2.1 Past simple

Form: past simple

verb-ed

Affirmative

In the case of regular verbs, the past simple is formed by adding -ed to the base form of the verb for all persons. Note the changes in spelling:

look » looked
stay » stayed
arrive » arrived (we only add -d if the verb ends in -e)
try » tried (a final -y changes to -i- after a consonant)
stop » stopped (we double the final consonant if the verb ends in a consonant-vowel-consonant)

A number of verbs have irregular past forms. A few examples are:

buy » bought
fly » flew
hit » hit
shine » shone
swim » swam

See the Appendix for a list of the most common irregular verbs in English.

Negative

In the negative, we use the auxiliary did + not followed by the bare infinitive:

The contracted form didn't is often used instead of did not in spoken and in informal written language.

Interrogative

In the interrogative, we use the auxiliary did followed by the subject and the bare infinitive:

The verb BE in the past simple

The verb be has irregular past tense forms. In the past simple, the auxiliary did is not used in the negative or interrogative if the main verb is be:

The contracted forms wasn't and weren't are often used instead of was not and were not in spoken and in informal written language.

Past simple for completed actions in the past

The past simple tense is used for actions which are completed at a definite point in time in the past. This point can be implied or expressed with a time expression or a clause:

I bought a motorbike last week.
She was born in 1990.
Columbus discovered America. (i.e. in 1492)
How did it happen? (i.e. when it happened)
When I got home, I went to bed straight away.

Examples of time expressions that refer to a definite time in the past:

a year/two months/a few weeks/three days/etc. ago
at 5 o'clock
yesterday
earlier today/this week/this month
last week/month/year

Past simple for past habits and states

The past simple is used to express habits and states that existed during a period of time in the past. This period can be implied or expressed with a time expression or a clause:

When I was a child, I visited my grandma every weekend. (habit)
When my brother was young, he liked spinach. (state)
Where did you go to primary school? (habit, where the implied period of time is when you went to primary school)

Past simple for actions happening over a period of time in the past

The past simple is used for actions that took place over a complete period of time in the past. This period is expressed with a time expression; however, the exact time may or may not be mentioned:

Pterodactyls existed between 1.5 billion and 70 million years ago.
From 1981 to 1984, he worked for a large multinational company.
Last week, I stayed with my sister for a few days. (the exact time is not mentioned)
Joe lived in Boston for ten years. (the exact time is not mentioned)

Past simple to express a point in the past

The past simple is used to refer to a point in the past at which another event was in progress, had been completed or had been going on for some time. The past simple thus serves as a time marker in subordinate time clauses within complex sentences, where the main clause is in the past continuous, past perfect or past perfect continuous tense:

When I called her, she was studying.
By the time we reached the top, it had stopped raining.
When I got to her house, she had been waiting for hours.