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What is the Past Simple?

The Past Simple tense helps us talk about things that happened and finished in the past. It’s like looking back at a completed action or event.

• It describes actions that are no longer happening now.
• We often know exactly when these actions happened.

How do we form the Past Simple?

There are two types of verbs in the Past Simple: regular and irregular verbs.

Regular Verbs

For most regular verbs, we add -ed to the base form.

• walk → walked
• play → played
• start → started

There are some spelling rules for adding -ed:

• If a verb ends in -e, just add -d: live → lived, love → loved.
• If a verb ends in a consonant + -y, change -y to -i and add -ed: study → studied, try → tried.
• If a verb ends in a vowel + -y, just add -ed: play → played, enjoy → enjoyed.
• For short verbs ending in consonant + vowel + consonant, we often double the last consonant before adding -ed: stop → stopped, plan → planned.

Irregular Verbs

Irregular verbs do not follow the -ed rule. They have special forms that you need to learn. Many common verbs are irregular.

• go → went
• have → had
• see → saw
• do → did
• make → made

How do we make negative sentences?

To make a negative sentence in the Past Simple, we use did not or the short form didn't, followed by the base form of the main verb.

• I didn't go to the party. (NOT I didn't went)
• She didn't like the film.
• They didn't finish their homework.

The verb to be is different. We use wasn't or weren't.

• He wasn't happy.
• They weren't at home.

How do we ask questions?

To ask questions in the Past Simple, we use Did at the beginning of the sentence, followed by the subject and the base form of the main verb.

• Did you watch TV last night?
• Did she call you?
• Did they visit London?

For questions with to be, we use Was or Were at the beginning.

• Was he tired?
• Were they busy?

When do we use the Past Simple?

We use the Past Simple for several situations:

• Completed actions in the past: Actions that started and finished at a specific time. I ate breakfast an hour ago.
• A series of completed actions: When we describe events in a story. She woke up, had coffee, and left for work.
• Past habits or routines: Actions that happened regularly in the past but not anymore. When I was a child, I played outside every day.
• Facts or generalizations about the past: The Roman Empire existed for many centuries.

Common Time Expressions for the Past Simple

These words and phrases often appear with the Past Simple:

• yesterday
• last night/week/month/year
• two days/weeks/years ago
• in 2010 (or any specific year)
• when I was young

Common Irregular Verbs in Past Simple (A2 Level)

Base Form	Past Simple
be	was/were
do	did
go	went
have	had
make	made
see	saw
take	took
eat	ate
get	got
come	came

Examples

• I finished my homework yesterday.
• She went to the beach last summer.
• They didn't like the movie.
• Did you see him at the party?
• My family lived in that house for ten years.

Practice

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Common mistakes for Spanish speakers

Using 'did' with 'to be'

A common mistake for Spanish speakers is to use did with the verb to be. Remember, to be is special.

• Incorrect: Did you were happy?
• Correct: Were you happy?
• Incorrect: He didn't was here.
• Correct: He wasn't here.

Not using the base form after 'did/didn't'

After did or didn't, the main verb must be in its base form (infinitive without to).

• Incorrect: I didn't went to school.
• Correct: I didn't go to school.
• Incorrect: Did she saw him?
• Correct: Did she see him?

Frequently asked questions

What is the main use of the Past Simple?

The main use of the Past Simple is to talk about actions or events that started and finished at a specific time in the past. For example, I ate pizza last night.

How do I make a regular verb Past Simple?

For most regular verbs, you add -ed to the base form. For example, walk becomes walked, and start becomes started.

What is an irregular verb?

An irregular verb does not follow the -ed rule. It has a special form for the Past Simple. For example, the past simple of go is went, not goed.

How do I make a negative sentence in the Past Simple?

To make a negative sentence, use did not or didn't before the base form of the main verb. For example, She didn't play tennis.

Is the Past Simple important for the A2 Key exam?

Yes, the Past Simple is very important for the A2 Key (KET) exam. You will need to use it correctly in writing tasks, like telling a story or describing a past event, and in speaking tasks to talk about your experiences.

Related lessons

• Past simple
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