INVESTIGATION
NAME: DULCE ALVAREZ
GRADE: 9no ROOM: “A” SHIFT: MORNING
TERM: TWO
DATE: FRIDAY,FEBRUARY 8th, 2025.
TOPIC: PAST SIMPLE.
The past simple is one of the most important verb tenses in the English language. In
Spanish, past tense verbs have very different conjugations, but in English there are some
that retain their form in both the present and the past, and even the most irregular ones
have only up to three forms.
So, in theory, for a native Spanish speaker, regular and irregular verbs in English should
represent a less complex task. In this article you will find some keys that will help you
understand them, especially in their formulas, structures and pronunciation.
When is the past simple used?
The past simple is used to express that an idea, action or state has already been completed.
It could have ended five minutes ago or seven centuries ago, but the time of completion
does not matter, the only key thing is that it speaks of something that no longer happens or
exists in the present.
To emphasize that it is a fait accompli, it can be accompanied by context, for example:
• A year ago, I ate in that restaurant. / Hace un año comí en ese restaurante.
• In 1970, The Beatles split up. / Los Beatles se separador en 1970.
• When you were a child, you liked apples. / Cuando eras niño, te gustan las manzanas.
Note: These context sentences can go before or after the main sentence. For example:
• I ate in that restaurant a year ago. / Comí en ese restaurante hace un año.
There are verbs whose past tense does not always express a past situation. The best
example of this is the past decan, which is used to formalize questions, for example:
• Could you close the door, please?
As you know, there are regular and irregular verbs in English. Next, we will see the
formation of the past simple in both forms.
Past simple of regular verbs
There are some rules for the formation of regular verbs in English that are based on
knowing what the last letters of the infinitive are. The two endings for the formation of the
past simple are –d or –ed and depend on the following:
1. –d is for verbs with an ¨ last letter. For example:
• Close - Closed: She closed the store yesterday.
2. –ed is for verbs with any other ending. For example:
• Jump - Jumped: All the people jumped when they heard that song at the concert.
3. When there is a /y/ at the end, after a vowel, you just add –ed. For example:
• Play - Played: She played like a pro in the final match.
4. When there is no vowel before the /y/, it is changed to i+ed. For example:
• Study - Studied: I studied all night for the last test.
5. In other cases, the last consonant of the word must be repeated to add the formula –ed.
For example:
• Stop - Stopped: You stopped just in time, before the train crossed.
Past simple of regular verbs in negative and interrogative forms
To build sentences in the past simple in its negative form, you have to use the
auxiliary/does, which is the only one that is conjugated in the past. The main verb remains
in its infinitive form. For example:
• Affirmative: They practiced their play all weekend.
• Negative: They didn’t practice their play all weekend.
As for interrogative sentences, you also have to use the auxiliary/does. As in the negative
form, only the auxiliary is conjugated in the past, while the main verb remains in the
infinitive.
• Affirmative: You remembered the correct answer just before the end of test time
(Remembered the correct answer just before the end of the exam).
• Interrogative: Did you remember the correct answer just before the end of test time? (Did
you remember the correct answer just before the end of the exam?).
Past simple of irregular verbs in English
Now it is time to move on to irregular verbs in English, which can be more complex. Next,
we will see their particularities.
They are called irregular because they modify their root completely, either in their simple
past form, participle or both. Unlike regular verbs, you do not have to include –d or –ed, but
their spelling changes noticeably. In this case, it is necessary to learn the different forms,
but with reading and practice the task is easier. It is estimated that there are between 180
and 200 irregular verbs in common use in English. For now, here is a list of 30 that are used
every day:
To be (ser, estar) Was/Were Been
Buy (comprar) Bought Bought
Do (hacer) Did Done
Drink (beber) Drank Drunk
In both the negative form and in interrogative sentences, the auxiliary did is used and the
main verb remains in the infinitive (without to), meaning that it does not change its form to
the past.
If it is easier for you, here is a formula for the negative form so that you know how it is
structured, accompanied by an example: subject + did not + base verb (infinitive).
• Affirmative: She went to the park.
• Negative: She did not go to the park.
2. Practice and learning.
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