The past simple tense is quite straightforward. The main problem is its spelling rules, which you’ll find below.
We use the past simple to describe an action that started in the past and ended in the past. It could be something that happened twenty years ago or something that happened two minutes ago. It started. It stopped. It’s over.
I visited a client in London yesterday.
She planned the event all by herself.
The most common time expressions used for the past simple are: yesterday, a week (month, year) ago, last (month, year, weekend, Monday) night, the day before yesterday, two days (months, years) ago. The time expression appears either at the beginning or at the end of the sentence – never in the middle of the sentence.
Forming the Past Simple
Subject Verb + d, ed, ied
or irregular form (V2) Rest of Sentence
I / He / She / It You / We / They walked to the shop yesterday
slept late last Saturday
The past simple is usually formed by adding d, ed, or ied to the base form of the verb, however, in English there are many irregular verbs that take on a completely different form in the past tense. Some people call this the V2 form of the verb. The best thing to do is to try and memorize them.
Negative Sentences in the Past Simple Tense
Spelling Tip
When shortening the 3rd person (he, she, it) negative, just remove the o in not and add an apostrophe (‘)
did not > didn’t
To create a negative sentence in the past simple, use didn’t (did not) + the base form of the verb.
Note: Save the long forms (did not) for when you want to create emphasis. When speaking, put the stress on ‘not’.
Subject didn’t + verb in the base form Rest of Sentence
I / He / She / It You / We / They didn’t walk to the shop yesterday
The past simple tense is quite straightforward. The main problem is its spelling rules, which you’ll find below.
We use the past simple to describe an action that started in the past and ended in the past. It could be something that happened twenty years ago or something that happened two minutes ago. It started. It stopped. It’s over.
I visited a client in London yesterday.
She planned the event all by herself.
The most common time expressions used for the past simple are: yesterday, a week (month, year) ago, last (month, year, weekend, Monday) night, the day before yesterday, two days (months, years) ago. The time expression appears either at the beginning or at the end of the sentence – never in the middle of the sentence.
Forming the Past Simple
Subject Verb + d, ed, ied
or irregular form (V2) Rest of Sentence
I / He / She / It You / We / They walked to the shop yesterday
slept late last Saturday
The past simple is usually formed by adding d, ed, or ied to the base form of the verb, however, in English there are many irregular verbs that take on a completely different form in the past tense. Some people call this the V2 form of the verb. The best thing to do is to try and memorize them.
Negative Sentences in the Past Simple Tense
Spelling Tip
When shortening the 3rd person (he, she, it) negative, just remove the o in not and add an apostrophe (‘)
did not > didn’t
To create a negative sentence in the past simple, use didn’t (did not) + the base form of the verb.
Note: Save the long forms (did not) for when you want to create emphasis. When speaking, put the stress on ‘not’.
Subject didn’t + verb in the base form Rest of Sentence
I / He / She / It You / We / They didn’t walk to the shop yesterday
didn’t sleep late last Saturday
I didn’t talk to John yesterday.
He didn’t steal those ideas from the company.
You didn’t show me the photos from the wedding.
Ron did not sign the document.
1. Paul was driving a car when he heard this news.
2. Tom always comes late for his classes.
3. I locked the door and went to the shop.
4. Pam is jogging in the nearest park at the moment.
5. Helen will call her granny tomorrow morning.
6. They have already bought tickets for the performance.
7. My brother had cleaned the room before I came home.
8. Where have you been recently?
9. Who is playing the computer games now?
10. Where were you going when I saw you yesterday?
11. When will Tim write his report for the future conference?
12. Why did Andrew miss his lectures yesterday?
13. When do you usually have your lunch?
14. What was Ben writing on the blackboard when Nick saw him?
15. I don't like to go to the museums at all.
16. He won't help you because he will be very busy tomorrow.
17. Sam didn't answer my questions yesterday.
18. John hasn't written this difficult grammar test yet.
19. Mona wasn't translating the text when I came home.
20. Mary isn't playing with her dolls at the moment.
21. The boys weren't playing football at 3 o’clock yesterday.
22. I always watch films on TV.
23. Bill often draws wild animals in his copy-books.
24. Nick will bring his parrot to school tomorrow.
25. Jessica has already spent all her money on souvenirs.
26. We went to the amusement park yesterday.
27. I am not cooking dinner at the moment.
28. The boys were talking when I saw them yesterday.
29. My mum had laid the table before we came home.
30. The girls sang a wonderful song at the concert yesterday.
31. David has already read a lot of adventure stories.
32. Mike always listens to rock music.