Learn past simple tenses in English with their rules and example sentences. This lesson is going to be very helpful for you because it contains the whole past simple tense in English with helpful structure, usage, and example sentences. Learn and enhance your knowledge about tenses.
Learn useful grammar rules to use the simple past tense in English with example sentences.
Definition of Past Simple Tense
It includes a completed action and time for past simple. In the past, it can also be used to express how someone was feeling and how they were feeling emotionally.
I walked to the market last Saturday is an example of how the simple past can be used with adverbs to depict a time that has already passed (e.g. I studied today).
Read more: 12 verb tenses in English with grammar charts
Simple Past Tense Structure
Simple Past Tense with “TO BE” (was/were)
Note:
- I/She/He/It + was
- We/You/They + were
- Was not = Wasn’t
- Were not = Weren’t
Positive Sentence:
S + was/were + …
Examples:
- They were studying.
- She was happy when she received the news.
- They were at the concert last night.
- He was a great athlete in his youth.
- We were friends since childhood.
- The weather was beautiful during our vacation.
- Read more: Examples of Positive Sentences
Negative Sentence:
S + was not/were not + …
Examples:
- They weren’t studying.
- She was not interested in the movie.
- They were not at home when I called.
- He was not happy with his test results.
- We were not sure about the outcome of the game.
- The weather was not as nice as we had hoped for.
- Read more: Negative Sentences
Question form:
Was/Were + S + …?
Examples:
- Were they studying?
- Was she happy with the outcome of the meeting?
- Were they at the party last night?
- Was he the one who solved the puzzle?
- Were we supposed to bring anything to the event?
- Was the weather nice during your trip to the beach?
- Read more: Interrogative Sentences
Simple Past Tense with Regular Verbs
Regular English verbs form the simple past in -ed; however, there are a few hundred irregular verbs with different forms.
Positive Sentence:
S + verb-ed + …
Examples:
- She arrived yesterday.
- She walked to the store yesterday.
- They visited their grandparents last weekend.
- He finished his homework before dinner.
- We watched a movie at home last night.
- The team won the championship last year.
- Read more: 100 Examples of Positive Sentences
Negative Sentence:
S + did not/didn’t + verb (in base form) + …
Examples:
- She didn’t arrive yesterday.
- She did not walk to school yesterday.
- They did not visit the museum last Saturday.
- He did not finish his project on time.
- We did not watch TV last night.
- The restaurant did not serve breakfast after 10:00 AM.
- Read more: Negative Sentences in English
Question form:
Did + S + verb (in base form)?
Examples:
- Did she reach out yesterday?
- Did she walk to work yesterday?
- Did they visit the zoo last weekend?
- Did he finish his assignment on time?
- Did we watch the game last night?
- Did the students complete the test yesterday?
- Read more: Interrogative Sentences in English
Past Simple Tense with Irregular Verbs
There are a few hundred irregular verbs with different forms.
Positive Sentence:
S + irregular verb + …
Examples:
- They went to Dubai to do the job.
- She drank a cup of tea after dinner.
- They drove to the beach for the weekend.
- He sang a beautiful song at the concert.
- We ate dinner at our favorite restaurant last night.
- The team won the championship last year.
Negative Sentence:
S + did not/didn’t + verb (in base form) + …
Examples:
- They didn’t go to Dubai for their job?
- She did not drink coffee yesterday morning.
- They did not drive to the mountains last weekend.
- He did not sing at the karaoke party.
- We did not eat sushi for dinner last night.
- The team did not win the game last Saturday.
Question Form:
Did + S + (verb in base form)?
Examples:
- Did they go to Dubai for their job?
- Did she drink tea or coffee for breakfast yesterday?
- Did they drive to the beach or the mountains last weekend?
- Did he sing a solo at the concert?
- Did we eat at that restaurant before?
- Did the team win the championship last year?
Examples of the Past Simple Tense
- I saw her last Sunday.
- Did they go to school yesterday?
- I finished my work.
- They met there in 2002.
- They visited us for the last five years.
- They went to Kashmir to visit their relatives.
- Kiara went to the supermarket yesterday.
- Henry cooked a tasty lunch yesterday.
- My father bought an awesome dress for me.
- He washed the dishes.
- My younger brother saw an adventure movie yesterday.
- Last year, I traveled to Dubai.
- I washed the car yesterday.
- They finished the work, that we got from the school teacher.
- Did he go to Dubai for the job?
- I didn’t saw her for the last two years.
- He died two years ago.
- He came back home a while ago.
- He left home twenty minutes ago.
- A long time ago, there was a bridge here.
How to Use the Simple Past Tense
The Simple Past Tense Usage
The simple past is used:
1. To express completed action in the past
Examples:
- I saw her last Friday.
- She finished her homework before dinner.
- They traveled to Europe last summer.
- He bought a new car yesterday.
- We visited the museum on Saturday.
- The movie ended late last night.
2. To describe a series of completed actions in the past
Examples:
- I finished work, walked to the road, and found a nice place to eat.
- She woke up, brushed her teeth, and ate breakfast before heading to work.
- They packed their bags, caught a taxi to the airport, and boarded the plane to Paris.
- He finished his work, went to the gym, and then met his friends for dinner.
- We studied for the exam, reviewed our notes, and then took the test.
- The team trained hard, played the match, and celebrated their victory afterwards.
3. To express habits in the past
Examples:
- When I was young, I liked to take a lot of pictures every day.
- She always went for a jog in the park before breakfast.
- They regularly visited their grandparents every Sunday.
- He often read comic books before going to bed.
- We usually played board games with our neighbors on weekends.
- The children frequently rode their bikes around the neighborhood after school.
4. For stative verbs, which are verbs that do not express an action, but a state of mind or being
E.g. have (own), be, think (belief), know, dislike, need, owe, understand, wish
Examples:
- He had a small dog on the farm.
- She believed in ghosts when she was young.
- They knew each other since they were children.
- He loved playing the piano as a hobby.
- We wanted to go on a vacation last summer.
- The weather seemed much colder last winter.
Time Expressions with Past Simple Tense
- Yesterday
- Ago
- Last month
- Last week
- Last year
- In 2003
- In 2007
- …
Adverb Placement in Past Simple Tense
In the past simple tense, adverbs can be placed in various positions within a sentence to convey different meanings or emphasize different aspects of the action. Here’s the structure, along with five examples for each part:
1. Before the main verb:
- Adverb + Past Simple Verb + Object
Examples for before the main verb:
- Quietly, she entered the room.
- Quickly, he finished his work.
- Carefully, they examined the evidence.
- Suddenly, he disappeared from the scene.
- Happily, she accepted the invitation.
2. At the end of the sentence:
- Subject + Past Simple Verb + Object + Adverb
Examples: At the end of the sentence
- She entered the room quietly.
- He finished his work quickly.
- They examined the evidence carefully.
- He disappeared from the scene suddenly.
- She accepted the invitation happily.
3. At the beginning of the sentence (for emphasis):
- Adverb + Subject + Past Simple Verb + Object
Examples: At the beginning of the sentence
- Suddenly, he realized he had forgotten his keys.
- Sadly, she left the party early.
- Quickly, they completed the task before the deadline.
- Unexpectedly, the car stopped working in the middle of the highway.
- Surprisingly, he passed the exam with flying colors.
Past Simple Tense | Picture
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