Past Simple
The Past Simple is used to describe completed actions in the past, often with a time reference like 'yesterday' or 'last week'. Regular verbs end in '-ed', while irregular verbs have unique past forms.
Past simple with the verb 'be'
Like the present simple, the past simple treats the verb 'be' separately. In the past it takes the forms 'was' and 'were':
This is the affirmative form, meaning an ordinary statement rather than a negative or a question. It is also known as the positive form.
| Affirmative |
|---|
| I was cold |
| you were tired |
| he was in the garden |
| she was late |
| it was sunny |
| we were on holiday |
| they were hungry |
The negative is formed by adding 'not' after the verb.
| Negative | Contracted Negative |
|---|---|
| I was not sleepy | I wasn't sleepy |
| you were not on the bus | you weren't on the bus |
| he was not at school | he wasn't at school |
| she was not beautiful | she wasn't beautiful |
| it was not cold | it wasn't cold |
| we were not at work | we weren't at work |
| they were not tired | they weren't tired |
Finally, consider the question form of the past simple with 'be'.
The 'yes / no' question form is as follows:
| Yes/No Questions |
|---|
| was I sleepy? |
| were you late? |
| was he at the cinema? |
| was she kind? |
| was it hot? |
| were we hungry? |
| were they at work? |
To form a 'wh' question, place the question word at the front:
| Wh Questions | |
|---|---|
| why was I sleepy? | |
| where were you? | |
| when was he at the cinema? | |
| how was she? | |
| how was it? | |
| why were we hungry? | |
| when were they at work? |
Past simple with other verbs
The past simple is built on the same pattern as the present simple, except that the auxiliary is 'did' rather than 'do / does'. 'Did' is invariable, so it does not change before 'he', 'she' or 'it'.
The affirmative is normally formed by adding '-ed' to the infinitive, so 'play' becomes 'played'. A substantial group of irregular verbs departs from this pattern: 'go' becomes 'went' and 'run' becomes 'ran'.
| Affirmative with other verbs |
|---|
| I walked (regular) |
| you played (regular) |
| he cooked (regular) |
| she listened (regular) |
| it rained (regular) |
| we ate (irregular) |
| they drank (irregular) |
The negative admits no irregular forms. Every verb takes did not (didn't) + infinitive:
| Negative | Contracted Negative |
|---|---|
| I did not walk | I didn't walk |
| you did not play | you didn't play |
| he did not cook | he didn't cook |
| she did not listen | she didn't listen |
| it did not rain | it didn't rain |
| we did not eat | we didn't eat |
| they did not drink | they didn't drink |
Now consider the question form of the past simple.
Questions place 'did' before the subject and the infinitive after it.
| Yes / No Questions |
|---|
| did I walk? |
| did you play? |
| did he cook? |
| did she listen? |
| did it rain? |
| did we eat? |
| did they drink? |
In a 'wh' question, the question word comes at the beginning of the sentence:
| Wh Questions | |
|---|---|
| where did I go? | |
| what did you play? | |
| what did he cook? | |
| why did she listen? | |
| when did it rain? | |
| where did we eat? | |
| how did they travel? |
Uses of the past simple
Finished actions, states or habits in the past.
1. It is used for completed actions, states or habits in the past accompanied by a finished time reference such as 'yesterday', 'last week', 'at 2 o'clock' or 'in 2003'.
- I went to the cinema yesterday.
- We spent a lot of time in Japan in 2007.
2. It is used when general knowledge tells us that the period in question is over, including cases where the person referred to is no longer alive.
- Leonardo painted the Mona Lisa.
- The Vikings invaded Britain.
3. It supplies the detail of an event first introduced by the present perfect or another tense. This use is often described as giving the details of news.
- I've hurt my leg. I fell off a ladder when I was painting my bedroom.
- I've been on holiday. I went to Spain and Portugal.
4. In narrative and in sequences of events, the past simple carries the actions of the story while the past continuous supplies the background.
- He went to a café. People were chatting and music was playing. He sat down and ordered a coffee.
Unreal or imaginary things in the present or future.
5. The past simple also refers to what is unreal in the present or the future. It appears in the second conditional and after verbs such as 'wish'.
- If I won the lottery, I would buy a house.
- I wish I had more time!