What is the past simple?
The past simple (or simple past) is one of the English verb tenses.
You can learn more English online by visiting our freeย English grammar lessons, which include other verb tenses and more grammar points.
You can also find more grammar, vocabulary and communication tasks for each English level:
Use & examples |
We use theย past simple tense to describe:
(1) Pastย events
[English level A1 - English level A2]
It is used for both short actions and longer situations which happened in the past.
- I ateย an apple.
- I lived in Japan.
(2) Past habits
[English level A2 - English level B1]
It is also used for repeated actionsย which happened many times in the past.
- I tookย the train at 7ย o'clock every morning.
- I played football every weekend.
(3)ย Pastย states
[English level A2 - English level B1]
This describesย something in the past that was not an action (e.g. emotions, thoughts, relationships, senses).
- Heย feltย tired yesterday afternoon.
(4)ย Hypothetical situations in present or future
For more information, see conditionals.
- If I had the money, I would buy a big house.
(5) Polite questions and requests in the present
[English level B1ย -ย English level B2]
For more information, see Making requests.
- Did you want to talk to me?
- Could I borrow your pen, please?
Form |
How do you write and pronounce the past simple?
Form: Key points
- For most regular verbs, add 'ed' to the base form of the verb, which is the infinitive without 'to' .
- You need to learn past form of irregular verbs (e.g. eat, ate)
Here are examples ofย the positive form, negative form and question formย using the verb 'live'.
Contractions
didn't = did not
Short answers
Yes, Iย did. /ย No, I didn't.
Pronunciation
The past simple with 'ed' has three different pronunciation sounds.
- /t/ (e.g. worked, helped) - when 'ed' comes after an unvoiced consonant sound.
- /d/ย (e.g. stayed, lived) - when 'ed' comes after a voiced consonant or a vowel sound.
- /ษชd/ย (e.g. started, decided) - when 'ed' comes after the sounds /t/ and /d/.
Notes |
Spelling for verbs
Sometimes we need to remove a letter, and other times we need to add another letter. Here are the exceptions:
1) Most regular verbs
Add 'ed' to the base form.
Examples:
[work]ย He workedย in Japan.
[visit] She visitedย friends in London.
2) Verbs ending in 'e'
Add 'd' to the base form.
Examples:
[live] Sheย livedย in France for a year.
[like] Weย likedย the food at their wedding.
3) Verb ends with consonant + one stressed vowel + one consonant
Double the final consonant and add 'ed'.
Examples:
[stop] Iย stoppedย the car.
[plan]ย ย Weย plannedย a holiday in Italy.
* Verbs ending with an unstressed vowel
These follow the normal rules, and the last consonant is not doubled.
Examples:
[develop] Theyย developedย a new company.
3) Verb ends in 'l' (British English)
Double the final consonant and add 'ed'.
Examples:
[travel] Iย travelledย with friends.
4) Verb ends with consonant + 'y'
Change 'y' to 'ied'.
Examples:
[study] Heย studiedย law for five years.
[cry] Theyย criedย during the film.
Compare verbs ending in 'vowelย + y':
[play]ย He playedย football on Saturday.
5) Verb ends with 'ic'
Add 'k' before 'ed'.
Examples:
[panic] He's panicking about the exam.
6) Irregular verbs
The past simple form of irregular verbs need to be learned and remembered!
Examples:
[be] I wasย a student./Youย wereย my teacher.
[eat] Weย ateย pizza for dinner.
[buy] Iย boughtย a new car.
Quizzes |
Quiz 1: Past events, habits and states.
Type the verbs in the past simple tense and useย theย affirmative, negative or question form.