Simple past rules, examples
Simple past
Simple past rules
The Simple past describes a completed action in a time before now and things that happen one after another in the past.
Examples: Simple Past
First Bob read a book, then he went to bed yesterday night.
Last week I came to a church and then I took the road right.
Actions at a specific time
Simple Past: Actions that happened at a specific time in the past.
Examples simple past tense:
I got a present yesterday. I had in great time in America last year.
Simple past regular verbs
Add -ed to the regular verb. look - looked, watch - watched,
Some verbs you need to change a bit.
Verb ending in... | Add ... | Example |
-e | only add - d |
live - lived date - dated |
Consonant +y | Change y to i an add -ed |
carry - carried cry - cried |
1 vowel + 1 consonant |
Double consonant and add -ed |
stop - stopped |
Simple Past regular verbs - examples
Add -ed to the regular verb.
cook - cooked, play - played, wash - washed
-e at the end of the verb: only add -d.
love - loved, live - lived, close - closed, live - lived
Simple past irregular (not regular) verbs
Some verbs are not regular. You have to learn them by heart.
Example: Simple Past tense - irregular verbs: | |
begin - began |
fall - fell |
To be - Simple past
Example: Simple Past tense - irregular verbs: to be | |
Simple present |
Simple past |
Simple past signal words
Use the simple past when you say when something happened. See the following signal words:
frequency: often, sometimes, always
We sometimes had no school.
a definite point in time: last week, when I was a child, yesterday, six weeks ago
They were in London last week.
an indefinite point in time: the other day, ages ago, a long time ago
He learned English when he was young.
More simple past signal words: ago, in 2011, in 1999, ... last month, last week, last year, yesterday.
Examples: Simple Past signal words
I ate oranges last year.
We went to school eyery day in 1999.
He took his dog for a walk a month ago.
Simple past - questions
To form a question: 'did' + subject + infinitive.
Examples: questions Simple Past
I ate oranges in 2011. Did I eat oranges in 2011?
We went to school last week. Did we go to school last week?
He took his dog for a walk last week. Did he take his dog for a walk last week?
Questions with was/were
Sentences with 'to be' (was/were). Questions with was/were -Simple Past.
She was in London. Was she in London?
They were at the station. Were they at the station?
Simple past negative
Negative sentences Simple Past: examples
I knew Covent Garden? I didn't know Covent Garden.
We went to school eyery day. We didn't go to school every day.
He took his dog for a walk. He didn't take his dog for a walk.
Simple past examples
▶ 40 more exercises simple past with free online exercises. Simple past examples and sentences. Online exercises Simple past, questions and Simple past negative sentences.
B - Simple past - English tenses
English simple past rules
00 Simple past rules
01 Simple past exercises to be
02 Simple past - to be to be
exercise
03 Simple past - to be to be
exercise
04 Simple past - regular verbs exercise regular verbs
05 Simple past - regular verbs regular verbs - sentences
06 Simple past - irregular verbs
07 Simple past - irregular verbs
08 Simple past - questions questions regular verbs
09 Simple past - questions questions irregular verbs
10 Simple past word order
questions - word order
11 Simple present - Simple Past
crossword
12 Simple present - Simple Past 10 minutes time limit
13 Simple present - Simple Past
Crossword
14 Simple present - Simple Past 10 minutes time limit
15 Simple present - Simple Past Crossword
60 irregular verbs
16 Simple past - Simple Present
the Simple Present form
17 Simple past - Simple Present crossword
Free tutorial simple past.
English simple past exercises. English grammar easy to learn. Simple past matching
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