Past simple is an English grammar tense used to describe actions or events that were completed at a specific time in the past. It is often accompanied by time expressions like "yesterday," "last week," or "two days ago." Regular verbs form the past simple by adding -ed, while irregular verbs have unique past forms.
The past simple is used to talk about completed actions, habits, or general facts in the past. It can also be used to tell stories or describe a sequence of events.
- Describes actions that are finished and have no connection to the present.
- Can be used for single events, repeated actions, or general truths in the past.
- Often used with time expressions that indicate a specific past time.
Example:
- I visited my grandparents last weekend.
Conjugation
The past simple form is the same for all subjects. Regular verbs end in -ed, while irregular verbs use special past forms.
| Pronoun | Regular Verb: play | Irregular Verb: go | Example (play) | Example (go) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | played | went | I played soccer. | I went to the mall. |
| You | played | went | You played soccer. | You went to the mall. |
| He/She/It | played | went | She played soccer. | He went to the mall. |
| We | played | went | We played soccer. | We went to the mall. |
| They | played | went | They played soccer. | They went to the mall. |
Keywords
| English | Spanish | English Example | Spanish Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yesterday | Ayer | I saw a movie yesterday. | Vi una película ayer. |
| Last night | Anoche | She called me last night. | Ella me llamó anoche. |
| Ago | Hace | We left two hours ago. | Salimos hace dos horas. |
| Week | Semana | I traveled last week. | Viajé la semana pasada. |
| Finished | Terminado | He finished his homework. | Él terminó su tarea. |
| Completed | Completado | They completed the project. | Ellos completaron el proyecto. |
| Visited | Visitado | I visited Paris last year. | Visité París el año pasado. |
| Started | Comenzado | We started early today. | Comenzamos temprano hoy. |
| Worked | Trabajado | She worked all day. | Ella trabajó todo el día. |
| Called | Llamado | I called you yesterday. | Te llamé ayer. |
When to Use
The past simple is used in several common situations:
- Actions that happened and finished at a specific time in the past.
- Habits or repeated actions in the past.
- A series of completed actions in the past.
- Stating facts or general truths that are no longer true.
Example:
- I lived in Japan for two years.
Is past simple used for telling stories or describing a sequence of events?
Yes, it is often used to list completed actions in order.
Past simple is used to narrate completed actions or events that happened one after another.
Time Expressions
These time expressions often signal the use of the past simple:
- Yesterday
- Last night/week/month/year
- Two days ago / a week ago / years ago
- In
- When I was a child
Example:
- She moved to New York two years ago.
Signal Words
Other common words that indicate past simple:
- Ago
- Then
- Once
- When
- After
Example:
- We finished dinner, then watched a movie.
Terminamos la cena, ___ vimos una película.
Which word signals a past action in 'We finished dinner, ___ watched a movie'?
then
'Then' connects two completed past actions in sequence.
Negative Form
Use did not (didn’t) + base verb to make negatives.
| Pronoun | Negative Example |
|---|---|
| I | I didn’t watch the game. |
| You | You didn’t call me. |
| He/She/It | She didn’t go to school. |
| We | We didn’t see the email. |
| They | They didn’t arrive on time. |
Question Form
Use Did + subject + base verb for questions.
| Question Type | Example | Example (Answer) |
|---|---|---|
| Yes/No | Did you eat dinner? | Yes, I ate dinner. |
| Wh- Questions | Where did you go? | I went to the park. |
Common Mistakes
- Using the present simple instead of past (e.g., “I go” vs. “I went”).
- Adding -ed to irregular verbs (e.g., “goed” instead of “went”).
- Using double past markers (e.g., “did went” should be “did go”).
Examples
| Type | Example |
|---|---|
| Simple Statement | She finished her report. |
| Habitual Past | We always walked to school. |
| Series of Events | I woke up, ate breakfast, and left. |
| Negative | He didn’t see the message. |
| Question | Did you call your mom? |
Translate to English: 'Siempre caminábamos a la escuela.'
We always walked to school.
'Caminábamos' shows habitual past; use past simple 'walked' with 'always'.
Summary
The past simple is used to talk about completed actions or situations in the past. Regular verbs add -ed, irregular verbs have special forms, and time expressions like “yesterday” or “last week” help indicate the past. Negative sentences use “didn’t” + base verb, and questions use “Did” + subject + base verb.
Last updated: Thu Jun 5, 2025
