The past simple tense can cause English learners some problems, especially with all the irregular tenses.
The way it is used is quite straightforward, but it is sometimes used wrongly instead of the present perfect simple.
“Yesterday I go (instead of went) to the supermarket” is an example of a very common mistake in spoken English.
This post will explain the rules and usage of the past simple tense, along with some phrases and exercises that will help you remember the correct form.
We have also linked to some other posts and pages that will help you with your understanding of this tense.
The Rules
| Verbs Ending In: | How to Make the Simple Past | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| e | add ‘d’ | Wave –> Waved Live –> Lived |
| one vowel + 1 consonant not y or w |
double the consonant + ‘ed’ |
Tap –> Tapped |
| ’y’ after a consonant | change ‘y’ to ‘ied’ | Cry –> Cried |
| anything else | add ‘ed | Call –> Called Play –> Played Pour –> Poured |
Irregular Verbs
As you probably already know, there are also many irregular verbs in English for the past tense. Here are some of the most common ones.
| Infinitive | In the Simple Past |
|---|---|
| to be | was/were |
| to do | did |
| to go | went |
| to come | came |
| to eat | ate |
| to find | found |
| to get | got |
| to give | gave |
| to run | ran |
| to sleep | slept |
| to teach | taught |
| to think | thought |
| to wake | woke |
| to write | wrote |
Forming the Negative
The auxiliary did is used to form the negative – did + not + the infinitive. (I did not play)
- I did not play
- You did not work yesterday
- We did not want to go
- They did not sleep last night
“Did + not” gets contracted in normal speech
- I didn’t play
- You didn’t work yesterday
- We didn’t want to go
- They didn’t sleep last night
Asking Questions
The auxiliary “did” is always used in forming the questions.
- Did I play?
- Did you work last night?
- Did you want to go?
- Did you sleep sleep last night?
Now Let’s Use It
The past simple tense is used when we talk about actions that were completed in the past. We use it with the following expressions: last week, last month, last year, yesterday, five hours ago, two weeks ago etc. The completed action can come in a series of events:
- Yesterday I did my homework, went to the beach, and then saw that new film.
It can also be used to talk about a duration in the past:
- I lived in Spain for two years.
It is used in a similar way to “used to.”
- I played a lot of soccer when I was at school.
- I went the mountains every summer when I was young.
Another way to use the past simple tense is to talk about generalizations in the past, for example, what you were like at school:
- When I was at school I was very shy.
A fantastic and simple exercise to to write about what you did last night, last weekend, last month, last year. Try and include as many different verbs as possible.
If you struggle with the past simple when talking, remember to take your time! There is now rush. Getting it correct slowly the first few times is important. It comes easier the more you say it.
Past Simple Exercises
Complete the following sentences using the past simple; the answers are below (no cheating!)
Questions:
1. I ______ (go) to the shops yesterday.
2. They ______ (buy) a new car with their winnings.
3. _______ (he / win) the tennis game?
4. I ______ (no / teach) any classes last week.
5. We ______ (play) tennis every day when I was in high school.
6. I ______ (drink) a lot last night.
7. He only ______ (wake up) at 11am this morning, he ______ (miss) his class.
8. ______ (she / spend) a lot of time in Brazil?
9. They finally ______ (find) it under the sofa.
10. I ______ (like) going to international restaurants when I lived in Madrid.
Answers
1. went
2. bought
3. Did he win
4. I didn’t teach
5. played
6. drank
7. woke up / missed
8. Did she spend
9. found
10. liked