Welcome to English grammar spot. This lesson is about the past simple.
I am going to show you how the form a past simple
and when to use a past simple.
But before we get started it's good to know that in the English language we have
regular
and irregular verbs, and it is advisable that you study the most commonly used
irregular verbs.
Now let's get started
take a look at these sentences.
I walked to school yesterday.
He paid for dinner last week.
Both these sentences are in the past simple tense.
How to form a past simple?
For the regular verbs we simply use the infinitve form of the verb and add '-ed'.
I kicked the ball.
You closed the door.
He wiped the table.
She cooked dinner.
It rained yesterday.
For the plural forms:
We walked to school.
You watched the tennis match.
They marked the tests.
We need to pay extra attention to verbs that end in an '-e'
such as live, close and wipe.
With these verbs we use the infinitive form of the verb, but we only add a '-d'.
For example
I lived here in 2012.
He closed the window.
They wiped the floor.
We also need to pay extra attention to verbs that end in a '-y'.
Especially those preceded by a consonant,
such as spy, envy and study
The consonants being a 'p' a 'v' and a 'd'.
Here the '-y' changes into an '-i'.
For example
He spied on his neighbours.
We envied her cousin.
They studied a lot.
Now let's have a look at the irregular verbs,
all irregular verbs have a unique past simple form.
I built that shed last year, the inifinive form is to build.
she taught english in the 1990s the infinitive form is to teach.
We ran the marathon in 2012.
The infinitive form is 'to run.'
Let's have alook at the past simple in questions.
For all verbs, regular end irregular,
we use the auxiliary verb 'to do', but we need the past simple tense
which is did and the infinitive form of the verb.
Did she talk to him this morning?
Did you ride your bicycles yesterday?
Did they work on the farm last year?
For the past simple in negations,
regular and irregular
we also use the past simple tense of the auxiliary verb 'to do', which is did
and we add 'not' to it, contracting it into 'didn't'.
plus the infinitive form of the verb.
I didn't want to come over the last night. We didn't to walk to school this morning.
They didn't listen to the radio yesterday.
Let's have a look at the past simple in use.
We use the past simple for things that have happened at a specific time in the past,
so we need to know when it happened.
For example: yesterday
this morning
or in 2009.
He left for New York yesterday.
We ate our breakfast this morning.
They got married in 2009.
We also use the past simple in questions after 'when'.
When did you buy that t-shirt?
When did you graduate from high school?
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