english4theworld
learners' centre
grammar reference
PAST SIMPLE
for a completed action that took place at a finished time in the past
with the word ago to talk and ask about how long before now a past completed action happened
to describe a background situation in which a Past Simple action happened
in some conditional sentences when the idea in Clause 1 is against the true facts
to sound polite, or to show respect or tact
for situations that still exist in the present
using the Past Continuous can indicate a more casual, more routine, less deliberate action than if we use the Past Simple
FORM: Regular Verbs
The Past Simple form of regular verbs is usually made in the following way:
subject + verb + ed
Affirmative I,
you, he, she, it, we, you, they worked
Question Did
I, you, he, she, it, we, you, they work?
Negative
I, you, he, she, it, we, you, they didn't
work
SPELLING RULES: Regular Verbs
When the verb ends with a consonant, we add -ed.
Examples:
- jump jumped
- help helped
- walk walked
When the verb ends with -e, we add -d.
Examples:
- hate hated
- live lived
- love loved
When the verb ends with a consonant + -y, we remove the -y and add -ied in its place.
Examples:
- cry cried
- marry married
- try tried
When the verb has one syllable and ends with vowel + consonant, we generally double the last letter.
Examples:
stop stopped
plan planned
regret regretted
PRONUNCIATION: Regular Verbs
Most Past
Simple endings are pronounced with either the sound /d/
or /t/.
If
a word ends with either the letter -d
or -t,
the Past Simple ending is pronounced /id/.
Examples:
FORM: Irregular Verbs
In English, there are a number of common verbs that do not follow the above rules. These are called irregular verbs. The Past Simple forms of these verbs must be learned individually.
Affirmative I,
you, he, she, it, we, you, they went
Question Did
I, you, he, she, it, we, you, they go?
Negative
I, you, he, she, it, we, you, they didn't
go
Examples:
| Infinitive | Past Simple | Past Participle |
| drive | drove | driven |
| drink | drank | drunk |
| go | went | gone |
| think | thought | thought |
USE: GENERAL POINTS
We use the
Past
Simple
for an action that is completed in the past in a definite finished time.
It does not continue up to the present moment.
The
definite finished time is clear to the speakers because it is said at
some point in the conversation by the speaker(s) (e.g. yesterday, last
year, when I was a child)
Examples:
- I went to the cinema yesterday.
- We bought this car in 1998.
- My parents arrived last week from New York.
Another reason why the definite finished time will clear to the speakers, is because it understood or assumed by the speakers. The present context of the speakers (e.g. the time now, where they are now, what they both know) makes it perfectly clear to them that the action is completed in the past in a definite finished time in the past and does not continue up to the present moment.
Examples:
- Hi,
Tim. Did you have a good holiday?
[You went on holiday, but you're here now.]
- I'm
glad I came to live here.
[I'm now 'here' - not in the place I lived before.]
- Did
you put the cat out? (Husband to wife)
[They both know what time the cat is usually put outside.]
Complete Actions v Incomplete Actions
It is important
to remember that we use the Past
Simple
for an action that is completed in the past.
We
use the Past
Continuous
for an action that was already in progress at some point during
a time in the past.
Compare:
- At
8 o'clock he was having breakfast.
[The action started before 8 o'clock and ended after 8 o'clock i.e. it was already in progress at 8 o'clock. We do not know exactly when the action started or ended, but it is not important to us.]
- At
8 o'clock he had breakfast.
[We know the action started at 8 o'clock and we think of the action as a complete action - the complete action of having breakfast.]
- He was having breakfast from 8 o'clock to 9 o'clock.
- [We know that the breakfast was in progress for that hour, but we still do not know when it started or ended.]
- He
had breakfast from 8 o'clock to 9 o'clock.
[We know the exact limits of the breakfast - when it started and ended.]
More examples:
- He
was dying of cancer.
[Incomplete action - he was still alive.]
- He
died of cancer.
[Complete action - he was dead.]
- I was
reading a book last night.
[Incomplete action - I didn't finish the book.]
- I read
a book last night.
[Complete action - I finished the book.]
Finished Time v Unfinished Time
It is important to remember that we use the Past Simple for an action that is completed in the past in a definite finished time.
Compare:
- I saw
him this morning. (Said at 2 pm)
[The morning is finished.]
- I've
seen him this morning. (Said
at 11 am)
[The morning is not finished.]
USE: SPECIFIC POINTS
We use the Past Simple for a completed action that took place at a finished time in the past when:
- the actions happened at the same time, or
- the actions happened one after the other, or
- the actions were repeated.
Examples:
- He touched her face as he kissed her.
- He closed the door, locked it and left.
- I called you three times last night, but you were out.
We use the Past Simple if, as a result of a question and answer (often in the Present Perfect), it becomes clear that the action took place at a finished time in the past and is complete.
Example:
Where
have you been?
I've
been playing football. [But I'm here now.]
Did
you win?
No.
We lost 3-0.
We use the Past Simple for a past completed action which fully occupied a period of past time that is finished and has no connection to now.
Examples:
- Before
he became a writer, he worked as a teacher
for six years.
[But he isn't a teacher now - he's a writer.]
- I studied
in that university between 1990 and 1993.
[But I don't study in that university now.]
- She
lived in Paris all
her life.
[But she doesn't live in Paris now because the words 'all her life' indicate that she is dead.]
We use the Past Simple for a past completed action which happened at some point in a period of past time that is finished and has no connection to now.
Examples:
- His girlfriend once saw Princess Diana.
- [The period of time is Princess Diana's lifetime - but Princess Diana is dead. It is also possible that his girlfriend id dead.]
- When you were at school, did you ever act in a play?
- [The period of time is when you were at school. You aren't at school now, so that period is finished.]
We use the Past Simple to talk about past habits, situations, routines and patterns that happened regularly in the past, but no longer happen. In these cases, we can also use 'used to'.
Examples:
- I liked fish when I was child.
- I was a lot fitter when I was younger.
- I took the bus to work when I lived in New York.
- I used to like fish when I was child.
- I used to be a lot fitter when I was younger.
- I used to take the bus to work when I lived in New York.
We use the Past Simple (or the Past Continuous) with the word ago to talk and ask about how long before now a past completed action happened. We measure back from now to a point in the past.
Examples:
- I saw him three days ago.
- I left school more than twenty years ago.
- How long ago did he arrive?
When there is more than one action in the same past time - but not a sequence of actions (i.e. not one action after the other) - we use the Past Continuous for the action that began, continued through, and (often) ended after the other (Past Simple) action. We use the Past Continuous here to describe the background situation in which the Past Simple action happened.
The Past Simple action happened at some time during the Past Continuous action.
Examples:
- I bought a paper while I was waiting for the bus.
- The phone rang when I was having a bath.
- I saw Nina when I was driving home.
We use the Past Simple in some conditional sentences when the idea in Clause 1 is against the true facts.
Examples:
Clause 1 Clause 2
- If I were a sailing ship I'd sail to America.
- If I knew the his number I'd call him.
We also use the Past Simple in some conditional sentences when the action in Clause 1 is possible, but we do not think it will happen.
Examples:
|
Clause
1
|
Clause
2
|
|
|
If he forgot my birthday |
I'd
never to speak to him again.
|
|
|
If I passed all my exams |
I'd
go to university.
|
If the main clause is Conditional, Present Perfect (Simple or Continuous) or Past Perfect (Simple or Continuous), the next clause can often be in the Past Simple.
Examples:
- I'd help anyone if they asked me.
- It's been years since I enjoyed myself so much.
- She told me she had cried after I left.
Sometimes we use a verb in the Past Simple or the Past Continuous (instead of a present tense) to sound polite, or to show respect or tact. The meaning is very present.
Examples:
- Did you want to see me?
- Were you wanting to see me?
- I wondered if I might have a word with you?
- I was wondering if I might have a word with you?
- I hoped we could have a quick word before the meeting.
- I was hoping we could have a quick word before the meeting.
We sometimes use the Past Simple for situations that still exist in the present. It is not important if these situations still exist now. The key point is that they existed in the past in relation to another past event.
Examples:
- I wanted to be a policeman [past event], but I wasn't tall enough [I'm still not tall enough].
- The reason I got this job [past event] is because I was a good driver [I still am a good driver].
- Sometimes I'm sorry I left Paris [past event]. It was such a nice city [It still is a nice city].
Generally, using the Past Continuous can indicate a casual, routine, less deliberate action than if we use the Past Simple. This is quite common in everyday conversation. It is very often used without any reference to a particular past time.
Compare:
- I talked to Elsa the other day. She said…
[The impression given here is that I started the conversation and speaking to Elsa was a deliberate action. It also gives the idea that the speaker is thinking of the complete conversation.]
- I was talking to Elsa the other day. She said…
[Here, responsibility is removed from the speaker - it doesn't matter who started the conversation. Also, there is no idea here that the speaker is thinking of the complete conversation.]
- My sister told me about that terrible plane crash.
[The impression given here is that my sister started the conversation and speaking to me was a deliberate action. It also gives the idea that I am thinking of the complete conversation and that my knowledge of the plane crash is complete.]
- My sister was telling me about that terrible plane crash.
[Here, responsibility is removed from my sister, and it doesn't matter who started the conversation. Also, there is no idea here that I am thinking of the complete conversation or that my knowledge of the plane crash is complete.]