Past Simple

Past Simple (positive, negative, questions)

Types of sentences	Regular verbs	Irregular verbs
+	She danced at the party.	He went to the zoo.
-	She didn’t dance at the party.	He didn’t go to the zoo.
yes/no?	Did she dance at the party?	Did he go to the zoo?
wh?	When did she dance at the party?	Where did he go?

1.1 Use Past Simple to talk about completed actions in the past. The Past Simple form is the same for all subjects. 

Examples

I went to the zoo.

He saw a rainbow.

1.2 Use time markers to specify when something happened in the past.

Common time markers: yesterday, last (night, week, month, year), ago (three days ago), in (2008)

Examples

I travelled to France last month.

He started his new job a week ago.

1.3 Use «when» to join two past actions.

Example

I played soccer when I was young.

1.4 Use Past Simple for completed actions and Past Continuous for actions in progress at a specific time.

Example

I watched TV last night.

Spelling rules for regular verbs

• Add «-ed»

Example

work - worked, 

stay - stayed

• Add «-d» if the verb ends in «e»

Example

like - liked, 

love - loved

• Change «y» to «ied» if the verb ends in consonant + «y»

Example

study - studied, 

carry - carried

• Double the final consonant if the verb ends in consonant-vowel-consonant

Example

stop - stopped, 

plan - planned

Irregular verbs are given in a separate article 

1.5 Use Present Perfect (NOT Past Simple) to talk about past experiences and recent actions when we don't specify a time.

1.6 Use Past Simple (NOT Present Perfect) to ask or talk about finished actions in the past, when the time is mentioned or understood (with yesterday, last week, etc.)

Examples

• Present Perfect:

  • I've been to Madrid twice. ( = in my life up to now)

  • I've bought a new computer. ( = I don't say exactly when, where, etc.)

• Past Simple:

  • I went there in 1998 and 2002. ( = on two specific occasions)

  • I bought it last Saturday. ( = I say when)

1.6 Use Past Simple and Past Perfect with «as soon as» to indicate that the first action was completed before the second action started.

Examples

I handed the work in as soon as I had finished it. ( = first I had completed it, then I handed it in)

As soon as he had left, I found his notes. ( = first he had left, then I found)

1.7 Use «till» or «until» to show the time up to which an action occurred in the past. The verb in the main clause is usually in Past Simple, and the verb after «till/until» can be in Past Simple or Past Perfect depending on the context.

Examples

I worked till John arrived.

She stayed in bed until everyone had left.