Simple Past

Definition

The Simple Past Tense describes actions that began and ended in the past. It is used to talk about events that happened at a specific time and are now finished.

Formula: Subject + Verb (Past Form / V2) + Object
Tip: Regular verbs take -ed in the past (e.g., play → played), while irregular verbs have unique forms (go → went, see → saw).
Uses of Simple Past Tense
# Use Description Examples
1 Completed Actions To talk about something that happened and finished in the past. I watched a movie yesterday.
She visited her grandmother last week.
2 Series of Past Actions To list actions that happened one after another. He woke up, brushed his teeth, and went to work.
3 Duration in the Past To describe how long something lasted in the past. They lived in London for five years.
I studied English for two months.
Sentence Structures

Positive Structure

Subject + Verb (Past Form) + Object
Examples:

1) She went to school.

2) I played football yesterday.

3) They visited the museum last Sunday.

Negative Structure

Subject + did not (didn’t) + Verb (base form) + Object
Examples:

1) She didn’t go to school.

2) I didn’t play football yesterday.

3) They didn’t visit the museum last Sunday.

Interrogative Structure

Did + Subject + Verb (base form) + Object?
Examples:

1) Did she go to school?

2) Did you play football yesterday?

3) Did they visit the museum last Sunday?

Negative Interrogative Structure

Didn’t + Subject + Verb (base form) + Object?
Examples:

1) Didn’t she go to school?

2) Didn’t you play football yesterday?

3) Didn’t they visit the museum last Sunday?

Common Signal Words

Here are a few signal words often used with the Simple Past Tense:

  • yesterday
  • last night
  • ago
  • in 2020
  • when I was a child
Examples in Context
  • 1) I finished my project yesterday. (Positive)
  • 2) She didn’t watch TV last night. (Negative)
  • 3) Did you visit your parents last weekend? (Interrogative)
  • 4) Didn’t they arrive on time yesterday? (Negative Interrogative)
  • 5) We went to the park two days ago. (Positive)
  • 6) I didn’t eat breakfast this morning. (Negative)
  • 7) Did he finish his homework last night? (Interrogative)
  • 8) Didn’t you call her yesterday? (Negative Interrogative)
  • 9) They played football yesterday evening. (Positive)
  • 10) He didn’t go to the gym yesterday. (Negative)
  • 11) Did your parents travel two years ago? (Interrogative)
  • 12) Didn’t she see the movie last weekend? (Negative Interrogative)
  • 13) We met our teacher yesterday. (Positive)
  • 14) I didn’t understand the lesson yesterday. (Negative)
  • 15) Did you cook dinner last night? (Interrogative)