The Past Simple

The Past Simple

Form
To form a past simple, most verbs added with “-ed”

• We walked to museum.

• We finished our meal.

• They stayed in my house on Tuesday.

The form is the same in all persons.

Some past forms are irregular.

• I saw him ran away from me.

• I bought him a toy.

• I ate pizza last night.

Use did not or didn’t with base form for negative form

• We didn’t walked to museum.

• We did not run away.

Use did with base form for question.

• Did you finished your meal?

• How fast did you run?

Regular and irregular verbs are the same in every persons. Except the verb be.

• I was/ you were late this morning

Do not use did with was or were.

• I wasn’t hungry at dinner

• Were you tired last night?

• NOT : Did you be tired last night?

Use
Use the past simple for an action the past.

• I bought a car yesterday.

• I finished my homework last night.

• When did you go?

The past is the normal tense in a story.

• A prince of Persia ran into the desert and found the blade of time.

Use the past simple for states :

• That party last week was amazing.

• The Ottoman Empire had a special agent called “Janisary”.

• I believed in fairies when I was little.

Tip : Some typical time expressions with the past simple are yesterday, last week/ year, a week/ month ago, the other day/ week, at ten o’clock, on Monday, in 2001, once, then, next, after that. ( Oxford Learner's Pocket Grammar)