Past Simple

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Basic form

Subject + Verb (past form)

Quick examples

  • I was sleepy.
  • He didn't learn any Italian when he was in Italy two year ago.
  • I went to the cinema, bought popcorn and watched a movie.

We use the Past Simple to talk about actions that happened at a specific time in the past. The actions can be short or long. There can be a few actions happening one ofter another.

Use

  1. Events in the past that are now finished
  2. Situation in the past
  3. A series of actions in the past

Use 1: Past actions that are now finished

The first use of the Past Simple to express actions that happened at a specific time in the past. The actions can be short [1] or long [2].

  • John cut his finger last week. [1]
  • I went to college 3 years ago. [2]
  • He ate the dinner 1 hour ago. [1]
  • I slept well last night. [2]

Use 2: Situation in the past

Another use of this tense is talk about situations in the past.

  • I lived in New York for 10 years (I don't live there anymore).

Use 3: A series of actions in the past

The Past Simple can also be used with a few actions in the past happening one after another.

  • He entered a room, lit a cigarette and smiled at the guests.

Form

Forming a sentence in the Past Simple is easy. To form a declarative sentence, all you need is the subject of the sentence (e.g. I, you, he, a dog) and the past form of your verb (e.g. was, talked, swam). Questions and negative sentences are only a little more difficult, because they require an auxiliary verb.

Declarative Sentences

Subject + Verb + ED or an irregular verb form
e.g. I/a dog etc. e.g. worked/went/made


Sorry, you need to install flash to see this content.
I saw two colorful fishes in the lake yesterday (Use 1)

    Examples Use
    He entered the room, lit a cigarette and smiled at the guests. (Use 3)
    Mary tried the soup but it was too hot to eat. (Use 1)
    I lived in New York for 10 years (I don't live there anymore). (Use 2)
    They saw us playing football. (Use 1)
    He married a woman who lived in the same village. (Use 3)
    I ate the cake yesterday. (Use 1)
    I have eaten the cake yesterday. —
Time Expressions
Common time expressions (time adverbials) in the Past Simple are:
  • yesterday
  • the other day
  • just now
  • the day before yesterday

Questions

Auxiliary verb + Subject + Verb in the present form
did e.g. I/a dog etc. e.g. work/go/make
    Examples Use
    How long did he work there? (Use 1)
    Did the telephone ring? (Use 1)
    Did you see that? (Use 1)

Negative Sentences

Subject + Auxiliary verb + not + Verb in the present form
e.g. I/a dog etc. didn't e.g. work/go/make
    Examples Use
    He didn't learn any Italian when he was in Italy two year ago. (Use 1)
    I wasn't at my grandma's when you came. (Use 1)
    He didn't get any good grades when he attended school. (Use 3)

Check your understanding!