Today we will look at the last tense belonging to the Simple group in English grammar - Past Simple Tense. In English courses for adults from Easy Speak, our students begin to use this time already at the first level. It is translated into Russian as “simple past tense.” From the article you will learn when it is used, how it is formed, and how to construct negative and interrogative sentences in this tense.
When we use Past Simple
We use the simple past tense when we say:
1. About events or actions that occurred in the past and the time for which has expired. That is, the action or event is complete.
(he bought a car last year, they went on vacation last month, the meeting was last week)
2. About events or actions in the past that were repeated regularly, but are not happening now.
(she danced at school, we went to the gym last year)
3. About events in the past that happened one after another.
(they met, walked in the park, went to the cinema)
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How is the affirmative form of the Past Simple formed?
When forming the Past Simple, we always look at the verb, as it will change. There are two types of verbs in English: right and wrong.
Depending on the verb, the past tense is formed as follows:
- if the verb is correct, we add ending -ed(cook - cooked);
- if the verb is irregular, we put it in second form (see - saw).
There is no rule by which we can determine the correct or irregular verb in front of us. You can only find out by looking it up in a dictionary or remembering it.
The same goes for forms of irregular verbs. You need to memorize them or look them up in the dictionary. The Past Simple formation scheme is as follows:
The one we are talking about + a regular verb ending in ed or the 2nd form of an irregular verb.
| I | |
| You | |
| We | worked |
| They | slept |
| She | went |
| He | |
| It |
For example
I went to the cinema yesterday.
I went to the cinema yesterday.
She moved last year
She moved last year.
They married three years ago.
They got married three years ago.
Verb endings -ed in the Past Simple
There are a few caveats when adding the -ed ending to regular verbs.
- If the verb ends in -e, then it is added to the verb -d only:
chang e- chang ed- change;
clos e- clos ed— close.
- If the verb ends to a consonant, in front of which stands stressed vowel, then the consonant is doubled:
sto p-sto pped- stop;
ba n-ba nned- forbid.
Exceptions: verbs ending in -x and -w:
fi x-fi xed- fix;
flo w-flo wed- leak.
Note: V British English, when a verb ends in -l, it is doubled regardless of where the stress falls:
travel l- travel lled- travel.
American version:
travel l- travel led- travel.
- If the verb ends in -y and there is a consonant before it, then y changes to i+ed:
cr y-cr ied- cry;
tr y- tr ied- sample.
Important: If there is a vowel before -u, then the ending -ed is added without change letters:
sta y-sta yed- stay;
pla y- pla yed- play.
Companion words Past Simple
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These are clue words that help determine that this is the simple past tense:
- yesterday,
- last week / month / year,
- in 1989 (2000, 2012, etc.) year,
- two (three, four, etc.) days/month/years ago.
Examples
I saw him five days ago.
I saw him five days ago.
She watched this film yesterday.
She watched this film yesterday.
They lived in England in 1999 year.
They lived in England in 1999.
Negative sentences in Past Simple
Negation is formed using auxiliary verb did(this is the auxiliary verb do, but in the past form) and particles not. In this case, the semantic verb is used in the initial form.
The combination did + not will be our particle “ Not". For example, he did not participate in the exhibition, they did not go to the club yesterday.
The scheme for constructing a negative sentence in the Past Simple is as follows:
The one we are talking about + did + not + verb in the initial form.
| I | |||
| You | |||
| We | work | ||
| They | did | not | sleep |
| She | go | ||
| He | |||
| It |
Important point: The auxiliary verb did already shows that the sentence is in the past tense, so it itself verb in a sentence(run/jump/work) we do not put in the past tense, but use the initial form. That is, we do not put it in the 2nd form and do not add the ending ed.
Why do you need to show twice that this is the past tense?
Didn't swim yesterday.
He didn't swim yesterday.
NOT: He didn't swam yesterday.
For example
They did not work last summer.
They didn't work last summer.
She did not run yesterday.
She didn't run yesterday.
What abbreviation can you use?
We can shorten the negative particle not as follows.
Did + not = didn’t
We didn't win this battle.
We didn't win this battle.
Interrogative sentences in Past Simple
The construction of questions in the Past Simple is the same as in other tenses of this group (Simple). To ask a question, you need to put the auxiliary verb did first in the sentence. The semantic verb, as in negation, is not put in the past tense, but its initial form is used. There is no need to add the ending -ed.
Did + the person in question + the initial form of the verb.
| I | ||
| you | ||
| they | work? | |
| Did | we | sleep? |
| he | go? | |
| she | ||
| it |
Statement
He called me last week.
He called me last week.
They bought a new car.
They bought a new car.
Question
Did he called you last week?
Did he call you last week?
Did they buy a new car?
Did they buy a new car?
Short positive answer contains the auxiliary verb did, which replaces the action itself.
Yes, he did.
Yes, he called.
Yes, they did.
Yes, they bought it.
Complete positive answer is constructed as an affirmative sentence.
Yes, he called me last week.
Yes, he called me last week.
Yes, they bought a new car.
Yes, they bought a new car.
Short negative answer contains the auxiliary verb did and the negative particle not.
No, he did not.
No, he didn't call.
No, they did not.
No, they didn't buy it.
Complete negative answer is constructed as a negative sentence.
No, he did not call me last week.
No, he didn't call me last week.
No, they did not buy a new car.
No, they didn't buy a new car.
Special questions in the Past Simple
When we ask a question with the following question words:
- what,
- when,
- where,
- which,
Question word + did + the person in question + verb in the initial form?
| I | |||
| When | you | ||
| Where | they | work? | |
| What | did | we | meet? |
| Why | she | buy? | |
| he | |||
| it |
Let's look at examples.
Why did did you steal this thing?
Why did you steal this thing?
When did she sell her phone?
When did she sell her phone?
What did do they buy?
What did they buy?
So, we've looked at the simple past tense, which is actually not that simple. If you have any questions, ask them in the comments below the article.
Also, if you haven't done this yet, I advise you to read about other times of the Simple group:
Now let's move on to practice.
Exercise to consolidate Past Simple
Translate the following sentences into English:
1. He built his house in 1997.
2. They went to a concert last month.
3. Did you give her a gift yesterday? Yes, I gave her a gift yesterday.
4. We didn't see each other last week.
5. My friend broke her phone last year.
6. The children didn’t go to camp last summer.
7. Why did he move?
8. Did you go hiking last weekend? No, we didn't go.
Write your answers in the comments, and I will definitely check them.
What is Past Simple (Past Idefinite)
Past Simple (Past Indefinite) is the simple past tense in English, which is used to convey information about a specific event or action that happened in the past.
The name speaks for itself - this tense form is actually considered the simplest in the ocean of past tenses of the English language. The action could take place in the recent past or the distant past, and its duration, duration or completion does not matter.
Formula education Past Simple
When using correct English verbs:
Subject + verb infinitive without particle « to» + ending -ed.
My grandma danced a lot when she was young.
My granny a lot danced when I was young.
When using irregular English verbs:
Subject + 2 verb form.
Jessica hung out with her foreign mates at the record store last week.
Last week Jessica hanging out with my foreign friends.
Word markers and pointers in the Past Simple
The main indicators of “Past Simple” time include the following words and phrases:
- yesterday- yesterday,
- last week- last week,
- two hours ago- two hours ago,
- then- Then,
- in 1998- in 1998, etc.
Mom bought that bag by Gucci in 2005.
Ma bought that Gucci bag in 2005.
Yesterday they watched their favorite photos from the past.
Yesterday They watched your favorite photos from the past.
Affirmative sentences in Past Simple
The affirmative sentence in “Past Simple” is constructed quite simply. First comes subject, followed by verb with ending «- ed"if it is correct (regular); or second verb form, if it refers to irregular verbs. Regardless of the person and number of the English subject, the predicate remains identical for everyone. Past Simple rules and examples can be found in the table below.
Interrogative sentences in Past Simple
To create an interrogative sentence ( interrogative sentence) in “Past Simple”, you just need to put the auxiliary verb “ did", then subject and finally initial form of the semantic verb(i.e. infinitive without the particle “to”).
Negative sentences in Past Simple
As in a regular affirmative sentence, a negative sentence ( negative sentence) you should start with subject. Next we add the auxiliary verb “ did"with a negative particle" not»: « did not / didn't", and then we use the infinitive form of the verb without using the particle " to" Voila!
| REGULAR VERB | IRREGULAR VERB | ||
| I + DIDN'T+ PAINT | I didn't draw | I + DIDN'T + SLEEP | I did not sleep |
| You + DIDN'T+ PAINT | You didn't draw | You + DIDN'T + SLEEP | You did not sleep |
| She + DIDN'T+ PAINT He + DIDN’T+ PAINT It + DIDN'T+ PAINT |
She didn't draw He didn't draw It didn't draw |
She + DIDN'T + SLEEP He + DIDN'T + SLEEP It + DIDN'T + SLEEP |
She didn't sleep He didn't sleep It didn't sleep |
| We + DIDN'T + PAINT | We didn't draw | We + DIDN'T + SLEEP | We didn't sleep |
| You + DIDN'T+ PAINT | You didn't draw | You + DIDN'T + SLEEP | you didn't sleep |
| They + DIDN'T+ PAINT | They didn't draw | They + DIDN'T + SLEEP | They didn't sleep |
Using verbs in the Past Simple
When it comes to the past tense in English, many people probably have a question: “How to use the verb correctly?” be"?" To avoid asking such a question, let us recall that this verb has a couple of forms: “ was» / « were» / « been" Since we are talking about “Past Indefinite”, we, accordingly, need the second options based on the rules for constructing this English-speaking tense.
It's time to give a couple of examples " Past Simple" for clarity:
Gee, I don't have any idea where that guy was last time!
My God, I have no idea where was that guy last time!
Their kids were typical sweetums and binged on candies almost every day back in the days.
In the past their children were typical sweet tooths and ate candy almost every day.
Formation of Past Simple in active and passive
When we touch on "Past Simple", it is important to remember that this tense has 2 options. One is used for active voice - time " Past Simple Active" The second is for passive voice - time " Past Simple Passive».
- Passive voice:
If used correct verbs in " Past Simple»:
Subject + verb was/were + infinitive verb without particles « to» With ending «- ed».
That seascape was painted by Edward William Cooke in the 19th century.
That seascape was painted by Edward William Cook in the 19th century.
Subject + verb was/were + 3 form verb
Their names were forgotten two decades ago.
Their names were forgotten two decades ago.
Affirmative sentence: "Past Simple Passive" vs. "Past Simple Active":
"Black Widow" was written by Iggy Azalea in 2014.
Iggy Azalea wrote"Black Widow" in 2014.
Iggy Azalea wrote the song "Black Widow" in 2014.
Negative sentence: "Past Simple Passive" vs. "Past Simple Active"
"Cloud Atlas" wasn't directed by Hayao Miyazaki then.
Hayao Miyazaki didn't direct"Cloud Atlas" then.
Hayao Miyazaki was not the director of Cloud Atlas back then.
Interrogative sentence: "Past Simple Passive" vs. Past Simple Active"
Was that mansion built by my ancestors last century?
Did my ancestors build that mansion last century?
My ancestors built that mansion last century?
Uses of Past Simple
Difference between Past Simple and Present Perfect
| Past Simple | Present Perfect |
| The action happened at a certain moment in the past. | The action ended at an indefinite moment, we have the result, but we do not know in what exact period of time the action occurred. |
| Elizabeth left us yesterday. Elizabeth left us yesterday. |
Elizabeth has left for Seoul. Elizabeth went to Seoul. |
| An action happened at a certain point in the past and cannot be repeated. | The action happened, we have the result for now, and it can be repeated. |
| We met Princess Diana. We met Princess Diana. |
We have spoken to Nicki Minaj. We spoke with Nicki Minaj. |
| Past Simple - a certain fact in the past, a given that some action took place in the past. We do not know whether it lasted, is still lasting, or has already ended; it just was. | Present Perfect - the specific result of an action at the present moment in time, the action not only happened but also ended. Whether it completed successfully or not will be clear from the context and the words of the markers. |
Nota Bene: To understand “Past Simple” once and for all and understand what the difference is between it and “Present Perfect”, do not forget to pay attention to the free online simulator from EnglishDom. There you will find not only an explanation of the grammatical nuances of using these two tenses, but you will also be able to consolidate the learned material in practice.
Conclusion
So we figured out what this strange time “Past Indefinite” is, and also talked about the differences between “Past Simple” and “Present Perfect”. Feel free to use this time in English speaking and share your memories and impressions with friends and colleagues!
We invite you to familiarize yourself with other tenses of the English language
Big and friendly EnglishDom family
There are three main tense forms in English: present simple, past simple, future simple. These are, so to speak, three pillars, the foundation on which other temporary forms are built. Each point is a separate topic and needs to be studied in detail. Today we will look at how the past simple is formed, give examples with translation, formulas and explanations. After reading the material, you will be able to easily understand the intricacies and peculiarities of using time, and also learn how to compose negative and interrogative sentences. Forward for another portion of knowledge!
Identifier words (time markers) that form the simple past tense
To begin with, let us immediately note that the formation of the past simple has its own characteristics. Recognizing time is quite easy if you are guided by the presence of identifier words in sentences, so-called time markers, such as:
- last month (week, year),
- yesterday
- seven days (years, months, weeks) ago,
- during holidays,
- the other day,
- in 1875 etc.
If such words and phrases are present in a sentence, then they indicate that the action was performed in the past and has nothing to do with the present moment.
For example:
- My sister went abroad 7 years ago => My sister went abroad 7 years ago. The action is completed, it is a fact.
Important! The simple past tense (past indefinite) has a rather subtle parallel with the present perfect. Sometimes it’s really difficult to understand the difference, you have to go out of context. In this case, the identifier words given above will come to the rescue.
Take note! The simple past tense denotes not only an action committed in the past, but also historical facts, facts from past years (centuries) and actions that are unique.
Example:
- My father bought a car last month -> In the past, my father bought a car. Father bought a car last month -> this means that this fact is completed and has nothing to do with the present, the only action, the action has been completed.
Reference: When forming sentences, do not follow the rules literally. You need to feel the sentence, its meaning and the tense to use correctly. For example, to translate a regular sentence He was a smart student no need to discover America and reinvent the wheel, just write He was a clever student . The tense is the simple past, there are no identifier words, but the fact itself does not change - we use the Past Simple and that’s it.
Here are examples of several more sentences in the simple past tense without identifier words:
- A congress adopted the rules => Congress adopted the rules.
- The occasion was very interesting and funny => The event was very interesting and funny.
- That man decided to be the first in the queue => That man decided to be first in the queue.
- An artist became famous and rich => The artist became famous and rich.
- My neighbors dressed all that miserable people => My neighbors dressed all those needy people.
On a note! Past simple form It is appropriate to use when we are talking about long-standing habits, actions that were repeated several times, that is, they were regular, but! Now they are not appropriate, that is, they are no longer performed. Important! In such sentences you will most often see the presence of words such as sometimes, every day, at first, always :
- Children went to school every day => Children went to school every day (but now they don’t).
- I always showed him the right way but he always went in the wrong direction => I always showed him the right way, but he always went in the wrong direction.
- Sometimes I bought that magazines => Sometimes I bought those magazines.
This is the simple past tense. With its help we say that in the past we:
took some action(single):
Last week I went to the cinema.
Yesterday I saw a rainbow.
They got married five years ago.
took some action(several times or regularly):
I always came to work on time.
He wrote me letters every month.
During the holidays she went to visit her grandmother in the village.
in past several sequential actions occurred, one after another:
I opened the book, read five pages and put it down.
I went in and locked the door behind me.
Anna woke up, lay down for another fifteen minutes and only then got up.
To make a sentence, we need a special form of the verb. If the verb is correct, then we substitute the ending -ed. If it is irregular, we take it from the second column in the table of irregular verbs.
I was at work yesterday. – Yesterday I was At work.
My parents were on holiday. – My parents were on holiday.
He did his exercises regularly. – He regularly did your exercises.
Mary went shopping. – Mary went to the store.
We danced all night long. – We danced all night long.
She played volleyball. – She played in volleyball.
They loved each other strongly. – They are very loved each other.
If you need a negative sentence (someone didn’t do something, didn’t do something), then we use two elements:
didn't (did not) + verb,
as we see it in the dictionary, without any particles or endings
I didn't see anything because of the darkness. – I'm nothing did not see because of the darkness.
They didn't play football. – They didn't play to football.
I didn't go shopping with you yesterday. – I did not go shopping with you yesterday.
We didn't learn that at school. – We didn't teach this at school.
She didn't know this. – She this dont know.
But if the main verb in our sentence is be (was / were), then instead of didn't we put wasn't (was not) or weren't (were not).
I wasn't at home when it happened. – I wasn't home when it happened.
She wasn't a doctor, she was a teacher. – She was not a doctor, but a teacher.
They weren't in China at all. – They haven't been to China at all.
You weren't at work at five p.m. – You weren't at work at five o'clock.
When we ask a question, we put did in first place, before the object, in the verb after the object.
Did you go to cinema yesterday? – Did you go to the cinema yesterday?
Did you hear the news? – Have you heard the news?
Did he love her? – Did he love her?
Did she buy a present for her daughter? – Did she buy a gift for her daughter?
Did they go to Greece every summer? – Did they go to Greece every summer?
Did you live in a hostel? – Did you live in a hostel?
But if it is a question with the verb be (was/were), then did is not required. In this case, was/were comes first, before the object.
Was it her car? – Was this her car?
Were you at the hotel? – Have you been to the hotel?
Was the child with his granny that evening? – Was the child with his grandmother that evening?
Were they too angry? – Were they very angry?
If we ask a question with a question word (where, when, why, etc.), then we put this word in first place.
When did they come? – When they came.
Where did the children go? – Where are the children gone?
What kind of dress did you buy? – Which did you buy the dress?
Where were you last week? – Where were you there last week?
When was the meeting? – When was there a meeting?
Words and expressions with which the Past Simple is used
| Words | Translation | Examples |
|---|---|---|
There are many interesting events in life that are pleasant to remember... If you want to talk about what happened to you in English, you will need to use the Past Simple Tense. You will learn about this grammatical tense, how to form and use it, as well as what regular verbs are in this lesson.
Rice. 1. When to use the simple past tense ()
Past Simple Tense is used to describe actions or events that happened at a specific time in the past (Figure 1).
yesterday- yesterday
thedaybeforeyesterday- day before yesterday
last week/month/year - last week (last year/month)
hour/ten days/two weeks/three months/five years ago- an hour/10 days/two weeks/three months/five years ago.
These events happened at a specific time in the past. These are simple facts from the past.
You went to school yesterday.
Your friends went to visit your grandmother last week.
Your parents came home from work three hours ago.
To say these sentences in English, you need to learn how to form the Past Simple tense.
Regular verbs in the formPastSimple
All verbs in English are divided into two groups: correct (regularverbs) and irregular (irregularverbs)(Fig. 2) .
Rice. 2. Regular and irregular verbs ()
Those verbs that change their form according to a certain rule are correct (regularverbs).
Those verbs that do not change their form according to the rule - incorrect (irregularverbs).
The Past Simple tense is special; in order to form it, it is necessary to change the form of the verb, from the usual infinitive, i.e., the first form that can be found in dictionaries, to make the 2nd form.
How to form the Past Simple form of regular verbs (Fig. 3).
Add the ending -ED to the main (1st) form of the verb.
Rice. 3. Formation of the simple past tense for regular verbs ()
Dance-danc ed
Play-play ed
Skate - skat ed
Katya danced yesterday. - Katya danced yesterday
Tom played football last Sunday. - Tom played football last Sunday.
Children skated a week ago. - The children went ice skating a week ago.
Note
Pronunciation of the ending -ED(Fig. 4)
Rice. 4. Ending -ED()
The result is affirmative sentences in the Past Simple tense.
Katya danced yesterday.
Tom played football last Sunday.
Read the sentence and ask a general question.
Mike cleaned teeth an hour ago. Jane helped her mother about the house the day before yesterday. It rained last Monday
Right answers:
Did Mike clean his teeth an hour ago? Did Jane help her mother about the house the day before yesterday? Did it rain last Monday?
In the next lesson you will learn how to use IRREGULAR verbs in the Past Simple.
Bibliography
- Biboletova M.Z., Denisenko O.A., Trubaneva N.N. Enjoy English. 3rd grade. - Title, 2008.
- Vereshchagina I.N. ., Bondarenko K.A. Pritikina T . A. English language textbook for 3rd grade schools with in-depth study of English. - M.: Education, 2013.
- Kaufman, Kaufman: English language. HappyEnglish.ru. Happy English.ru. Textbook for 3rd grade. - Title, 2012.
- Golitsynsky Yu. Grammar Collection of exercises (edition 6). - M.: Karo, 2007.
- Audio-class.ru ().
- Youtube.com().
Homework
Use the verb in brackets in the Past Simple Tense.
- Children (dress) quickly.
- I (help) my mother in the kitchen.
- We (walk) in the park.
- They (wash) their clothes in the bathroom.
- We (watch) an interesting film.
- Students (work) in the garden.
- Jim (play) basketball.
- It (rain) a lot.
- Henry (ski) down the hill.
Put the sentences in interrogative and negative forms.
- They watered the plants.
- She helped in the garden.
- Lisa used her old dictionary.
- We started school at half past eight.
- Paul and Cathy tidied their room.
Open the brackets in the Present Simple or Past Simple.
- You (arrive) in England last week.
- My brother (study) Russian at university.
- I (phone) you yesterday.
- Margo and Alice always (plan) their holiday together.
- Tom (invite) us to his birthday party two days ago.
- The children often (carry) the books to the classroom.
- We (finish) the exam at half past three.
- I always (chat) to Jane about films and fashion.
