Using the past simple
When do we need to use the past simple tense in English? Remember, this
is the basic past tense. We use it whenever we want to talk about the past
and we don't have any special situation that means we should use the past
perfect, present perfect, past continuous etc.
Here's when we use it:
1 Finished events in the past with no connection
to the present:
Leonardo painted the Mona Lisa.
The Vikings invaded Britain.
2 With a finished time word (yesterday, last
week, at 2 o'clock, in 2003):
I went to the cinema yesterday.
We visited Japan in 2007.
3 For stories / lists of events:
He went to a café, sat down and lit a cigarette.
Yesterday I went to the library, met a friend for
lunch, and played tennis.
4 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.
5 As part of the second conditional:
If I won the lottery, I would buy a house in Chelsea.
If she knew his number, she would call him.
It's similar to the present simple because it has different rules for the verb
'be', which becomes 'was' or 'were':
The Past Simple with 'be'
Here's how to make the positive:
Positive with 'be'
I was cold
you were tired
he was in the garden
she was late
it was sunny
we were on holiday
they were hungry
To make the negative with 'be', just add 'not':
Negative with 'be' Negative Short Form
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
To make a question, just like the present simple, we change the position of
'was / were' and the subject.
Here are the past simple 'yes / no' questions with 'be':
'Yes / No' Questions with 'Be'
was I sleepy?
were you late?
was he at the cinema?
was she kind?
was it hot?
were we hungry?
were they at work?
And the 'wh' questions with 'be' (the question word just goes at the
beginning, everything else is the same):
'Wh' Questions with 'Be'
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?
The Past Simple (Simple Past) with Other
Verbs
We make the past simple just like the present simple except we use 'did'
instead of 'do / does'. It's really easy because 'did' doesn't change, even with
'he / she / it'.
The positive:
We usually make the positive by adding '-ed' to the infinitive. For example,
'play' becomes 'played'. However, there are some irregular verbs, for
example 'go' becomes 'went' and 'run' becomes 'ran'.
Positive with Other Verbs
I walked (regular)
you played (regular)
he cooked (regular)
she listened (regular)
it rained (regular)
we ate (irregular)
they drank (irregular)
In the negative there aren't any irregular verbs. All verbs use 'did not
(didn't) + infinitive':
Negative Negative Short Form
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
Questions are also very easy. Just put 'did' before the subject, and the
infinitive after it.
Here are the 'yes / no' questions:
'Yes / No' Questions
did I walk?
did you play?
did he cook?
did she listen?
did it rain?
did we eat?
did they drink?
To make a 'wh' question, of course, put the question word 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?