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Simple Past

DEFINITION: The simple past expresses an action in the past taking place once, never, several times. It can also be used for actions taking place one after another or in the middle of another action.

When do we use Simple Past? When an action in the past taking place once, never or several times Example: He visited his parents every weekend. When actions in the past taking place one after the other Example: He came in, took off his coat and sat down. When an action in the past taking place in the middle of another action Example: When I was having breakfast, the phone suddenly rang. With if sentences type II (If I talked, …) Example: If I had a lot of money, I would share it with you.

GRAMMAR STRUCTURE Affirmative Negative Interrogative Subject + Verb in past Subject + did not/didn't + verb in base form Did + Subject + verb in base form I spoke English I did not speak Did I speak? Verbs in Past form are clasified in Regular and Irregular Verbs

The distinction between regular verbs and irregular verbs is a very simple one:

REGULAR VERBS Those verbs that form their past participle with ‘d’ or ‘ed’ are regular verbs. These verbs do not undergo substantial changes while changing forms between tenses. If the verb ends with a vowel, only ‘d’ is added. For example:

PRESENT TENSE PAST TENSE Share Shared Scare Scared Dare Dared

If the verb ends with a consonant, ‘ed’ is added. For example:

PRESENT TENSE PAST TENSE Want Wanted Shout Shouted Kill Killed

Click here for Regular Verbs List IRREGULAR VERBS Those verbs that undergo substantial changes when changing forms between tenses are irregular verbs. The changed forms of these verbs are often unrecognisably different from the originals. For example:

PRESENT TENSE PAST TENSE Go Went Run Ran Think Thought

There is no way to tell what form an irregular verb is going to take in a changed tense; the only option for an English speaker is to commit the changes to memory. With practice, it will become a matter of habit.

Click here for Irregular Verbs List

Verb TO BE in Simple Past I was YOU were YOU was WE were HE / SHE / IT was THEY were