







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 | |
|---|---|
| We also tried to find a house for you a couple of weeks ago. | Também tentámos encontrar uma casa para você há algumas semanas. |
| I hope the other appointments weren't very far apart from each other. | Espero que as outras marcações não tenham sido muito afastadas umas das outras. |
| Sorry, but I have to say, we saw another house earlier today... | Lamento, mas tenho de dizer, nós vimos outra casa antes... |
| I left it on this chair! | Eu o deixei nesta cadeira! |
| When did you get here? I didn't see you. | Quando você veio, eu não vi você. |
| Why did you wake up so early? | Por que acordou tão cedo? |
| Unfortunately, the next one was at 11 and the last one was at 15:30. | Infelizmente, a seguinte era às 11 e a última às 15:30. |
| Yeah, I know that, I got this place because I was in a hurry. | Sim, eu sei, eu arranjei este espaço porque estava com pressa. |
| Did you have much money in your purse? | Você tinha muito dinheiro na carteira? |
| When did it happen exactly? | Quando aconteceu, exatamente? |
| Oh, what did she say? | Oh, o que foi que ela disse? |
| But didn't we already buy the cheese grated? | Mas já não compramos o queijo ralado? |
| You didn't tell me what? | Contou o quê? |
| Except Pinocchio knew he wasn't a real boy from the beginning. | Tirando o fato de o Pinóquio saber que não é um garoto verdadeiro desde o início. |
| I went there, too, but they didn't have it, either. | Eu fui lá mas também não havia. |
| That's brilliant, did you manage to see any houses today in the end? | Isso é genial, você acabou por ver alguma casa hoje? |
| We've been coming here since Pogo was a kitten. | Nós vimos cá desde que Pogo era um gatinho bebê. |
| Yeah, normally... But I'm too sick to go to work so I took the day off. | Sim, normalmente... Mas estou demasiado doente para ir trabalhar, então tirei o dia. |
| I didn't want you to come out for a smoke, actually. | Eu não queria que você viesse cá para fora para fumar, na verdade. |
| Anyway, I woke up at 07:00 and went to see the first one. | De qualquer modo, acordei às 07:00 e fui ver a primeira. |