Simple past tense is one of the first and most useful tenses to learn. It is used to describe tasks, activities, and events that have been completed in the past.
“I broke my teeth two weeks ago.”
“She studied French yesterday.”
The simple past tense lets you tell the listener exactly when something happened
Why it matters:
- It helps you tell stories, share experiences, and describe events clearly.
- It is crucial for everyday English such as talking about yesterday, last week, or any completed event.
- Later on, you'll need it to comprehend more complex tenses like the past continuous and past perfect.
🎬 Watch and learn:
If you learn best visually, here's an explainer “Video Rule – Past Simple” by HUB Scuola, which clearly demonstrates how to form and use this tense with examples.
What Is the Simple Past Tense and When to Use It
The simple past tense tells us that something has ended in the past. It focuses on when the action took place, not on its duration or result.
Examples:
“I visited Bali last summer.”
“They watched a movie yesterday.”
“He worked in a café when he was a student.”
When to Use the Simple Past Tense
You use the simple past tense in these common situations:
- Past completed actions: This morning, she tidied her room.
- Series of actions or stories: He got up, brushed his teeth, and left for school.
- Past habits or routines: I used to play outside every day as a kid.
- Situations or facts that are no longer true: I lived in London in 2010.
Common Time Expressions
Including time expressions is important because the simple past often relies on them to indicate when something happened and helps to give a better picture the event
These include: yesterday, last week, last night, two days ago, in 2019, when I was young, this morning
How to Form the Simple Past Tense
The form of the simple past tense depends on the type of verb you use. There are two main groups: regular verbs and irregular verbs.
Regular Verbs
Regular verbs form the past tense by adding -ed to the base form of the verb.
Formula:
Subject + Verb + -ed
Examples:
play → played
work → worked
watch → watched
Spelling Rules for Regular Verbs
- If a verb ends in -e, add only -d.
dance → danced
- If a verb ends in a consonant + y, change y to i and add -ed.
try → tried
- If a short verb ends in vowel + consonant, double the final consonant and add -ed.
stop → stopped
- For some two-syllable verbs with stress on the last syllable, double the final consonant and add -ed.
prefer → preferred
Irregular Verbs
Irregular verbs do not follow the -ed rule. Each has its own unique past form, so you need to memorize them.
Examples:
go → went
come → came
have → had
eat → ate
buy → bought
Tip:
Create flashcards or word groups to learn irregular verbs faster.
For example, group similar patterns:
- begin → began → begun
- drink → drank → drunk
- sing → sang → sung
Negative Form
To make the simple past tense negative, use did not (didn’t) followed by the base form of the verb.
I didn’t go to school yesterday.
She didn’t watch the movie.
Formula:
Subject + did not (didn’t) + Base Verb
Question Form
To make questions, start with did, then the subject, then the base verb.
Did you go by bus?
Did he like the concert?
Formula:
Did + Subject + Base Verb
Short answers:
- Yes, I did.
- No, I didn’t.
Avoid These Common Simple Past Tense Errors
Many English learners still make these minor mistakes when using the simple past tense. Knowing these will help you sound more natural and confident.
Using “did” with a past verb
Incorrect: I didn’t went to school yesterday.
Correct: I didn’t go to school yesterday.
❌ did + went → ✅ did + go
Why:
When you use did, the main verb stays in its base form, not the past form.
Forgetting to add -ed to regular verbs
Incorrect: She wash her car yesterday.
Correct: She washed her car yesterday.
Why:
Regular verbs need -ed to show that the action is finished.
Adding -ed to irregular verbs
Incorrect: He buyed a new phone.
Correct: He bought a new phone.
Why:
Irregular verbs have unique past forms. You cannot form them by adding -ed.
Mixing tenses in the same sentence
Incorrect: I am tired because I played football yesterday.
Correct: I was tired because I played football yesterday.
Why:
If the action and result both happened in the past, use past tense for both verbs.
Using the wrong time expression
Incorrect: I went to the market today morning.
Correct: I went to the market this morning.
Why:
Some time phrases are not used naturally in English.
Use expressions such as yesterday, last night, this morning, two days ago, or in 2019.
Common learner confusion (especially in Asian languages)
Many English learners translate directly from their native language, which can cause mistakes with verb tense.
Example 1: Indonesian
In Indonesian, the word “kemarin” (yesterday) does not require a verb change, but in English the verb must change to the past form.
Indonesian: Saya pergi ke sekolah kemarin.
English: I went to school yesterday.
Example 2: Spanish
In Spanish, the same idea uses the simple past or pretérito perfecto simple, which looks different but serves the same function.
Spanish: Fui a la escuela ayer.
English: I went to school yesterday.
Understanding how your language expresses past time will help you avoid direct translation errors when speaking or writing in English.
Exercises to Practice the Simple Past Tense
The best way to remember grammar rules is by using them. Practice helps you move from understanding to fluency. Try these short examples and exercises to test yourself.
1. Mini Dialogue: Talking About Yesterday
Anna: What did you do yesterday?
Luis: I went shopping with my friends.
Anna: Did you buy anything interesting?
Luis: Yes, I bought a new pair of shoes.
Anna: Nice! I stayed home and watched a movie.
Try it yourself:
Write two or three short sentences about what you did yesterday. Use different verbs such as ate, studied, worked, or played.
2. Fill in the Blanks
Complete each sentence with the correct form of the verb in parentheses.
- I __________ (visit) my grandparents last weekend.
- She __________ (not finish) her homework yesterday.
- __________ you __________ (go) to the concert last night?
- They __________ (eat) dinner at a new restaurant.
- He __________ (buy) a ticket but he __________ (forget) it at home.
Answer check:
- visited
- didn’t finish
- Did you go
- ate
- bought, forgot
3. Quick Challenge: Correct the Error
Find and fix the mistake in each sentence.
- I didn’t saw the movie.
- She studyed English yesterday.
- Did he went to the store?
Correct answers:
- I didn’t see the movie.
- She studied English yesterday.
- Did he go to the store?
Compare the Simple Past Tense with Other Tenses
Simple Past vs Present Perfect
Tense | Use | Example |
Simple Past | For actions that happened and finished at a specific time in the past | I visited Paris in 2020. |
Present Perfect | For actions that happened at an unspecified time or still affect the present | I have visited Paris twice. |
Simple Past vs Past Continuous
Tense | Use | Example |
Simple Past | For a completed action | I watched a movie last night. |
Past Continuous | For an ongoing action interrupted by another event | I was watching a movie when the phone rang. |
Simple Past vs Past Perfect
You can also explore how the past perfect tense describes actions that happened before another past event.
Tense | Use | Example |
Simple Past | For actions in the past in general order | I arrived at the station at 8 a.m. |
Past Perfect | For actions that happened before another past event | I had left home before it started raining. |
How to Use Simple Past Tense in a Sentence with Question
Asking questions in the simple past is easy once you know the pattern: Did + subject + base verb + object? For example:
- Did you finish your homework?
- Did she call you yesterday?
Notice how the main verb stays in its base form, and “did” takes care of showing that it’s in the past.
If you want to add WH-questions, just add it before the word “did”. For example:
- Where did you go last night?
- How did you make the cake?
Conclusion
The simple past tense helps you talk about actions that started and finished in the past. Now you understand how to form it, when to use it, and how to avoid common mistakes when using it
In summary:
- Use -ed for regular verbs, and memorize the irregular ones.
- Use did + base verb for negatives and questions.
- Combine practice, examples, and time expressions to build fluency.
Start small by writing a few sentences about your day yesterday, or share a memory in English with a friend. The more you use it, the more natural it’ll feel.
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