add “-ed” to the base form

  • work → worked
  • play → played
  • wait → waited

2. Irregular Verbs

These verbs have unique past forms. You must memorize them.

  • go → went
  • eat → ate
  • see → saw

3. Negative Sentences

Rule: Subject + did not (didn’t) + base verb

  • He did not eat lunch.
  • We didn’t go to the party.

4. Yes/No Questions

Rule: Did + subject + base verb?

  • Did you watch the movie?
  • Did they call you?

5. Wh- Questions

Rule: Wh- word + did + subject + base verb?

  • What did she say?
  • When did you arrive?

Key Uses with Examples

1. Completed Action in the Past

  • I watched the show last night.
  • She visited her grandma yesterday.

2. Past Habits or Routines

  • He went jogging every morning.
  • They always walked to school.

3. Events in a Story or Sequence

  • He woke up, brushed his teeth, and left the house.
  • We arrived, unpacked, and started exploring.

4. Specific Time Mentioned

  • I met him in 2015.
  • She bought that dress last week.

Common Errors & Corrections

1. Using Present Instead of Past
  • ❌ "She go to school yesterday." → ✅ "She went to school yesterday."
2. Past Verb with 'Did'
  • ❌ "I did went to the store." → ✅ "I did go to the store."
3. Forgetting -ed for Regular Verbs
  • ❌ "He walk to work." → ✅ "He walked to work."

Practice Exercises

1. Fill in the Past Form

  1. They (play) _____ football last Saturday. (played)
  2. We (go) _____ to Italy in 2022. (went)

2. Make Negative Sentences

  1. He ate breakfast. → He didn't eat breakfast.
  2. They arrived early. → They didn’t arrive early.

3. Ask Questions

  1. You saw that movie. → Did you see that movie?
  2. She left early. → Did she leave early?

Advanced Notes

1. Time Markers

Common time expressions:

  • yesterday, last night, in 2020, two weeks ago, when I was a child

2. Irregular Verb Alert

Always use the correct past form for irregular verbs:

  • begin → began
  • drink → drank
  • drive → drove

3. No ‘Helping Verbs’ in Affirmative

Don’t use "did" in affirmative past simple:

  • ✅ "He left." — ❌ "He did left."