Past Simple Tense (Simple Past): Definition, Rules and Useful Examples

一般过去时!在谈到which has happened in the past, you will need to use the past simple tense. However, before you can begin confidently using this tense, it is important to learn the rules which surround it. As with any part of English grammar, the rules of the past simple tense should be applied each time it is used in order to ensure that you are forming grammatically correct sentences. In this section, we are going to show you how to do this effectively.

Learn useful grammar rules to use the Simple PastTensein English with example sentences and ESL printable worksheets.

Past Simple Tense

In English grammar, theS及其过去(orPast Simple)is thebasic form of the past tense. It is used principally to describe events in the past, although it also has some other uses.

What is the Past Simple Tense?

Thesimple pasttense shows that an action started and completed in the past and has no relevance to the present time at all. It can also be used to describe how someone felt, what their emotional condition was, at a point in the past. There are no forms of the verb to be’ or to have’ with this tense as there are with others (e.g. walked).

The simple past can be used with adverbs to describe a time already in the past (e.g. I walked to the market last Saturday) or discussing a specific point in time (e.g. I studied today).

In the section below are several examples illustrating some ways in which the simple present tense can be used. In the final section are several practice questions that will give some focus to how you can identify the simple past verb tense looks like when used correctly. It is always highly recommended to refer to a thesaurus or dictionary when becoming more familiar with not just a second language but one’s primary language as well.

Simple Past Tense Structure

Simple Past Tense with “TO BE” (was/were)

Note:

I/She/He/It + was

We/You/They + were

Was not = Wasn’t

Were not = Weren’t

Positive Sentence:

S + was/were + …

Example:

They were friends.

Negative Sentence:

S + was not/were not + …

Example:

They weren’t friends.

Question form:

Was/Were + S + …?

Example:

Were they friends?

Simple Past Tense with Regular Verbs

Regular English verbs form the simple past in–ed; however, there are a few hundred irregular verbs with different forms.

Positive Sentence:

S + verb-ed + …

Example:

She worked yesterday.

Negative Sentence:

S + did not/didn’t + verb (in base form) + …

Example:

She didn’t work yesterday.

Question form:

做+ S +动词(在基本形式)?

Example:

Did she work yesterday?

Past Simple Tense with Irregular Verbs

There are a few hundredirregular verbswith different forms.

Positive Sentence:

S + irregular verb + …

Example:

They went to Spain for their holidays.

Negative Sentence:

S + did not/didn’t + verb (in base form) + …

Example:

They didn’t go to Spain for their holidays?

Question Form:

Did + S + (verb in base form)?

Example:

Did they go to Spain for their holidays?

Examples of the Past Simple Tense

1. My teachertaughtme about the planets, moon, and stars in the third grade.
2. Our local high schoolhelda car wash to raise money for the band.
3. Ifeltscared when the power went out during the thunderstorm last night.
4. My bosscalledme into the office to help with an outage on Sunday night.
5. I really appreciate when yougaveme half your lunch yesterday.
6. While I was sleeping, the catyowledvery loudly all night long.
7. My teamhada potluck’ last week but forgot to send out the invitations!
8. My mompickedme up after school all week long when I had to stay for an extra practice session.
9. Dadtookme to the movies and out for pizza for my birthday.
10. I was so proud the day my oldest childgraduatedfrom college with honors.

How to Use the Simple Past Tense

The Simple Past Tense Usage

The Simple Past is used:

• To express completed action in the past

Example:

I saw a ghost last Friday.

• To describe a series of completed actions in the past

Example:

I finished work, walked to the beach, and found a nice place to swim.

• To express habits in the past

Example:

When I was young, I watched lots of television every day after school.

• For stative verbs, which are verbs that do not express an action, but a state of mind or being E.g. have (own), be, think (believe), know, dislike, need, owe, understand, wish

Example:

He had a smallcottagein the woods.

Time Expressions with Past Simple Tense

• Yesterday
• Ago
• Last month
• Last week
• Last year
• In 2003
• In 2007
• …

The Past Simple Tense | Picture

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Past Simple Tense Exercises

Instructions: The following questions are all fill-in-the-blank and require selecting ONE of the four answers presented. Some questions will have two blank spaces with combination answers to choose from.

All Tenses in English

Learn all (12) tenses in English with useful grammar rules, examples and ESL worksheets.

Verb Tenses Chart

• Present Simple Tense
• Present Continuous Tense
• Present Perfect Tense
• Present Perfect Continuous Tense
• Past Simple Tense
• Past Continuous Tense
• Past Perfect Tense
• Past Perfect Continuous Tense
• Simple Future Tense
• Future Continuous Tense
• Future Perfect Tense
• Future Perfect Continuous

Last Updated on February 27, 2023