Use of the Simple Past
action finished in the past
I
visited Berlin last week.
series of completed actions in the past
First I
got up, then I
had breakfast.
together with the Past Progressive/Continuous – the Simple Past interrupted an action which was in progress in the past.
They
were playing cards, when the telephone
rang.
1st action → Past Progressive →
were playing
2nd action → Simple Past →
rang
Adverbials of time
- yesterday
- last week/moth/year/Christmas/Monday/etc.
- a month ago
- in 2010
Form
regular verbs →
infinitive +
ed
verbs ended with e + d
verbs ended with y preceded by a consonant, ex.: cry → cried
irregular verbs →
2nd column of the table of the
irregular verbs
4. Examples
Positive sentences in the Simple Past – regular verbs
Positive sentences in the Simple Past – irregular verbs
Negative sentences in the Simple Past
Do not negate a main verb in English. Always use the auxiliary
did (Simple Past of
to do) and the
infinitive of the verb for negations.
There is no difference between regular and irregular verbs in negative sentences.
Questions in the Simple Past
You need the auxiliary
did and the
infinitive of the verb.
Long forms |
Contracted forms (short forms) |
Did I play football? |
not possible |
Did you play football? |
Did he play football? |
We use the past tense to talk about:
-
something that happened once in the past:
I met my wife in 1983.
We went to Spain for our holidays.
They got home very late last night.
-
something that happened again and again in the past:
When I was a boy I walked a mile to school every day.
We swam a lot while we were on holiday.
They always enjoyed visiting their friends.
-
something that was true for some time in the past:
I lived abroad for ten years.
He enjoyed being a student.
She played a lot of tennis when she was younger.
-
we often use phrases with ago with the past tense:
I met my wife a long time ago.
Questions and negatives
We use
did to make questions with the past tense:
When did you meet your wife?
Where did you go for your holidays?
Did she play tennis when she was younger?
Did you live abroad?
But look at these questions:
Who discovered penicillin?
Who wrote Don Quixote?
For more on these questions see
question forms
We use
didn’t (
did not) to make
negatives with the past tense:
They didn’t go to Spain this year.
We didn’t get home until very late last night.
I didn’t see you yesterday.
- See more at: https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-grammar/verbs/past-tense/past-simple#sthash.Ft4cZafX.dpuf
We use the past tense to talk about:
-
something that happened once in the past:
I met my wife in 1983.
We went to Spain for our holidays.
They got home very late last night.
-
something that happened again and again in the past:
When I was a boy I walked a mile to school every day.
We swam a lot while we were on holiday.
They always enjoyed visiting their friends.
-
something that was true for some time in the past:
I lived abroad for ten years.
He enjoyed being a student.
She played a lot of tennis when she was younger.
-
we often use phrases with ago with the past tense:
I met my wife a long time ago.
Questions and negatives
We use
did to make questions with the past tense:
When did you meet your wife?
Where did you go for your holidays?
Did she play tennis when she was younger?
Did you live abroad?
But look at these questions:
Who discovered penicillin?
Who wrote Don Quixote?
For more on these questions see
question forms
We use
didn’t (
did not) to make
negatives with the past tense:
They didn’t go to Spain this year.
We didn’t get home until very late last night.
I didn’t see you yesterday.
- See more at: https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-grammar/verbs/past-tense/past-simple#sthash.Ft4cZafX.dpuf
We use the past tense to talk about:
-
something that happened once in the past:
I met my wife in 1983.
We went to Spain for our holidays.
They got home very late last night.
-
something that happened again and again in the past:
When I was a boy I walked a mile to school every day.
We swam a lot while we were on holiday.
They always enjoyed visiting their friends.
-
something that was true for some time in the past:
I lived abroad for ten years.
He enjoyed being a student.
She played a lot of tennis when she was younger.
-
we often use phrases with ago with the past tense:
I met my wife a long time ago.
Questions and negatives
We use
did to make questions with the past tense:
When did you meet your wife?
Where did you go for your holidays?
Did she play tennis when she was younger?
Did you live abroad?
But look at these questions:
Who discovered penicillin?
Who wrote Don Quixote?
For more on these questions see
question forms
We use
didn’t (
did not) to make
negatives with the past tense:
They didn’t go to Spain this year.
We didn’t get home until very late last night.
I didn’t see you yesterday.
- See more at: https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-grammar/verbs/past-tense/past-simple#sthash.Ft4cZafX.dpuf
We use the past tense to talk about:
-
something that happened once in the past:
I met my wife in 1983.
We went to Spain for our holidays.
They got home very late last night.
-
something that happened again and again in the past:
When I was a boy I walked a mile to school every day.
We swam a lot while we were on holiday.
They always enjoyed visiting their friends.
-
something that was true for some time in the past:
I lived abroad for ten years.
He enjoyed being a student.
She played a lot of tennis when she was younger.
-
we often use phrases with ago with the past tense:
I met my wife a long time ago.
Questions and negatives
We use
did to make questions with the past tense:
When did you meet your wife?
Where did you go for your holidays?
Did she play tennis when she was younger?
Did you live abroad?
But look at these questions:
Who discovered penicillin?
Who wrote Don Quixote?
For more on these questions see
question forms
We use
didn’t (
did not) to make
negatives with the past tense:
They didn’t go to Spain this year.
We didn’t get home until very late last night.
I didn’t see you yesterday.
- See more at: https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-grammar/verbs/past-tense/past-simple#sthash.Ft4cZafX.dpuf
We use the past tense to talk about:
-
something that happened once in the past:
I met my wife in 1983.
We went to Spain for our holidays.
They got home very late last night.
-
something that happened again and again in the past:
When I was a boy I walked a mile to school every day.
We swam a lot while we were on holiday.
They always enjoyed visiting their friends.
-
something that was true for some time in the past:
I lived abroad for ten years.
He enjoyed being a student.
She played a lot of tennis when she was younger.
-
we often use phrases with ago with the past tense:
I met my wife a long time ago.
Questions and negatives
We use
did to make questions with the past tense:
When did you meet your wife?
Where did you go for your holidays?
Did she play tennis when she was younger?
Did you live abroad?
But look at these questions:
Who discovered penicillin?
Who wrote Don Quixote?
For more on these questions see
question forms
We use
didn’t (
did not) to make
negatives with the past tense:
They didn’t go to Spain this year.
We didn’t get home until very late last night.
I didn’t see you yesterday.
- See more at: https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-grammar/verbs/past-tense/past-simple#sthash.Ft4cZafX.dpuf
We use the past tense to talk about:
-
something that happened once in the past:
I met my wife in 1983.
We went to Spain for our holidays.
They got home very late last night.
-
something that happened again and again in the past:
When I was a boy I walked a mile to school every day.
We swam a lot while we were on holiday.
They always enjoyed visiting their friends.
-
something that was true for some time in the past:
I lived abroad for ten years.
He enjoyed being a student.
She played a lot of tennis when she was younger.
-
we often use phrases with ago with the past tense:
I met my wife a long time ago.
Questions and negatives
We use
did to make questions with the past tense:
When did you meet your wife?
Where did you go for your holidays?
Did she play tennis when she was younger?
Did you live abroad?
But look at these questions:
Who discovered penicillin?
Who wrote Don Quixote?
For more on these questions see
question forms
We use
didn’t (
did not) to make
negatives with the past tense:
They didn’t go to Spain this year.
We didn’t get home until very late last night.
I didn’t see you yesterday.
- See more at: https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-grammar/verbs/past-tense/past-simple#sthash.Ft4cZafX.dpuf
We use the past tense to talk about:
-
something that happened once in the past:
I met my wife in 1983.
We went to Spain for our holidays.
They got home very late last night.
-
something that happened again and again in the past:
When I was a boy I walked a mile to school every day.
We swam a lot while we were on holiday.
They always enjoyed visiting their friends.
-
something that was true for some time in the past:
I lived abroad for ten years.
He enjoyed being a student.
She played a lot of tennis when she was younger.
-
we often use phrases with ago with the past tense:
I met my wife a long time ago.
Questions and negatives
We use
did to make questions with the past tense:
When did you meet your wife?
Where did you go for your holidays?
Did she play tennis when she was younger?
Did you live abroad?
But look at these questions:
Who discovered penicillin?
Who wrote Don Quixote?
For more on these questions see
question forms
We use
didn’t (
did not) to make
negatives with the past tense:
They didn’t go to Spain this year.
We didn’t get home until very late last night.
I didn’t see you yesterday.
- See more at: https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-grammar/verbs/past-tense/past-simple#sthash.Ft4cZafX.dpuf
We use the past tense to talk about:
-
something that happened once in the past:
I met my wife in 1983.
We went to Spain for our holidays.
They got home very late last night.
-
something that happened again and again in the past:
When I was a boy I walked a mile to school every day.
We swam a lot while we were on holiday.
They always enjoyed visiting their friends.
-
something that was true for some time in the past:
I lived abroad for ten years.
He enjoyed being a student.
She played a lot of tennis when she was younger.
-
we often use phrases with ago with the past tense:
I met my wife a long time ago.
Questions and negatives
We use
did to make questions with the past tense:
When did you meet your wife?
Where did you go for your holidays?
Did she play tennis when she was younger?
Did you live abroad?
But look at these questions:
Who discovered penicillin?
Who wrote Don Quixote?
For more on these questions see
question forms
We use
didn’t (
did not) to make
negatives with the past tense:
They didn’t go to Spain this year.
We didn’t get home until very late last night.
I didn’t see you yesterday.
- See more at: https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-grammar/verbs/past-tense/past-simple#sthash.Ft4cZafX.dpuf
We use the past tense to talk about:
-
something that happened once in the past:
I met my wife in 1983.
We went to Spain for our holidays.
They got home very late last night.
-
something that happened again and again in the past:
When I was a boy I walked a mile to school every day.
We swam a lot while we were on holiday.
They always enjoyed visiting their friends.
-
something that was true for some time in the past:
I lived abroad for ten years.
He enjoyed being a student.
She played a lot of tennis when she was younger.
-
we often use phrases with ago with the past tense:
I met my wife a long time ago.
Questions and negatives
We use
did to make questions with the past tense:
When did you meet your wife?
Where did you go for your holidays?
Did she play tennis when she was younger?
Did you live abroad?
But look at these questions:
Who discovered penicillin?
Who wrote Don Quixote?
For more on these questions see
question forms
We use
didn’t (
did not) to make
negatives with the past tense:
They didn’t go to Spain this year.
We didn’t get home until very late last night.
I didn’t see you yesterday.
- See more at: https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-grammar/verbs/past-tense/past-simple#sthash.Ft4cZafX.dpuf
We use the past tense to talk about:
-
something that happened once in the past:
I met my wife in 1983.
We went to Spain for our holidays.
They got home very late last night.
-
something that happened again and again in the past:
When I was a boy I walked a mile to school every day.
We swam a lot while we were on holiday.
They always enjoyed visiting their friends.
-
something that was true for some time in the past:
I lived abroad for ten years.
He enjoyed being a student.
She played a lot of tennis when she was younger.
-
we often use phrases with ago with the past tense:
I met my wife a long time ago.
Questions and negatives
We use
did to make questions with the past tense:
When did you meet your wife?
Where did you go for your holidays?
Did she play tennis when she was younger?
Did you live abroad?
But look at these questions:
Who discovered penicillin?
Who wrote Don Quixote?
For more on these questions see
question forms
We use
didn’t (
did not) to make
negatives with the past tense:
They didn’t go to Spain this year.
We didn’t get home until very late last night.
I didn’t see you yesterday.
- See more at: https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-grammar/verbs/past-tense/past-simple#sthash.Ft4cZafX.dpuf
We use the past tense to talk about:
-
something that happened once in the past:
I met my wife in 1983.
We went to Spain for our holidays.
They got home very late last night.
-
something that happened again and again in the past:
When I was a boy I walked a mile to school every day.
We swam a lot while we were on holiday.
They always enjoyed visiting their friends.
-
something that was true for some time in the past:
I lived abroad for ten years.
He enjoyed being a student.
She played a lot of tennis when she was younger.
-
we often use phrases with ago with the past tense:
I met my wife a long time ago.
Questions and negatives
We use
did to make questions with the past tense:
When did you meet your wife?
Where did you go for your holidays?
Did she play tennis when she was younger?
Did you live abroad?
But look at these questions:
Who discovered penicillin?
Who wrote Don Quixote?
For more on these questions see
question forms
We use
didn’t (
did not) to make
negatives with the past tense:
They didn’t go to Spain this year.
We didn’t get home until very late last night.
I didn’t see you yesterday.
- See more at: https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-grammar/verbs/past-tense/past-simple#sthash.Ft4cZafX.dpuf
We use the past tense to talk about:
-
something that happened once in the past:
I met my wife in 1983.
We went to Spain for our holidays.
They got home very late last night.
-
something that happened again and again in the past:
When I was a boy I walked a mile to school every day.
We swam a lot while we were on holiday.
They always enjoyed visiting their friends.
-
something that was true for some time in the past:
I lived abroad for ten years.
He enjoyed being a student.
She played a lot of tennis when she was younger.
-
we often use phrases with ago with the past tense:
I met my wife a long time ago.
Questions and negatives
We use
did to make questions with the past tense:
When did you meet your wife?
Where did you go for your holidays?
Did she play tennis when she was younger?
Did you live abroad?
But look at these questions:
Who discovered penicillin?
Who wrote Don Quixote?
For more on these questions see
question forms
We use
didn’t (
did not) to make
negatives with the past tense:
They didn’t go to Spain this year.
We didn’t get home until very late last night.
I didn’t see you yesterday.
- See more at: https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-grammar/verbs/past-tense/past-simple#sthash.Ft4cZafX.dpuf
We use the past tense to talk about:
-
something that happened once in the past:
I met my wife in 1983.
We went to Spain for our holidays.
They got home very late last night.
-
something that happened again and again in the past:
When I was a boy I walked a mile to school every day.
We swam a lot while we were on holiday.
They always enjoyed visiting their friends.
-
something that was true for some time in the past:
I lived abroad for ten years.
He enjoyed being a student.
She played a lot of tennis when she was younger.
-
we often use phrases with ago with the past tense:
I met my wife a long time ago.
Questions and negatives
We use
did to make questions with the past tense:
When did you meet your wife?
Where did you go for your holidays?
Did she play tennis when she was younger?
Did you live abroad?
But look at these questions:
Who discovered penicillin?
Who wrote Don Quixote?
For more on these questions see
question forms
We use
didn’t (
did not) to make
negatives with the past tense:
They didn’t go to Spain this year.
We didn’t get home until very late last night.
I didn’t see you yesterday.
- See more at: https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-grammar/verbs/past-tense/past-simple#sthash.Ft4cZafX.dpuf
We use the past tense to talk about:
-
something that happened once in the past:
I met my wife in 1983.
We went to Spain for our holidays.
They got home very late last night.
-
something that happened again and again in the past:
When I was a boy I walked a mile to school every day.
We swam a lot while we were on holiday.
They always enjoyed visiting their friends.
-
something that was true for some time in the past:
I lived abroad for ten years.
He enjoyed being a student.
She played a lot of tennis when she was younger.
-
we often use phrases with ago with the past tense:
I met my wife a long time ago.
Questions and negatives
We use
did to make questions with the past tense:
When did you meet your wife?
Where did you go for your holidays?
Did she play tennis when she was younger?
Did you live abroad?
But look at these questions:
Who discovered penicillin?
Who wrote Don Quixote?
For more on these questions see
question forms
We use
didn’t (
did not) to make
negatives with the past tense:
They didn’t go to Spain this year.
We didn’t get home until very late last night.
I didn’t see you yesterday.
- See more at: https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-grammar/verbs/past-tense/past-simple#sthash.Ft4cZafX.dpuf
We use the past tense to talk about:
-
something that happened once in the past:
I met my wife in 1983.
We went to Spain for our holidays.
They got home very late last night.
-
something that happened again and again in the past:
When I was a boy I walked a mile to school every day.
We swam a lot while we were on holiday.
They always enjoyed visiting their friends.
-
something that was true for some time in the past:
I lived abroad for ten years.
He enjoyed being a student.
She played a lot of tennis when she was younger.
-
we often use phrases with ago with the past tense:
I met my wife a long time ago.
Questions and negatives
We use
did to make questions with the past tense:
When did you meet your wife?
Where did you go for your holidays?
Did she play tennis when she was younger?
Did you live abroad?
But look at these questions:
Who discovered penicillin?
Who wrote Don Quixote?
For more on these questions see
question forms
We use
didn’t (
did not) to make
negatives with the past tense:
They didn’t go to Spain this year.
We didn’t get home until very late last night.
I didn’t see you yesterday.
- See more at: https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-grammar/verbs/past-tense/past-simple#sthash.Ft4cZafX.dpuf
We use the past tense to talk about:
-
something that happened once in the past:
I met my wife in 1983.
We went to Spain for our holidays.
They got home very late last night.
-
something that happened again and again in the past:
When I was a boy I walked a mile to school every day.
We swam a lot while we were on holiday.
They always enjoyed visiting their friends.
-
something that was true for some time in the past:
I lived abroad for ten years.
He enjoyed being a student.
She played a lot of tennis when she was younger.
-
we often use phrases with ago with the past tense:
I met my wife a long time ago.
Questions and negatives
We use
did to make questions with the past tense:
When did you meet your wife?
Where did you go for your holidays?
Did she play tennis when she was younger?
Did you live abroad?
But look at these questions:
Who discovered penicillin?
Who wrote Don Quixote?
For more on these questions see
question forms
We use
didn’t (
did not) to make
negatives with the past tense:
They didn’t go to Spain this year.
We didn’t get home until very late last night.
I didn’t see you yesterday.
- See more at: https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-grammar/verbs/past-tense/past-simple#sthash.Ft4cZafX.dpuf
We use the past tense to talk about:
-
something that happened once in the past:
I met my wife in 1983.
We went to Spain for our holidays.
They got home very late last night.
-
something that happened again and again in the past:
When I was a boy I walked a mile to school every day.
We swam a lot while we were on holiday.
They always enjoyed visiting their friends.
-
something that was true for some time in the past:
I lived abroad for ten years.
He enjoyed being a student.
She played a lot of tennis when she was younger.
-
we often use phrases with ago with the past tense:
I met my wife a long time ago.
Questions and negatives
We use
did to make questions with the past tense:
When did you meet your wife?
Where did you go for your holidays?
Did she play tennis when she was younger?
Did you live abroad?
But look at these questions:
Who discovered penicillin?
Who wrote Don Quixote?
For more on these questions see
question forms
We use
didn’t (
did not) to make
negatives with the past tense:
They didn’t go to Spain this year.
We didn’t get home until very late last night.
I didn’t see you yesterday.
- See more at: https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-grammar/verbs/past-tense/past-simple#sthash.Ft4cZafX.dpuf
We use the past tense to talk about:
-
something that happened once in the past:
I met my wife in 1983.
We went to Spain for our holidays.
They got home very late last night.
-
something that happened again and again in the past:
When I was a boy I walked a mile to school every day.
We swam a lot while we were on holiday.
They always enjoyed visiting their friends.
-
something that was true for some time in the past:
I lived abroad for ten years.
He enjoyed being a student.
She played a lot of tennis when she was younger.
-
we often use phrases with ago with the past tense:
I met my wife a long time ago.
Questions and negatives
We use
did to make questions with the past tense:
When did you meet your wife?
Where did you go for your holidays?
Did she play tennis when she was younger?
Did you live abroad?
But look at these questions:
Who discovered penicillin?
Who wrote Don Quixote?
For more on these questions see
question forms
We use
didn’t (
did not) to make
negatives with the past tense:
They didn’t go to Spain this year.
We didn’t get home until very late last night.
I didn’t see you yesterday.
- See more at: https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-grammar/verbs/past-tense/past-simple#sthash.Ft4cZafX.dpuf
We use the past tense to talk about:
-
something that happened once in the past:
I met my wife in 1983.
We went to Spain for our holidays.
They got home very late last night.
-
something that happened again and again in the past:
When I was a boy I walked a mile to school every day.
We swam a lot while we were on holiday.
They always enjoyed visiting their friends.
-
something that was true for some time in the past:
I lived abroad for ten years.
He enjoyed being a student.
She played a lot of tennis when she was younger.
-
we often use phrases with ago with the past tense:
I met my wife a long time ago.
Questions and negatives
We use
did to make questions with the past tense:
When did you meet your wife?
Where did you go for your holidays?
Did she play tennis when she was younger?
Did you live abroad?
But look at these questions:
Who discovered penicillin?
Who wrote Don Quixote?
For more on these questions see
question forms
We use
didn’t (
did not) to make
negatives with the past tense:
They didn’t go to Spain this year.
We didn’t get home until very late last night.
I didn’t see you yesterday.
- See more at: https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-grammar/verbs/past-tense/past-simple#sthash.Ft4cZafX.dpuf
We use the past tense to talk about:
-
something that happened once in the past:
I met my wife in 1983.
We went to Spain for our holidays.
They got home very late last night.
-
something that happened again and again in the past:
When I was a boy I walked a mile to school every day.
We swam a lot while we were on holiday.
They always enjoyed visiting their friends.
-
something that was true for some time in the past:
I lived abroad for ten years.
He enjoyed being a student.
She played a lot of tennis when she was younger.
-
we often use phrases with ago with the past tense:
I met my wife a long time ago.
Questions and negatives
We use
did to make questions with the past tense:
When did you meet your wife?
Where did you go for your holidays?
Did she play tennis when she was younger?
Did you live abroad?
But look at these questions:
Who discovered penicillin?
Who wrote Don Quixote?
For more on these questions see
question forms
We use
didn’t (
did not) to make
negatives with the past tense:
They didn’t go to Spain this year.
We didn’t get home until very late last night.
I didn’t see you yesterday.
- See more at: https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-grammar/verbs/past-tense/past-simple#sthash.Ft4cZafX.dpuf
We use the past tense to talk about:
-
something that happened once in the past:
I met my wife in 1983.
We went to Spain for our holidays.
They got home very late last night.
-
something that happened again and again in the past:
When I was a boy I walked a mile to school every day.
We swam a lot while we were on holiday.
They always enjoyed visiting their friends.
-
something that was true for some time in the past:
I lived abroad for ten years.
He enjoyed being a student.
She played a lot of tennis when she was younger.
-
we often use phrases with ago with the past tense:
I met my wife a long time ago.
Questions and negatives
We use
did to make questions with the past tense:
When did you meet your wife?
Where did you go for your holidays?
Did she play tennis when she was younger?
Did you live abroad?
But look at these questions:
Who discovered penicillin?
Who wrote Don Quixote?
For more on these questions see
question forms
We use
didn’t (
did not) to make
negatives with the past tense:
They didn’t go to Spain this year.
We didn’t get home until very late last night.
I didn’t see you yesterday.
- See more at: https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-grammar/verbs/past-tense/past-simple#sthash.Ft4cZafX.dpuf
We use the past tense to talk about:
-
something that happened once in the past:
I met my wife in 1983.
We went to Spain for our holidays.
They got home very late last night.
-
something that happened again and again in the past:
When I was a boy I walked a mile to school every day.
We swam a lot while we were on holiday.
They always enjoyed visiting their friends.
-
something that was true for some time in the past:
I lived abroad for ten years.
He enjoyed being a student.
She played a lot of tennis when she was younger.
-
we often use phrases with ago with the past tense:
I met my wife a long time ago.
Questions and negatives
We use
did to make questions with the past tense:
When did you meet your wife?
Where did you go for your holidays?
Did she play tennis when she was younger?
Did you live abroad?
But look at these questions:
Who discovered penicillin?
Who wrote Don Quixote?
For more on these questions see
question forms
We use
didn’t (
did not) to make
negatives with the past tense:
They didn’t go to Spain this year.
We didn’t get home until very late last night.
I didn’t see you yesterday.
- See more at: https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-grammar/verbs/past-tense/past-simple#sthash.Ft4cZafX.dpuf
We use the past tense to talk about:
-
something that happened once in the past:
I met my wife in 1983.
We went to Spain for our holidays.
They got home very late last night.
-
something that happened again and again in the past:
When I was a boy I walked a mile to school every day.
We swam a lot while we were on holiday.
They always enjoyed visiting their friends.
-
something that was true for some time in the past:
I lived abroad for ten years.
He enjoyed being a student.
She played a lot of tennis when she was younger.
-
we often use phrases with ago with the past tense:
I met my wife a long time ago.
Questions and negatives
We use
did to make questions with the past tense:
When did you meet your wife?
Where did you go for your holidays?
Did she play tennis when she was younger?
Did you live abroad?
But look at these questions:
Who discovered penicillin?
Who wrote Don Quixote?
For more on these questions see
question forms
We use
didn’t (
did not) to make
negatives with the past tense:
They didn’t go to Spain this year.
We didn’t get home until very late last night.
I didn’t see you yesterday.
- See more at: https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-grammar/verbs/past-tense/past-simple#sthash.Ft4cZafX.dpuf
We use the past tense to talk about:
-
something that happened once in the past:
I met my wife in 1983.
We went to Spain for our holidays.
They got home very late last night.
-
something that happened again and again in the past:
When I was a boy I walked a mile to school every day.
We swam a lot while we were on holiday.
They always enjoyed visiting their friends.
-
something that was true for some time in the past:
I lived abroad for ten years.
He enjoyed being a student.
She played a lot of tennis when she was younger.
-
we often use phrases with ago with the past tense:
I met my wife a long time ago.
Questions and negatives
We use
did to make questions with the past tense:
When did you meet your wife?
Where did you go for your holidays?
Did she play tennis when she was younger?
Did you live abroad?
But look at these questions:
Who discovered penicillin?
Who wrote Don Quixote?
For more on these questions see
question forms
We use
didn’t (
did not) to make
negatives with the past tense:
They didn’t go to Spain this year.
We didn’t get home until very late last night.
I didn’t see you yesterday.
- See more at: https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-grammar/verbs/past-tense/past-simple#sthash.Ft4cZafX.dpuf
We use the past tense to talk about:
-
something that happened once in the past:
I met my wife in 1983.
We went to Spain for our holidays.
They got home very late last night.
-
something that happened again and again in the past:
When I was a boy I walked a mile to school every day.
We swam a lot while we were on holiday.
They always enjoyed visiting their friends.
-
something that was true for some time in the past:
I lived abroad for ten years.
He enjoyed being a student.
She played a lot of tennis when she was younger.
-
we often use phrases with ago with the past tense:
I met my wife a long time ago.
Questions and negatives
We use
did to make questions with the past tense:
When did you meet your wife?
Where did you go for your holidays?
Did she play tennis when she was younger?
Did you live abroad?
But look at these questions:
Who discovered penicillin?
Who wrote Don Quixote?
For more on these questions see
question forms
We use
didn’t (
did not) to make
negatives with the past tense:
They didn’t go to Spain this year.
We didn’t get home until very late last night.
I didn’t see you yesterday.
- See more at: https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-grammar/verbs/past-tense/past-simple#sthash.Ft4cZafX.dpuf
We use the past tense to talk about:
-
something that happened once in the past:
I met my wife in 1983.
We went to Spain for our holidays.
They got home very late last night.
-
something that happened again and again in the past:
When I was a boy I walked a mile to school every day.
We swam a lot while we were on holiday.
They always enjoyed visiting their friends.
-
something that was true for some time in the past:
I lived abroad for ten years.
He enjoyed being a student.
She played a lot of tennis when she was younger.
-
we often use phrases with ago with the past tense:
I met my wife a long time ago.
Questions and negatives
We use
did to make questions with the past tense:
When did you meet your wife?
Where did you go for your holidays?
Did she play tennis when she was younger?
Did you live abroad?
But look at these questions:
Who discovered penicillin?
Who wrote Don Quixote?
For more on these questions see
question forms
We use
didn’t (
did not) to make
negatives with the past tense:
They didn’t go to Spain this year.
We didn’t get home until very late last night.
I didn’t see you yesterday.
- See more at: https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-grammar/verbs/past-tense/past-simple#sthash.Ft4cZafX.dpuf
We use the past tense to talk about:
-
something that happened once in the past:
I met my wife in 1983.
We went to Spain for our holidays.
They got home very late last night.
-
something that happened again and again in the past:
When I was a boy I walked a mile to school every day.
We swam a lot while we were on holiday.
They always enjoyed visiting their friends.
-
something that was true for some time in the past:
I lived abroad for ten years.
He enjoyed being a student.
She played a lot of tennis when she was younger.
-
we often use phrases with ago with the past tense:
I met my wife a long time ago.
Questions and negatives
We use
did to make questions with the past tense:
When did you meet your wife?
Where did you go for your holidays?
Did she play tennis when she was younger?
Did you live abroad?
But look at these questions:
Who discovered penicillin?
Who wrote Don Quixote?
For more on these questions see
question forms
We use
didn’t (
did not) to make
negatives with the past tense:
They didn’t go to Spain this year.
We didn’t get home until very late last night.
I didn’t see you yesterday.
- See more at: https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-grammar/verbs/past-tense/past-simple#sthash.Ft4cZafX.dpuf
We use the past tense to talk about:
-
something that happened once in the past:
I met my wife in 1983.
We went to Spain for our holidays.
They got home very late last night.
-
something that happened again and again in the past:
When I was a boy I walked a mile to school every day.
We swam a lot while we were on holiday.
They always enjoyed visiting their friends.
-
something that was true for some time in the past:
I lived abroad for ten years.
He enjoyed being a student.
She played a lot of tennis when she was younger.
-
we often use phrases with ago with the past tense:
I met my wife a long time ago.
Questions and negatives
We use
did to make questions with the past tense:
When did you meet your wife?
Where did you go for your holidays?
Did she play tennis when she was younger?
Did you live abroad?
But look at these questions:
Who discovered penicillin?
Who wrote Don Quixote?
For more on these questions see
question forms
We use
didn’t (
did not) to make
negatives with the past tense:
They didn’t go to Spain this year.
We didn’t get home until very late last night.
I didn’t see you yesterday.
- See more at: https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-grammar/verbs/past-tense/past-simple#sthash.Ft4cZafX.dpuf
We use the past tense to talk about:
-
something that happened once in the past:
I met my wife in 1983.
We went to Spain for our holidays.
They got home very late last night.
-
something that happened again and again in the past:
When I was a boy I walked a mile to school every day.
We swam a lot while we were on holiday.
They always enjoyed visiting their friends.
-
something that was true for some time in the past:
I lived abroad for ten years.
He enjoyed being a student.
She played a lot of tennis when she was younger.
-
we often use phrases with ago with the past tense:
I met my wife a long time ago.
Questions and negatives
We use
did to make questions with the past tense:
When did you meet your wife?
Where did you go for your holidays?
Did she play tennis when she was younger?
Did you live abroad?
But look at these questions:
Who discovered penicillin?
Who wrote Don Quixote?
For more on these questions see
question forms
We use
didn’t (
did not) to make
negatives with the past tense:
They didn’t go to Spain this year.
We didn’t get home until very late last night.
I didn’t see you yesterday.
- See more at: https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-grammar/verbs/past-tense/past-simple#sthash.Ft4cZafX.dpuf
We use the past tense to talk about:
-
something that happened once in the past:
I met my wife in 1983.
We went to Spain for our holidays.
They got home very late last night.
-
something that happened again and again in the past:
When I was a boy I walked a mile to school every day.
We swam a lot while we were on holiday.
They always enjoyed visiting their friends.
-
something that was true for some time in the past:
I lived abroad for ten years.
He enjoyed being a student.
She played a lot of tennis when she was younger.
-
we often use phrases with ago with the past tense:
I met my wife a long time ago.
Questions and negatives
We use
did to make questions with the past tense:
When did you meet your wife?
Where did you go for your holidays?
Did she play tennis when she was younger?
Did you live abroad?
But look at these questions:
Who discovered penicillin?
Who wrote Don Quixote?
For more on these questions see
question forms
We use
didn’t (
did not) to make
negatives with the past tense:
They didn’t go to Spain this year.
We didn’t get home until very late last night.
I didn’t see you yesterday.
- See more at: https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-grammar/verbs/past-tense/past-simple#sthash.Ft4cZafX.dpuf
We use the past tense to talk about:
-
something that happened once in the past:
I met my wife in 1983.
We went to Spain for our holidays.
They got home very late last night.
-
something that happened again and again in the past:
When I was a boy I walked a mile to school every day.
We swam a lot while we were on holiday.
They always enjoyed visiting their friends.
-
something that was true for some time in the past:
I lived abroad for ten years.
He enjoyed being a student.
She played a lot of tennis when she was younger.
-
we often use phrases with ago with the past tense:
I met my wife a long time ago.
Questions and negatives
We use
did to make questions with the past tense:
When did you meet your wife?
Where did you go for your holidays?
Did she play tennis when she was younger?
Did you live abroad?
But look at these questions:
Who discovered penicillin?
Who wrote Don Quixote?
For more on these questions see
question forms
We use
didn’t (
did not) to make
negatives with the past tense:
They didn’t go to Spain this year.
We didn’t get home until very late last night.
I didn’t see you yesterday.
- See more at: https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-grammar/verbs/past-tense/past-simple#sthash.Ft4cZafX.dpuf
We use the past tense to talk about:
-
something that happened once in the past:
I met my wife in 1983.
We went to Spain for our holidays.
They got home very late last night.
-
something that happened again and again in the past:
When I was a boy I walked a mile to school every day.
We swam a lot while we were on holiday.
They always enjoyed visiting their friends.
-
something that was true for some time in the past:
I lived abroad for ten years.
He enjoyed being a student.
She played a lot of tennis when she was younger.
-
we often use phrases with ago with the past tense:
I met my wife a long time ago.
Questions and negatives
We use
did to make questions with the past tense:
When did you meet your wife?
Where did you go for your holidays?
Did she play tennis when she was younger?
Did you live abroad?
But look at these questions:
Who discovered penicillin?
Who wrote Don Quixote?
For more on these questions see
question forms
We use
didn’t (
did not) to make
negatives with the past tense:
They didn’t go to Spain this year.
We didn’t get home until very late last night.
I didn’t see you yesterday.
- See more at: https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-grammar/verbs/past-tense/past-simple#sthash.Ft4cZafX.dpuf
We use the past tense to talk about:
-
something that happened once in the past:
I met my wife in 1983.
We went to Spain for our holidays.
They got home very late last night.
-
something that happened again and again in the past:
When I was a boy I walked a mile to school every day.
We swam a lot while we were on holiday.
They always enjoyed visiting their friends.
-
something that was true for some time in the past:
I lived abroad for ten years.
He enjoyed being a student.
She played a lot of tennis when she was younger.
-
we often use phrases with ago with the past tense:
I met my wife a long time ago.
Questions and negatives
We use
did to make questions with the past tense:
When did you meet your wife?
Where did you go for your holidays?
Did she play tennis when she was younger?
Did you live abroad?
But look at these questions:
Who discovered penicillin?
Who wrote Don Quixote?
For more on these questions see
question forms
We use
didn’t (
did not) to make
negatives with the past tense:
They didn’t go to Spain this year.
We didn’t get home until very late last night.
I didn’t see you yesterday.
- See more at: https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-grammar/verbs/past-tense/past-simple#sthash.Ft4cZafX.dpuf
We use the past tense to talk about:
-
something that happened once in the past:
I met my wife in 1983.
We went to Spain for our holidays.
They got home very late last night.
-
something that happened again and again in the past:
When I was a boy I walked a mile to school every day.
We swam a lot while we were on holiday.
They always enjoyed visiting their friends.
-
something that was true for some time in the past:
I lived abroad for ten years.
He enjoyed being a student.
She played a lot of tennis when she was younger.
-
we often use phrases with ago with the past tense:
I met my wife a long time ago.
Questions and negatives
We use
did to make questions with the past tense:
When did you meet your wife?
Where did you go for your holidays?
Did she play tennis when she was younger?
Did you live abroad?
But look at these questions:
Who discovered penicillin?
Who wrote Don Quixote?
For more on these questions see
question forms
We use
didn’t (
did not) to make
negatives with the past tense:
They didn’t go to Spain this year.
We didn’t get home until very late last night.
I didn’t see you yesterday.
- See more at: https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-grammar/verbs/past-tense/past-simple#sthash.Ft4cZafX.dpuf
We use the past tense to talk about:
-
something that happened once in the past:
I met my wife in 1983.
We went to Spain for our holidays.
They got home very late last night.
-
something that happened again and again in the past:
When I was a boy I walked a mile to school every day.
We swam a lot while we were on holiday.
They always enjoyed visiting their friends.
-
something that was true for some time in the past:
I lived abroad for ten years.
He enjoyed being a student.
She played a lot of tennis when she was younger.
-
we often use phrases with ago with the past tense:
I met my wife a long time ago.
Questions and negatives
We use
did to make questions with the past tense:
When did you meet your wife?
Where did you go for your holidays?
Did she play tennis when she was younger?
Did you live abroad?
But look at these questions:
Who discovered penicillin?
Who wrote Don Quixote?
For more on these questions see
question forms
We use
didn’t (
did not) to make
negatives with the past tense:
They didn’t go to Spain this year.
We didn’t get home until very late last night.
I didn’t see you yesterday.
- See more at: https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-grammar/verbs/past-tense/past-simple#sthash.Ft4cZafX.dpuf
We use the past tense to talk about:
-
something that happened once in the past:
I met my wife in 1983.
We went to Spain for our holidays.
They got home very late last night.
-
something that happened again and again in the past:
When I was a boy I walked a mile to school every day.
We swam a lot while we were on holiday.
They always enjoyed visiting their friends.
-
something that was true for some time in the past:
I lived abroad for ten years.
He enjoyed being a student.
She played a lot of tennis when she was younger.
-
we often use phrases with ago with the past tense:
I met my wife a long time ago.
Questions and negatives
We use
did to make questions with the past tense:
When did you meet your wife?
Where did you go for your holidays?
Did she play tennis when she was younger?
Did you live abroad?
But look at these questions:
Who discovered penicillin?
Who wrote Don Quixote?
For more on these questions see
question forms
We use
didn’t (
did not) to make
negatives with the past tense:
They didn’t go to Spain this year.
We didn’t get home until very late last night.
I didn’t see you yesterday.
- See more at: https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-grammar/verbs/past-tense/past-simple#sthash.Ft4cZafX.dpuf
We use the past tense to talk about:
-
something that happened once in the past:
I met my wife in 1983.
We went to Spain for our holidays.
They got home very late last night.
-
something that happened again and again in the past:
When I was a boy I walked a mile to school every day.
We swam a lot while we were on holiday.
They always enjoyed visiting their friends.
-
something that was true for some time in the past:
I lived abroad for ten years.
He enjoyed being a student.
She played a lot of tennis when she was younger.
-
we often use phrases with ago with the past tense:
I met my wife a long time ago.
Questions and negatives
We use
did to make questions with the past tense:
When did you meet your wife?
Where did you go for your holidays?
Did she play tennis when she was younger?
Did you live abroad?
But look at these questions:
Who discovered penicillin?
Who wrote Don Quixote?
For more on these questions see
question forms
We use
didn’t (
did not) to make
negatives with the past tense:
They didn’t go to Spain this year.
We didn’t get home until very late last night.
I didn’t see you yesterday.
- See more at: https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-grammar/verbs/past-tense/past-simple#sthash.Ft4cZafX.dpuf
We use the past tense to talk about:
-
something that happened once in the past:
I met my wife in 1983.
We went to Spain for our holidays.
They got home very late last night.
-
something that happened again and again in the past:
When I was a boy I walked a mile to school every day.
We swam a lot while we were on holiday.
They always enjoyed visiting their friends.
-
something that was true for some time in the past:
I lived abroad for ten years.
He enjoyed being a student.
She played a lot of tennis when she was younger.
-
we often use phrases with ago with the past tense:
I met my wife a long time ago.
Questions and negatives
We use
did to make questions with the past tense:
When did you meet your wife?
Where did you go for your holidays?
Did she play tennis when she was younger?
Did you live abroad?
But look at these questions:
Who discovered penicillin?
Who wrote Don Quixote?
For more on these questions see
question forms
We use
didn’t (
did not) to make
negatives with the past tense:
They didn’t go to Spain this year.
We didn’t get home until very late last night.
I didn’t see you yesterday.
- See more at: https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-grammar/verbs/past-tense/past-simple#sthash.Ft4cZafX.dpuf
We use the past tense to talk about:
-
something that happened once in the past:
I met my wife in 1983.
We went to Spain for our holidays.
They got home very late last night.
-
something that happened again and again in the past:
When I was a boy I walked a mile to school every day.
We swam a lot while we were on holiday.
They always enjoyed visiting their friends.
-
something that was true for some time in the past:
I lived abroad for ten years.
He enjoyed being a student.
She played a lot of tennis when she was younger.
-
we often use phrases with ago with the past tense:
I met my wife a long time ago.
Questions and negatives
We use
did to make questions with the past tense:
When did you meet your wife?
Where did you go for your holidays?
Did she play tennis when she was younger?
Did you live abroad?
But look at these questions:
Who discovered penicillin?
Who wrote Don Quixote?
For more on these questions see
question forms
We use
didn’t (
did not) to make
negatives with the past tense:
They didn’t go to Spain this year.
We didn’t get home until very late last night.
I didn’t see you yesterday.
- See more at: https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-grammar/verbs/past-tense/past-simple#sthash.Ft4cZafX.dpuf
We use the past tense to talk about:
-
something that happened once in the past:
I met my wife in 1983.
We went to Spain for our holidays.
They got home very late last night.
-
something that happened again and again in the past:
When I was a boy I walked a mile to school every day.
We swam a lot while we were on holiday.
They always enjoyed visiting their friends.
-
something that was true for some time in the past:
I lived abroad for ten years.
He enjoyed being a student.
She played a lot of tennis when she was younger.
-
we often use phrases with ago with the past tense:
I met my wife a long time ago.
Questions and negatives
We use
did to make questions with the past tense:
When did you meet your wife?
Where did you go for your holidays?
Did she play tennis when she was younger?
Did you live abroad?
But look at these questions:
Who discovered penicillin?
Who wrote Don Quixote?
For more on these questions see
question forms
We use
didn’t (
did not) to make
negatives with the past tense:
They didn’t go to Spain this year.
We didn’t get home until very late last night.
I didn’t see you yesterday.
- See more at: https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-grammar/verbs/past-tense/past-simple#sthash.Ft4cZafX.dpuf
We use the past tense to talk about:
-
something that happened once in the past:
I met my wife in 1983.
We went to Spain for our holidays.
They got home very late last night.
-
something that happened again and again in the past:
When I was a boy I walked a mile to school every day.
We swam a lot while we were on holiday.
They always enjoyed visiting their friends.
-
something that was true for some time in the past:
I lived abroad for ten years.
He enjoyed being a student.
She played a lot of tennis when she was younger.
-
we often use phrases with ago with the past tense:
I met my wife a long time ago.
Questions and negatives
We use
did to make questions with the past tense:
When did you meet your wife?
Where did you go for your holidays?
Did she play tennis when she was younger?
Did you live abroad?
But look at these questions:
Who discovered penicillin?
Who wrote Don Quixote?
For more on these questions see
question forms
We use
didn’t (
did not) to make
negatives with the past tense:
They didn’t go to Spain this year.
We didn’t get home until very late last night.
I didn’t see you yesterday.
- See more at: https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-grammar/verbs/past-tense/past-simple#sthash.Ft4cZafX.dpuf
We use the past tense to talk about:
-
something that happened once in the past:
I met my wife in 1983.
We went to Spain for our holidays.
They got home very late last night.
-
something that happened again and again in the past:
When I was a boy I walked a mile to school every day.
We swam a lot while we were on holiday.
They always enjoyed visiting their friends.
-
something that was true for some time in the past:
I lived abroad for ten years.
He enjoyed being a student.
She played a lot of tennis when she was younger.
-
we often use phrases with ago with the past tense:
I met my wife a long time ago.
Questions and negatives
We use
did to make questions with the past tense:
When did you meet your wife?
Where did you go for your holidays?
Did she play tennis when she was younger?
Did you live abroad?
But look at these questions:
Who discovered penicillin?
Who wrote Don Quixote?
For more on these questions see
question forms
We use
didn’t (
did not) to make
negatives with the past tense:
They didn’t go to Spain this year.
We didn’t get home until very late last night.
I didn’t see you yesterday.
- See more at: https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-grammar/verbs/past-tense/past-simple#sthash.Ft4cZafX.dpuf
We use the past tense to talk about:
-
something that happened once in the past:
I met my wife in 1983.
We went to Spain for our holidays.
They got home very late last night.
-
something that happened again and again in the past:
When I was a boy I walked a mile to school every day.
We swam a lot while we were on holiday.
They always enjoyed visiting their friends.
-
something that was true for some time in the past:
I lived abroad for ten years.
He enjoyed being a student.
She played a lot of tennis when she was younger.
-
we often use phrases with ago with the past tense:
I met my wife a long time ago.
Questions and negatives
We use
did to make questions with the past tense:
When did you meet your wife?
Where did you go for your holidays?
Did she play tennis when she was younger?
Did you live abroad?
But look at these questions:
Who discovered penicillin?
Who wrote Don Quixote?
For more on these questions see
question forms
We use
didn’t (
did not) to make
negatives with the past tense:
They didn’t go to Spain this year.
We didn’t get home until very late last night.
I didn’t see you yesterday.
- See more at: https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-grammar/verbs/past-tense/past-simple#sthash.Ft4cZafX.dpuf
We use the past tense to talk about:
-
something that happened once in the past:
I met my wife in 1983.
We went to Spain for our holidays.
They got home very late last night.
-
something that happened again and again in the past:
When I was a boy I walked a mile to school every day.
We swam a lot while we were on holiday.
They always enjoyed visiting their friends.
-
something that was true for some time in the past:
I lived abroad for ten years.
He enjoyed being a student.
She played a lot of tennis when she was younger.
-
we often use phrases with ago with the past tense:
I met my wife a long time ago.
Questions and negatives
We use
did to make questions with the past tense:
When did you meet your wife?
Where did you go for your holidays?
Did she play tennis when she was younger?
Did you live abroad?
But look at these questions:
Who discovered penicillin?
Who wrote Don Quixote?
For more on these questions see
question forms
We use
didn’t (
did not) to make
negatives with the past tense:
They didn’t go to Spain this year.
We didn’t get home until very late last night.
I didn’t see you yesterday.
- See more at: https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-grammar/verbs/past-tense/past-simple#sthash.Ft4cZafX.dpuf
We use the past tense to talk about:
-
something that happened once in the past:
I met my wife in 1983.
We went to Spain for our holidays.
They got home very late last night.
-
something that happened again and again in the past:
When I was a boy I walked a mile to school every day.
We swam a lot while we were on holiday.
They always enjoyed visiting their friends.
-
something that was true for some time in the past:
I lived abroad for ten years.
He enjoyed being a student.
She played a lot of tennis when she was younger.
-
we often use phrases with ago with the past tense:
I met my wife a long time ago.
Questions and negatives
We use
did to make questions with the past tense:
When did you meet your wife?
Where did you go for your holidays?
Did she play tennis when she was younger?
Did you live abroad?
But look at these questions:
Who discovered penicillin?
Who wrote Don Quixote?
For more on these questions see
question forms
We use
didn’t (
did not) to make
negatives with the past tense:
They didn’t go to Spain this year.
We didn’t get home until very late last night.
I didn’t see you yesterday.
- See more at: https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-grammar/verbs/past-tense/past-simple#sthash.Ft4cZafX.dpuf
We use the past tense to talk about:
-
something that happened once in the past:
I met my wife in 1983.
We went to Spain for our holidays.
They got home very late last night.
-
something that happened again and again in the past:
When I was a boy I walked a mile to school every day.
We swam a lot while we were on holiday.
They always enjoyed visiting their friends.
-
something that was true for some time in the past:
I lived abroad for ten years.
He enjoyed being a student.
She played a lot of tennis when she was younger.
-
we often use phrases with ago with the past tense:
I met my wife a long time ago.
Questions and negatives
We use
did to make questions with the past tense:
When did you meet your wife?
Where did you go for your holidays?
Did she play tennis when she was younger?
Did you live abroad?
But look at these questions:
Who discovered penicillin?
Who wrote Don Quixote?
For more on these questions see
question forms
We use
didn’t (
did not) to make
negatives with the past tense:
They didn’t go to Spain this year.
We didn’t get home until very late last night.
I didn’t see you yesterday.
- See more at: https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-grammar/verbs/past-tense/past-simple#sthash.Ft4cZafX.dpuf
We use the past tense to talk about:
-
something that happened once in the past:
I met my wife in 1983.
We went to Spain for our holidays.
They got home very late last night.
-
something that happened again and again in the past:
When I was a boy I walked a mile to school every day.
We swam a lot while we were on holiday.
They always enjoyed visiting their friends.
-
something that was true for some time in the past:
I lived abroad for ten years.
He enjoyed being a student.
She played a lot of tennis when she was younger.
-
we often use phrases with ago with the past tense:
I met my wife a long time ago.
Questions and negatives
We use
did to make questions with the past tense:
When did you meet your wife?
Where did you go for your holidays?
Did she play tennis when she was younger?
Did you live abroad?
But look at these questions:
Who discovered penicillin?
Who wrote Don Quixote?
For more on these questions see
question forms
We use
didn’t (
did not) to make
negatives with the past tense:
They didn’t go to Spain this year.
We didn’t get home until very late last night.
I didn’t see you yesterday.
- See more at: https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-grammar/verbs/past-tense/past-simple#sthash.Ft4cZafX.dpuf
We use the past tense to talk about:
-
something that happened once in the past:
I met my wife in 1983.
We went to Spain for our holidays.
They got home very late last night.
-
something that happened again and again in the past:
When I was a boy I walked a mile to school every day.
We swam a lot while we were on holiday.
They always enjoyed visiting their friends.
-
something that was true for some time in the past:
I lived abroad for ten years.
He enjoyed being a student.
She played a lot of tennis when she was younger.
-
we often use phrases with ago with the past tense:
I met my wife a long time ago.
Questions and negatives
We use
did to make questions with the past tense:
When did you meet your wife?
Where did you go for your holidays?
Did she play tennis when she was younger?
Did you live abroad?
But look at these questions:
Who discovered penicillin?
Who wrote Don Quixote?
For more on these questions see
question forms
We use
didn’t (
did not) to make
negatives with the past tense:
They didn’t go to Spain this year.
We didn’t get home until very late last night.
I didn’t see you yesterday.
- See more at: https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-grammar/verbs/past-tense/past-simple#sthash.Ft4cZafX.dpuf
We use the past tense to talk about:
-
something that happened once in the past:
I met my wife in 1983.
We went to Spain for our holidays.
They got home very late last night.
-
something that happened again and again in the past:
When I was a boy I walked a mile to school every day.
We swam a lot while we were on holiday.
They always enjoyed visiting their friends.
-
something that was true for some time in the past:
I lived abroad for ten years.
He enjoyed being a student.
She played a lot of tennis when she was younger.
-
we often use phrases with ago with the past tense:
I met my wife a long time ago.
Questions and negatives
We use
did to make questions with the past tense:
When did you meet your wife?
Where did you go for your holidays?
Did she play tennis when she was younger?
Did you live abroad?
But look at these questions:
Who discovered penicillin?
Who wrote Don Quixote?
For more on these questions see
question forms
We use
didn’t (
did not) to make
negatives with the past tense:
They didn’t go to Spain this year.
We didn’t get home until very late last night.
I didn’t see you yesterday.
- See more at: https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-grammar/verbs/past-tense/past-simple#sthash.Ft4cZafX.dpuf
We use the past tense to talk about:
-
something that happened once in the past:
I met my wife in 1983.
We went to Spain for our holidays.
They got home very late last night.
-
something that happened again and again in the past:
When I was a boy I walked a mile to school every day.
We swam a lot while we were on holiday.
They always enjoyed visiting their friends.
-
something that was true for some time in the past:
I lived abroad for ten years.
He enjoyed being a student.
She played a lot of tennis when she was younger.
-
we often use phrases with ago with the past tense:
I met my wife a long time ago.
Questions and negatives
We use
did to make questions with the past tense:
When did you meet your wife?
Where did you go for your holidays?
Did she play tennis when she was younger?
Did you live abroad?
But look at these questions:
Who discovered penicillin?
Who wrote Don Quixote?
For more on these questions see
question forms
We use
didn’t (
did not) to make
negatives with the past tense:
They didn’t go to Spain this year.
We didn’t get home until very late last night.
I didn’t see you yesterday.
- See more at: https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-grammar/verbs/past-tense/past-simple#sthash.Ft4cZafX.dpuf
We use the past tense to talk about:
-
something that happened once in the past:
I met my wife in 1983.
We went to Spain for our holidays.
They got home very late last night.
-
something that happened again and again in the past:
When I was a boy I walked a mile to school every day.
We swam a lot while we were on holiday.
They always enjoyed visiting their friends.
-
something that was true for some time in the past:
I lived abroad for ten years.
He enjoyed being a student.
She played a lot of tennis when she was younger.
-
we often use phrases with ago with the past tense:
I met my wife a long time ago.
Questions and negatives
We use
did to make questions with the past tense:
When did you meet your wife?
Where did you go for your holidays?
Did she play tennis when she was younger?
Did you live abroad?
But look at these questions:
Who discovered penicillin?
Who wrote Don Quixote?
For more on these questions see
question forms
We use
didn’t (
did not) to make
negatives with the past tense:
They didn’t go to Spain this year.
We didn’t get home until very late last night.
I didn’t see you yesterday.
- See more at: https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-grammar/verbs/past-tense/past-simple#sthash.Ft4cZafX.dpuf
We use the past tense to talk about:
-
something that happened once in the past:
I met my wife in 1983.
We went to Spain for our holidays.
They got home very late last night.
-
something that happened again and again in the past:
When I was a boy I walked a mile to school every day.
We swam a lot while we were on holiday.
They always enjoyed visiting their friends.
-
something that was true for some time in the past:
I lived abroad for ten years.
He enjoyed being a student.
She played a lot of tennis when she was younger.
-
we often use phrases with ago with the past tense:
I met my wife a long time ago.
Questions and negatives
We use
did to make questions with the past tense:
When did you meet your wife?
Where did you go for your holidays?
Did she play tennis when she was younger?
Did you live abroad?
But look at these questions:
Who discovered penicillin?
Who wrote Don Quixote?
For more on these questions see
question forms
We use
didn’t (
did not) to make
negatives with the past tense:
They didn’t go to Spain this year.
We didn’t get home until very late last night.
I didn’t see you yesterday.
- See more at: https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-grammar/verbs/past-tense/past-simple#sthash.Ft4cZafX.dpuf
We use the past tense to talk about:
-
something that happened once in the past:
I met my wife in 1983.
We went to Spain for our holidays.
They got home very late last night.
-
something that happened again and again in the past:
When I was a boy I walked a mile to school every day.
We swam a lot while we were on holiday.
They always enjoyed visiting their friends.
-
something that was true for some time in the past:
I lived abroad for ten years.
He enjoyed being a student.
She played a lot of tennis when she was younger.
-
we often use phrases with ago with the past tense:
I met my wife a long time ago.
Questions and negatives
We use
did to make questions with the past tense:
When did you meet your wife?
Where did you go for your holidays?
Did she play tennis when she was younger?
Did you live abroad?
But look at these questions:
Who discovered penicillin?
Who wrote Don Quixote?
For more on these questions see
question forms
We use
didn’t (
did not) to make
negatives with the past tense:
They didn’t go to Spain this year.
We didn’t get home until very late last night.
I didn’t see you yesterday.
- See more at: https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-grammar/verbs/past-tense/past-simple#sthash.Ft4cZafX.dpuf
We use the past tense to talk about:
-
something that happened once in the past:
I met my wife in 1983.
We went to Spain for our holidays.
They got home very late last night.
-
something that happened again and again in the past:
When I was a boy I walked a mile to school every day.
We swam a lot while we were on holiday.
They always enjoyed visiting their friends.
-
something that was true for some time in the past:
I lived abroad for ten years.
He enjoyed being a student.
She played a lot of tennis when she was younger.
-
we often use phrases with ago with the past tense:
I met my wife a long time ago.
Questions and negatives
We use
did to make questions with the past tense:
When did you meet your wife?
Where did you go for your holidays?
Did she play tennis when she was younger?
Did you live abroad?
But look at these questions:
Who discovered penicillin?
Who wrote Don Quixote?
For more on these questions see
question forms
We use
didn’t (
did not) to make
negatives with the past tense:
They didn’t go to Spain this year.
We didn’t get home until very late last night.
I didn’t see you yesterday.
- See more at: https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-grammar/verbs/past-tense/past-simple#sthash.Ft4cZafX.dpuf
We use the past tense to talk about:
-
something that happened once in the past:
I met my wife in 1983.
We went to Spain for our holidays.
They got home very late last night.
-
something that happened again and again in the past:
When I was a boy I walked a mile to school every day.
We swam a lot while we were on holiday.
They always enjoyed visiting their friends.
-
something that was true for some time in the past:
I lived abroad for ten years.
He enjoyed being a student.
She played a lot of tennis when she was younger.
-
we often use phrases with ago with the past tense:
I met my wife a long time ago.
Questions and negatives
We use
did to make questions with the past tense:
When did you meet your wife?
Where did you go for your holidays?
Did she play tennis when she was younger?
Did you live abroad?
But look at these questions:
Who discovered penicillin?
Who wrote Don Quixote?
For more on these questions see
question forms
We use
didn’t (
did not) to make
negatives with the past tense:
They didn’t go to Spain this year.
We didn’t get home until very late last night.
I didn’t see you yesterday.
- See more at: https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-grammar/verbs/past-tense/past-simple#sthash.Ft4cZafX.dpufvvv
We use the past tense to talk about:
-
something that happened once in the past:
I met my wife in 1983.
We went to Spain for our holidays.
They got home very late last night.
-
something that happened again and again in the past:
When I was a boy I walked a mile to school every day.
We swam a lot while we were on holiday.
They always enjoyed visiting their friends.
-
something that was true for some time in the past:
I lived abroad for ten years.
He enjoyed being a student.
She played a lot of tennis when she was younger.
-
we often use phrases with ago with the past tense:
I met my wife a long time ago.
Questions and negatives
We use
did to make questions with the past tense:
When did you meet your wife?
Where did you go for your holidays?
Did she play tennis when she was younger?
Did you live abroad?
But look at these questions:
Who discovered penicillin?
Who wrote Don Quixote?
For more on these questions see
question forms
We use
didn’t (
did not) to make
negatives with the past tense:
They didn’t go to Spain this year.
We didn’t get home until very late last night.
I didn’t see you yesterday.
- See more at: https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-grammar/verbs/past-tense/past-simple#sthash.Ft4cZafX.dpuf
We use the past tense to talk about:
-
something that happened once in the past:
I met my wife in 1983.
We went to Spain for our holidays.
They got home very late last night.
-
something that happened again and again in the past:
When I was a boy I walked a mile to school every day.
We swam a lot while we were on holiday.
They always enjoyed visiting their friends.
-
something that was true for some time in the past:
I lived abroad for ten years.
He enjoyed being a student.
She played a lot of tennis when she was younger.
-
we often use phrases with ago with the past tense:
I met my wife a long time ago.
Questions and negatives
We use
did to make questions with the past tense:
When did you meet your wife?
Where did you go for your holidays?
Did she play tennis when she was younger?
Did you live abroad?
But look at these questions:
Who discovered penicillin?
Who wrote Don Quixote?
For more on these questions see
question forms
We use
didn’t (
did not) to make
negatives with the past tense:
They didn’t go to Spain this year.
We didn’t get home until very late last night.
I didn’t see you yesterday.
- See more at: https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-grammar/verbs/past-tense/past-simple#sthash.Ft4cZafX.dpuf
We use the past tense to talk about:
-
something that happened once in the past:
I met my wife in 1983.
We went to Spain for our holidays.
They got home very late last night.
-
something that happened again and again in the past:
When I was a boy I walked a mile to school every day.
We swam a lot while we were on holiday.
They always enjoyed visiting their friends.
-
something that was true for some time in the past:
I lived abroad for ten years.
He enjoyed being a student.
She played a lot of tennis when she was younger.
-
we often use phrases with ago with the past tense:
I met my wife a long time ago.
Questions and negatives
We use
did to make questions with the past tense:
When did you meet your wife?
Where did you go for your holidays?
Did she play tennis when she was younger?
Did you live abroad?
But look at these questions:
Who discovered penicillin?
Who wrote Don Quixote?
For more on these questions see
question forms
We use
didn’t (
did not) to make
negatives with the past tense:
They didn’t go to Spain this year.
We didn’t get home until very late last night.
I didn’t see you yesterday.
- See more at: https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-grammar/verbs/past-tense/past-simple#sthash.Ft4cZafX.dpuf
We use the past tense to talk about:
-
something that happened once in the past:
I met my wife in 1983.
We went to Spain for our holidays.
They got home very late last night.
-
something that happened again and again in the past:
When I was a boy I walked a mile to school every day.
We swam a lot while we were on holiday.
They always enjoyed visiting their friends.
-
something that was true for some time in the past:
I lived abroad for ten years.
He enjoyed being a student.
She played a lot of tennis when she was younger.
-
we often use phrases with ago with the past tense:
I met my wife a long time ago.
Questions and negatives
We use
did to make questions with the past tense:
When did you meet your wife?
Where did you go for your holidays?
Did she play tennis when she was younger?
Did you live abroad?
But look at these questions:
Who discovered penicillin?
Who wrote Don Quixote?
For more on these questions see
question forms
We use
didn’t (
did not) to make
negatives with the past tense:
They didn’t go to Spain this year.
We didn’t get home until very late last night.
I didn’t see you yesterday.
- See more at: https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-grammar/verbs/past-tense/past-simple#sthash.Ft4cZafX.dpuf
We use the past tense to talk about:
-
something that happened once in the past:
I met my wife in 1983.
We went to Spain for our holidays.
They got home very late last night.
-
something that happened again and again in the past:
When I was a boy I walked a mile to school every day.
We swam a lot while we were on holiday.
They always enjoyed visiting their friends.
-
something that was true for some time in the past:
I lived abroad for ten years.
He enjoyed being a student.
She played a lot of tennis when she was younger.
-
we often use phrases with ago with the past tense:
I met my wife a long time ago.
Questions and negatives
We use
did to make questions with the past tense:
When did you meet your wife?
Where did you go for your holidays?
Did she play tennis when she was younger?
Did you live abroad?
But look at these questions:
Who discovered penicillin?
Who wrote Don Quixote?
For more on these questions see
question forms
We use
didn’t (
did not) to make
negatives with the past tense:
They didn’t go to Spain this year.
We didn’t get home until very late last night.
I didn’t see you yesterday.
- See more at: https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-grammar/verbs/past-tense/past-simple#sthash.Ft4cZafX.dpuf
We use the past tense to talk about:
-
something that happened once in the past:
I met my wife in 1983.
We went to Spain for our holidays.
They got home very late last night.
-
something that happened again and again in the past:
When I was a boy I walked a mile to school every day.
We swam a lot while we were on holiday.
They always enjoyed visiting their friends.
-
something that was true for some time in the past:
I lived abroad for ten years.
He enjoyed being a student.
She played a lot of tennis when she was younger.
-
we often use phrases with ago with the past tense:
I met my wife a long time ago.
Questions and negatives
We use
did to make questions with the past tense:
When did you meet your wife?
Where did you go for your holidays?
Did she play tennis when she was younger?
Did you live abroad?
But look at these questions:
Who discovered penicillin?
Who wrote Don Quixote?
For more on these questions see
question forms
We use
didn’t (
did not) to make
negatives with the past tense:
They didn’t go to Spain this year.
We didn’t get home until very late last night.
I didn’t see you yesterday.
- See more at: https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-grammar/verbs/past-tense/past-simple#sthash.Ft4cZafX.dpuf
We use the past tense to talk about:
-
something that happened once in the past:
I met my wife in 1983.
We went to Spain for our holidays.
They got home very late last night.
-
something that happened again and again in the past:
When I was a boy I walked a mile to school every day.
We swam a lot while we were on holiday.
They always enjoyed visiting their friends.
-
something that was true for some time in the past:
I lived abroad for ten years.
He enjoyed being a student.
She played a lot of tennis when she was younger.
-
we often use phrases with ago with the past tense:
I met my wife a long time ago.
Questions and negatives
We use
did to make questions with the past tense:
When did you meet your wife?
Where did you go for your holidays?
Did she play tennis when she was younger?
Did you live abroad?
But look at these questions:
Who discovered penicillin?
Who wrote Don Quixote?
For more on these questions see
question forms
We use
didn’t (
did not) to make
negatives with the past tense:
They didn’t go to Spain this year.
We didn’t get home until very late last night.
I didn’t see you yesterday.
- See more at: https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-grammar/verbs/past-tense/past-simple#sthash.Ft4cZafX.dpuf
The
simple past tense is used to talk about finished actions that happened
at a specific time in the past. You state when it happened using a
time adverb.
You form the simple past of a verb by adding -ed onto the end of a
regular
verb but,
irregular verb forms
have to be learnt. There are several examples of irregular verbs in our Picture It section.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/grammar/tensesimpast.html#sthash.Bn7jxtJU.dpuf
The
simple past tense is used to talk about finished actions that happened
at a specific time in the past. You state when it happened using a
time adverb.
You form the simple past of a verb by adding -ed onto the end of a
regular
verb but,
irregular verb forms
have to be learnt. There are several examples of irregular verbs in our Picture It section.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/grammar/tensesimpast.html#sthash.Bn7jxtJU.dpuf
The
simple past tense is used to talk about finished actions that happened
at a specific time in the past. You state when it happened using a
time adverb.
You form the simple past of a verb by adding -ed onto the end of a
regular
verb but,
irregular verb forms
have to be learnt. There are several examples of irregular verbs in our Picture It section.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/grammar/tensesimpast.html#sthash.Bn7jxtJU.dpuf
The
simple past tense is used to talk about finished actions that happened
at a specific time in the past. You state when it happened using a
time adverb.
You form the simple past of a verb by adding -ed onto the end of a
regular
verb but,
irregular verb forms
have to be learnt. There are several examples of irregular verbs in our Picture It section.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/grammar/tensesimpast.html#sthash.Bn7jxtJU.dpuf
The
simple past tense is used to talk about finished actions that happened
at a specific time in the past. You state when it happened using a
time adverb.
You form the simple past of a verb by adding -ed onto the end of a
regular
verb but,
irregular verb forms
have to be learnt. There are several examples of irregular verbs in our Picture It section.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/grammar/tensesimpast.html#sthash.Bn7jxtJU.dpuf
The
simple past tense is used to talk about finished actions that happened
at a specific time in the past. You state when it happened using a
time adverb.
You form the simple past of a verb by adding -ed onto the end of a
regular
verb but,
irregular verb forms
have to be learnt. There are several examples of irregular verbs in our Picture It section.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/grammar/tensesimpast.html#sthash.Bn7jxtJU.dpuf
The
simple past tense is used to talk about finished actions that happened
at a specific time in the past. You state when it happened using a
time adverb.
You form the simple past of a verb by adding -ed onto the end of a
regular
verb but,
irregular verb forms
have to be learnt. There are several examples of irregular verbs in our Picture It section.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/grammar/tensesimpast.html#sthash.Bn7jxtJU.dpuf
The
simple past tense is used to talk about finished actions that happened
at a specific time in the past. You state when it happened using a
time adverb.
You form the simple past of a verb by adding -ed onto the end of a
regular
verb but,
irregular verb forms
have to be learnt. There are several examples of irregular verbs in our Picture It section.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/grammar/tensesimpast.html#sthash.Bn7jxtJU.dpuf
The
simple past tense is used to talk about finished actions that happened
at a specific time in the past. You state when it happened using a
time adverb.
You form the simple past of a verb by adding -ed onto the end of a
regular
verb but,
irregular verb forms
have to be learnt. There are several examples of irregular verbs in our Picture It section.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/grammar/tensesimpast.html#sthash.Bn7jxtJU.dpuf
The
simple past tense is used to talk about finished actions that happened
at a specific time in the past. You state when it happened using a
time adverb.
You form the simple past of a verb by adding -ed onto the end of a
regular
verb but,
irregular verb forms
have to be learnt. There are several examples of irregular verbs in our Picture It section.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/grammar/tensesimpast.html#sthash.Bn7jxtJU.dpuf
The
simple past tense is used to talk about finished actions that happened
at a specific time in the past. You state when it happened using a
time adverb.
You form the simple past of a verb by adding -ed onto the end of a
regular
verb but,
irregular verb forms
have to be learnt. There are several examples of irregular verbs in our Picture It section.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/grammar/tensesimpast.html#sthash.Bn7jxtJU.dpuf
The
simple past tense is used to talk about finished actions that happened
at a specific time in the past. You state when it happened using a
time adverb.
You form the simple past of a verb by adding -ed onto the end of a
regular
verb but,
irregular verb forms
have to be learnt. There are several examples of irregular verbs in our Picture It section.
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/grammar/tensesimpast.html#sthash.Bn7jxtJU.dpuf
The
simple past tense is used to talk about finished actions that happened
at a specific time in the past. You state when it happened using a
time adverb.
You form the simple past of a verb by adding -ed onto the end of a
regular
verb but,
irregular verb forms
have to be learnt. There are several examples of irregular verbs in our Picture It section.
To be
Statements
+ |
To be
Statements
- |
Questions ? |
I was. |
I wasn't. |
Was I? |
He was. |
He wasn't. |
Was he? |
She was. |
She wasn't. |
Was she? |
It was. |
It wasn't. |
Was it? |
You were. |
You weren't. |
Were you? |
We were. |
We weren't. |
Were we? |
They were. |
They weren't. |
Were they? |
Regular Verb (to work) Statements
+ |
Regular Verb (to work) Statements
- |
Questions |
Short answer
+ |
Short answer
- |
I worked. |
I didn't work. |
Did I work? |
Yes, I did. |
No, I didn't. |
He worked. |
He didn't work. |
Did he work? |
Yes, he did. |
No, he didn't. |
She worked. |
She didn't work. |
Did she work? |
Yes, she did. |
No, she didn't. |
It worked. |
It didn't work. |
Did it work? |
Yes, it did. |
No, it didn't. |
You worked. |
You didn't work. |
Did you work? |
Yes you did. |
No, you didn't. |
We worked. |
We didn't work. |
Did we work? |
Yes we did. |
No, we didn't. |
They worked. |
They didn't work. |
Did they work? |
Yes they did. |
No, they didn't. |
Simple Past Timeline

When you mention a time in the past:-
For example:
"
Last year I
took my exams."
"I
got married in
1992."
It can be used to describe events that happened over a period of time
in the past but not now.
For example:
"I
lived in South Africa
for two years."
The simple past tense is also used to talk about habitual or repeated
actions that took place in the past.
For example:
"
When I was a child we always
went to the seaside
on bank holidays."
It can sometimes be confusing.
For example:
"She
had a baby
last year." (She hasn't lost the baby, but here you are talking about the actual process of giving birth.)
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/grammar/tensesimpast.html#sthash.Bn7jxtJU.dpuf
The
simple past tense is used to talk about finished actions that happened
at a specific time in the past. You state when it happened using a
time adverb.
You form the simple past of a verb by adding -ed onto the end of a
regular
verb but,
irregular verb forms
have to be learnt. There are several examples of irregular verbs in our Picture It section.
To be
Statements
+ |
To be
Statements
- |
Questions ? |
I was. |
I wasn't. |
Was I? |
He was. |
He wasn't. |
Was he? |
She was. |
She wasn't. |
Was she? |
It was. |
It wasn't. |
Was it? |
You were. |
You weren't. |
Were you? |
We were. |
We weren't. |
Were we? |
They were. |
They weren't. |
Were they? |
Regular Verb (to work) Statements
+ |
Regular Verb (to work) Statements
- |
Questions |
Short answer
+ |
Short answer
- |
I worked. |
I didn't work. |
Did I work? |
Yes, I did. |
No, I didn't. |
He worked. |
He didn't work. |
Did he work? |
Yes, he did. |
No, he didn't. |
She worked. |
She didn't work. |
Did she work? |
Yes, she did. |
No, she didn't. |
It worked. |
It didn't work. |
Did it work? |
Yes, it did. |
No, it didn't. |
You worked. |
You didn't work. |
Did you work? |
Yes you did. |
No, you didn't. |
We worked. |
We didn't work. |
Did we work? |
Yes we did. |
No, we didn't. |
They worked. |
They didn't work. |
Did they work? |
Yes they did. |
No, they didn't. |
Simple Past Timeline

When you mention a time in the past:-
For example:
"
Last year I
took my exams."
"I
got married in
1992."
It can be used to describe events that happened over a period of time
in the past but not now.
For example:
"I
lived in South Africa
for two years."
The simple past tense is also used to talk about habitual or repeated
actions that took place in the past.
For example:
"
When I was a child we always
went to the seaside
on bank holidays."
It can sometimes be confusing.
For example:
"She
had a baby
last year." (She hasn't lost the baby, but here you are talking about the actual process of giving birth.)
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/grammar/tensesimpast.html#sthash.Bn7jxtJU.dpuf
The
simple past tense is used to talk about finished actions that happened
at a specific time in the past. You state when it happened using a
time adverb.
You form the simple past of a verb by adding -ed onto the end of a
regular
verb but,
irregular verb forms
have to be learnt. There are several examples of irregular verbs in our Picture It section.
To be
Statements
+ |
To be
Statements
- |
Questions ? |
I was. |
I wasn't. |
Was I? |
He was. |
He wasn't. |
Was he? |
She was. |
She wasn't. |
Was she? |
It was. |
It wasn't. |
Was it? |
You were. |
You weren't. |
Were you? |
We were. |
We weren't. |
Were we? |
They were. |
They weren't. |
Were they? |
Regular Verb (to work) Statements
+ |
Regular Verb (to work) Statements
- |
Questions |
Short answer
+ |
Short answer
- |
I worked. |
I didn't work. |
Did I work? |
Yes, I did. |
No, I didn't. |
He worked. |
He didn't work. |
Did he work? |
Yes, he did. |
No, he didn't. |
She worked. |
She didn't work. |
Did she work? |
Yes, she did. |
No, she didn't. |
It worked. |
It didn't work. |
Did it work? |
Yes, it did. |
No, it didn't. |
You worked. |
You didn't work. |
Did you work? |
Yes you did. |
No, you didn't. |
We worked. |
We didn't work. |
Did we work? |
Yes we did. |
No, we didn't. |
They worked. |
They didn't work. |
Did they work? |
Yes they did. |
No, they didn't. |
Simple Past Timeline

When you mention a time in the past:-
For example:
"
Last year I
took my exams."
"I
got married in
1992."
It can be used to describe events that happened over a period of time
in the past but not now.
For example:
"I
lived in South Africa
for two years."
The simple past tense is also used to talk about habitual or repeated
actions that took place in the past.
For example:
"
When I was a child we always
went to the seaside
on bank holidays."
It can sometimes be confusing.
For example:
"She
had a baby
last year." (She hasn't lost the baby, but here you are talking about the actual process of giving birth.)
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/grammar/tensesimpast.html#sthash.Bn7jxtJU.dpuf
The
simple past tense is used to talk about finished actions that happened
at a specific time in the past. You state when it happened using a
time adverb.
You form the simple past of a verb by adding -ed onto the end of a
regular
verb but,
irregular verb forms
have to be learnt. There are several examples of irregular verbs in our Picture It section.
To be
Statements
+ |
To be
Statements
- |
Questions ? |
I was. |
I wasn't. |
Was I? |
He was. |
He wasn't. |
Was he? |
She was. |
She wasn't. |
Was she? |
It was. |
It wasn't. |
Was it? |
You were. |
You weren't. |
Were you? |
We were. |
We weren't. |
Were we? |
They were. |
They weren't. |
Were they? |
Regular Verb (to work) Statements
+ |
Regular Verb (to work) Statements
- |
Questions |
Short answer
+ |
Short answer
- |
I worked. |
I didn't work. |
Did I work? |
Yes, I did. |
No, I didn't. |
He worked. |
He didn't work. |
Did he work? |
Yes, he did. |
No, he didn't. |
She worked. |
She didn't work. |
Did she work? |
Yes, she did. |
No, she didn't. |
It worked. |
It didn't work. |
Did it work? |
Yes, it did. |
No, it didn't. |
You worked. |
You didn't work. |
Did you work? |
Yes you did. |
No, you didn't. |
We worked. |
We didn't work. |
Did we work? |
Yes we did. |
No, we didn't. |
They worked. |
They didn't work. |
Did they work? |
Yes they did. |
No, they didn't. |
Simple Past Timeline

When you mention a time in the past:-
For example:
"
Last year I
took my exams."
"I
got married in
1992."
It can be used to describe events that happened over a period of time
in the past but not now.
For example:
"I
lived in South Africa
for two years."
The simple past tense is also used to talk about habitual or repeated
actions that took place in the past.
For example:
"
When I was a child we always
went to the seaside
on bank holidays."
It can sometimes be confusing.
For example:
"She
had a baby
last year." (She hasn't lost the baby, but here you are talking about the actual process of giving birth.)
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/grammar/tensesimpast.html#sthash.Bn7jxtJU.dpuf
The
simple past tense is used to talk about finished actions that happened
at a specific time in the past. You state when it happened using a
time adverb.
You form the simple past of a verb by adding -ed onto the end of a
regular
verb but,
irregular verb forms
have to be learnt. There are several examples of irregular verbs in our Picture It section.
To be
Statements
+ |
To be
Statements
- |
Questions ? |
I was. |
I wasn't. |
Was I? |
He was. |
He wasn't. |
Was he? |
She was. |
She wasn't. |
Was she? |
It was. |
It wasn't. |
Was it? |
You were. |
You weren't. |
Were you? |
We were. |
We weren't. |
Were we? |
They were. |
They weren't. |
Were they? |
Regular Verb (to work) Statements
+ |
Regular Verb (to work) Statements
- |
Questions |
Short answer
+ |
Short answer
- |
I worked. |
I didn't work. |
Did I work? |
Yes, I did. |
No, I didn't. |
He worked. |
He didn't work. |
Did he work? |
Yes, he did. |
No, he didn't. |
She worked. |
She didn't work. |
Did she work? |
Yes, she did. |
No, she didn't. |
It worked. |
It didn't work. |
Did it work? |
Yes, it did. |
No, it didn't. |
You worked. |
You didn't work. |
Did you work? |
Yes you did. |
No, you didn't. |
We worked. |
We didn't work. |
Did we work? |
Yes we did. |
No, we didn't. |
They worked. |
They didn't work. |
Did they work? |
Yes they did. |
No, they didn't. |
Simple Past Timeline

When you mention a time in the past:-
For example:
"
Last year I
took my exams."
"I
got married in
1992."
It can be used to describe events that happened over a period of time
in the past but not now.
For example:
"I
lived in South Africa
for two years."
The simple past tense is also used to talk about habitual or repeated
actions that took place in the past.
For example:
"
When I was a child we always
went to the seaside
on bank holidays."
It can sometimes be confusing.
For example:
"She
had a baby
last year." (She hasn't lost the baby, but here you are talking about the actual process of giving birth.)
- See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/grammar/tensesimpast.html#sthash.Bn7jxtJU.dpuf