







In English we use the past simple tense to talk about finished actions in the past.
We use 'did' as an auxiliary verb in negatives and questions and we often use the past simple with past time phrases such as 5 minutes ago, yesterday, last week, in the 1980s, and when I was a child.
Notes for use of past simple :
In English, to change verbs to the past tense, we add '-ed' to regular verbs. For example;
work --> worked
live --> lived
walk --> walked
If the verb ends in 'e', we drop the 'e' before adding '-ed'. For example;
dance --> danced
smile --> smiled
phone --> phoned
If the verb ends in a vowel + consonant, we double the last consonant. For example;
stop --> stopped
tag --> tagged
plan --> planned
If the verb has more than one syllable, we double the consonant at the end only if the last syllable is stressed. For example;
prefer --> preferred
permit --> permitted
regret --> regretted
If the last syllable of the verb is not stressed, we do not double the last consonant. For example;
visit --> visited
happen --> happened
develop --> developed
In British English, verbs ending in 'l' double the 'l' before '-ed' whether the last syllable is stressed or not. For example;
travel --> travelled
cancel --> cancelled
If the verb ends in a 'y' or a 'w', we do not double it when we add '-ed'. For example;
stay --> stayed
play --> played
sew --> sewed
In English we do not double the consonant if the verb has two vowels before the last consonant. For example;
boil --> boiled
explain --> explained
In English we also do not double the consonant if the verb ends in two consonants. For example;
help --> helped
start --> started
However, irregular verbs change to completely different words in the past tense. For example;
go --> went
take --> took
know --> knew
The table below shows the different forms of past simple :
Example Verb : live | I / You / We / They / He / She / It |
| Positive | ... lived. |
| Negative | ... didn't live. |
Questions | Did ... live? |
| Short answers | Yes, ... did. / No, ... didn't. |
For the verb 'to be' we use 'was' and 'were'' in the past simple. No auxiliary verbs are used in negative sentences and questions.
Verb : Be | I / He / She / It | You / We / They |
| Positive | ... was ... | ... were ... |
| Negative | ... wasn't ... | ... weren't ... |
| Questions | Was ... ... ? | Were ... ...? |
| Short answers | Yes, ... was. / No, ... wasn't. | Yes, ... were. / No, ... weren't. |
Past Simple Example Sentences :
Positive Examples of Past Simple :
Negative Examples of Past Simple :
Question Examples of Past Simple :
| Past simple example sentences | |
|---|---|
| I didn't want you to come out for a smoke, actually. | 사실 담배 피자고 밖으로 부른 건 아니고. |
| What happened to this one? | 이 사람은 또 뭐가 문제래? |
| Oh, by the way, one of my best friends from Australia called me... | 아, 그나저나, 호주에서 나하고 제일 친한 친구 중 한명한테서 연락이 왔는데... |
| Of course I didn't, they had already started playing it before I got there! | 당연히 내가 시킨 건 아니지, 내가 가보니까 벌써 잡고 있던데! |
| What kind of coffee did you get me? | 커피는 뭘로 사왔어? |
| I didn't have any time to go and check houses. | 직접 집을 확인하고 할 시간이 없었어. |
| Well, as I finished most things while you weren't here. | 음, 네가 없는 동안에 내가 거의 다 끝내뒀으니까. |
| Why did you wake up so early? | 왜 그렇게 일찍 일어났어? |
| Then suddenly, a vicious dog just came and... | 갑자기 엄청 맹견이 튀어나와서... |
| Where did you get that idea from!? | 그런 생각은 어디서 난 거야!? |
| Very funny, I think you just killed some time there. | 대단히 재밌으시네요. 너 그냥 시간 죽이다 온 거지. |
| Dude, I heard you shagging till late last night. | 자식아, 어젯밤 늦게까지 쿵덕쿵덕거리는 소리 다 들었어. |
| To where? You just came, you didn't even finish your beer. | 어디로? 방금 왔잖아. 맥주는 다 마시지도 않아놓고. |
| But we had some *little* problems. | 하지만 좀 *사소한* 문제가 있었지 뭐야. |
| Did something happen to Pogo? | 포고한테 무슨 일이 있어요? |
| I took a picture and printed it out at school! | 사진을 찍어서 학교에서 프린트 했단 말야! |
| What!? So you complained to Nick about our cat! | 뭐라고요!? 그러니까 당신이 닉한테 우리 고양이 갖고 불평을 한 거네요! |
| I called you at least ten times! | 나 10번도 넘게 전화했다고! |
| Nope, there was no evidence of fire anywhere... | 아니, 불 난 흔적은 아무 데도 없었어... |
| I don't know, it was like 10. | 나도 몰라, 한 10시쯤. |