Simple Past/Past Simple - Brief version
- Simple Past
- Summary
- Use
- Signal words
- Form of affirmative, negative sentences and questions
- Spelling
- Special verbs
- Diagram
- Pronunciation of the ending -ed
- Simple Past - Complex Test 1
- Exercises - Simple Past
- Exercises - Irregular verbs
Use
1) action finished in the past
I visited Berlin last week.
2) series of completed actions in the past
First I got up, then I had breakfast
3) together with the Past Progressive/Continuous - The Simple Past interrupted an action which was in progress in the past.
They were playing cards when the telephone rang.
Signal words
yesterday, last week, a month ago, in 2002
Form
- with regular verbs: infinitive + -ed
- with irregular verbs: 2nd column of the table of the irregular verbs
Examples
Affirmative sentences:
| regular verbs |
irregular verbs |
| I played football. |
I went to the cinema. |
| We visited Alaska last year. |
We were in Rome yesterday. |
Negative sentences:
You must not negate a full verb in English. Always use the auxiliary did (Simple Past of to do) for negations.
| I |
|
played |
football. |
| I |
didn't |
play |
football. |
| He |
didn't |
play |
football. |
Questions:
Use the auxiliary did (Simple Past of to do).
Did you play football?
