







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 | |
|---|---|
| What happened? Did you break a bottle? | 무슨 일이야? 병 깼어? |
| What kind of coffee did you get me? | 커피는 뭘로 사왔어? |
| There was nothing wrong with you at the shop. | 상점에서는 아무 문제 없었는데. |
| We are going to follow the original plan, how it was before. | 원래 계획대로 하자. 하기로 했던 대로. |
| It's good you called me before you came today. | 오시기 전에 전화하셔서 정말 다행이네요. |
| How did we switch from Mayfair to the suburbs that fast? | 메이페어에서 교외라니 어쩌다 이렇게 빨리 바뀌었담? |
| For no reason? How did she go mental? | 이유도 없이? 어떻게 또라이처럼 굴었다는 거야? |
| Did you just meet him tonight? | 오늘밤 이제 막 만난 거야? |
| Oh, okay, did she say why they needed to cancel it? | 아, 그렇구나. 왜 취소해야 하는지는 말해줬고? |
| I can see why the f*cking toilet got clogged now! | 빌어먹을 변기가 왜 막혔는지 이제 알겠군! |
| I'm his friend from London, as he mentioned! | 얘기한 것처럼, 런던에서 온 "친구"니까요! |
| I'm sorry, why did you call that much? | 미안해, 전화는 왜 그렇게 많이 했는데? |
| An old lady came out and shouted at me very angrily! | 웬 할머니가 나와서 나한테 호통을 치셨다고! |
| Because it's in my bag, I didn't hear it. | 가방에 넣어둬서 못 들었지. |
| We talked on the phone before. | 아까 통화했잖아. |
| Then we found the wallet with nothing left in it. | 그리고 다시 찾았더니 돈이 탈탈 털린 상태였죠. |
| My housemates once had a dog, too. | 우리 하우스메이트들도 예전에 개를 길렀거든. |
| I hope I didn't make you wait long. | 너무 오래 기다리게 만든 게 아니면 좋겠는데. |
| Oh yeah, I remember, you had some snails and you hated them. | 아하, 기억났다. 달팽이 요리를 먹고는 질색했잖아. |
| Welcome, tonight we reserved one of our best tables for you! | 어서오세요, 두분을 위해서 가장 좋은 테이블 중 하나를 맡아드렸어요! |