







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 | |
|---|---|
| But I really wanted to go there tonight. | 그치만 오늘 밤 꼭 거길 가고 싶었는데. |
| To be honest, I didn't really understand what happened! | 솔직하게 말하자면, 무슨 일이었는지 난 정말 이해가 안됐다구요! |
| Then my phone rang and I went to the garden to talk. | 그때 전화가 와서 통화하러 안뜰로 갔어요. |
| I didn't want to risk it. | 혹시나 했지. |
| I didn't want to wake you up, so I went to the kitchen. | 깨우기 미안해서, 부엌으로 갔지. |
| Any idea why they decided to sell the house suddenly? | 갑자기 집을 팔기로 한 이유가 뭔지 감 잡히는 거 있어? |
| You wanted to come here, I just helped you get the table! | 네가 여기 오고 싶어하길래, 테이블 구하는 방법 알려준 것 뿐이잖아! |
| Why didn't you tell me that before? | 그걸 왜 진작에 말을 안해줬어? |
| Sorry, but I have to say, we saw another house earlier today... | 미안하지만, 오늘 이전에 다른 집도 봤는데요... |
| What happened to this one? | 이 사람은 또 뭐가 문제래? |
| After I had waited a while, I decided to knock on her door... | 좀 기다려봤다가, 결국 문을 두드렸는데... |
| And... Your cat? I didn't know you had a cat! | 그리고... 당신 고양이인가요? 고양이가 있는 줄은 몰랐는데! |
| Didn't you hear what she said? | 말하는 거 못 들었어? |
| I used the same logic as you... | 네 논리 그대로 적용한 거잖아... |
| They are an old couple, he thought I was his son. | 나이 든 부부인데, 내가 아들인 줄 아신 모양이야. |
| I only managed to get 3 appointments for today. | 근데 오늘 약속이 잡힌 사람은 3명밖에 없었어. |
| So I snore everyday... Why didn't you tell me that before? | 그럼 매일 곤다는 소리구나... 왜 진작에 말을 안해줬어? |
| Because it's in my bag, I didn't hear it. | 가방에 넣어둬서 못 들었지. |
| But unfortunately, they didn't! | 안타깝게도, 안 그런 거지! |
| No, I didn't have much money in it. | 아니, 돈이 많이 있진 않았는데요. |