What is past tense?
Past tense tells about an action that already happened. It shows that the action is finished.
- Today I walk to school. → Yesterday I walked to school.
- Now I play outside. → Earlier I played outside.
Past tense verbs help the reader know when something happened.
What are regular past tense verbs?
Regular past tense verbs are verbs that form the past tense by adding -ed to the base verb.
- jump → jumped
- help → helped
- clean → cleaned
If a verb is regular, you can usually make it past tense by adding -ed.
How to form the regular past tense
To form the regular past tense, add -ed to the verb. Some verbs need small spelling changes.
- Most verbs: add -ed → play → played
- Verbs ending in e: add -d → love → loved
- Short verbs ending in one vowel and one consonant: double the consonant and add -ed → hop → hopped
Check the spelling of the verb before adding -ed.
Using regular past tense in sentences
Regular past tense verbs are used to tell about actions that happened before now.
- I washed my hands before dinner.
- She finished her homework.
- They laughed at the funny story.
Look for time words like yesterday, last night, or earlier to help you choose past tense.
Using past tense correctly in different situations
Use the regular past tense whenever you talk or write about something that already happened.
- Story writing: The dog chased the ball.
- Talking about school: We learned math today.
- Giving details: He opened the door quietly.
Be consistent. If a sentence is about the past, keep all verbs in the past tense.