Whether you’re a native speaker of English or just learning, it’s important to understand how to use the simple past tense.
The simple past is used in all kinds of situations—from telling stories about what happened this morning to describing a vacation from last year. It can also help you express complicated ideas simply and clearly when speaking or writing.
Simple Past Tense Definition
So what is the simple past tense?
The simple past tense (also called past simple tense, preterite, or past indefinite) is one of the most common tenses in English.
It is used to talk about events that happened in the past.
It is often used with time expressions, such as yesterday, two years ago, last year, and when I was a child.
Keep reading to know all the uses of the simple past tense.
Simple Past Tense
Simple Past Tense Formula
| Affirmative Form | Subject + verb (past simple) + rest of sentence | She went to the store yesterday. |
| Negative Form | Subject + did + not + verb (base form) + rest of sentence | She didn’t go to the store yesterday. |
| Yes/No Question | Did + subject + verb (base form) + rest of sentence? | Did she go to the store yesterday? |
| Special Question | Special word (what/when/where/why/who/how) + did + subject + verb (base form) + rest of sentence | When did she go to the store? |
| Tag Questions | Positive statement, negative tag (auxiliary verb “didn’t”+ subject) Negative statement, positive tag (auxiliary verb “did”+ subject) | – She went to the store yesterday, didn’t she? – She didn’t go to the store yesterday, did she? |
When To Use Simple Past Tense
| No. | Uses Of Simple Past Tense | Examples Of Simple Past Tense |
|---|---|---|
| Use 1 | To talk about an action that happened in the past (Time expression might not be mentioned, but the speaker has one specific time in mind.) | I ate dinner last night. |
| Use 2 | To describe an event that happened repeatedly in the past | We went swimming every weekend last summer. |
| Use 3 | To talk about a series of completed actions | I woke up, brushed my teeth, and ate breakfast. |
| Use 4 | To talk about a duration that started and stopped in the past | She sat at the coffee shop all day. |
| Use 5 | To talk about a habit or routine in the past | I studied English when I was a child. |
| Use 6 | To talk about an action that was true for some time in the past | He was shy when he was little, but now he is outgoing. |
| Use 7 | To be used in the second conditional sentence | If I had enough money, I would buy a new car. |
| Use 8 | To describe an action that happened after another event in the past | I had finished my homework before I came to school. |
Examples Of Simple Past Tense
10 Examples Of Simple Past Tense
1. My mum went to the market yesterday.
2. We went to the mall last Saturday.
3. I graduated from high school in 2017.
4. She visited Japan last summer with her friends.
5. The company launched a new product yesterday morning.
7. I had a car accident last night.
6. My parents got married in 1998 at their friend’s house.
8. The boys bought a new car yesterday, costing them $20,000.
9. I ate a sandwich for lunch yesterday.
10. He went to school two days ago.
20 Sentences In Simple Past Tense
1. The sun rose at 5:30 this morning.
2. I went to see my friend yesterday.
3. My sister broke her arm last week.
4. We visited my grandparents for their 50th wedding anniversary party last summer.
5. We went to the movies last night.
6. They visited their grandmother on Sunday afternoon.
7. She studied hard for her IELTS exam.
8. She was absent from school yesterday because she was ill.
9. My mother drank a cup of coffee this morning.
10. I saw him at the library this afternoon.
11. We went to the party last night and had a great time!
12. We went to a concert last night but didn’t enjoy it very much.
13. Did you go home last night?
14. The dog ate my homework last week.
15. I went to Delhi last week.
16. We didn’t visit my grandmother yesterday afternoon.
17. I didn’t go to school yesterday because I was sick.
18. He played basketball yesterday morning.
19. It rained all day yesterday.
20. When did the dog eat the food?
Simple Past (Regular Verbs)
Regular verbs follow a simple pattern. Below are some examples.
| Rules Of Regular Verbs | Examples |
|---|---|
| Add ed to the verb. | walk-walked, talk-talked |
| Add d to the verb if the verb ends in e. | arrive-arrived, live-lived |
| Change the y to i and add ed if the verb ends in consonant + y. | study-studied, try-tried |
| Double the last consonant and then add ed if a one-syllable verb ends with a consonant-vowel-consonant. However, don’t double the last consonant if the verb ends in w, x, or y. e.g., (fix-fixed, play-played) | stop-stopped, swim-swimming |
| Double the last consonant and then add ed if a verb with two or more syllables ends with a consonant-vowel-consonant and the final syllable is stressed. | control-controlled, prefer-preferred |
Simple Past (Irregular Verbs)
Irregular verbs do not follow regular rules. Here are some examples.
teach: taught
go: went
drink: drank
buy: bought
do: did
come: came
make: made
fall: fell
choose: chose
catch: caught
have: had
read: read
fly: flew
get: got
sleep: slept
say: said
speak: spoke
see: saw
break: broke
stand: stood
wear: wore
bring: brought
leave: left
tell: told
drive: drove
meet: met
eat: ate
rise: rose
run: ran
be (am/is/are): was/were
Simple Past Tense Exercises With Answers PDF
Download The Simple Past Tense Worksheet.
Fill in the blanks with the correct verb form in the simple past.
1. I __________ (work) at home yesterday.
2. She __________ (go) to school by bus yesterday morning.
3. We __________ (eat) lunch at noon yesterday afternoon.
4. What time __________ you __________ (get) to school?
5. You ___________ (borrow) a book last week.
6. The dog ___________ (chase) the squirrel up a tree, but he ___________ (cannot/get) him down.
7. The children ___________ (play) in the park until dark.
8. Mary ___________ (bake) a cake for her son’s birthday party.
9. My boyfriend and I ___________ (break up) because we had different ideas about our future together.
10. He _________ (fly) to London yesterday morning and arrived at ten o’clock in the evening.
Answers: 1. worked 2. went 3. ate 4. did, get 5. borrowed 6. chased, couldn’t get 7. played 8. baked 9. broke up 10. flew
Simple Past Vs. Present Perfect
Both tenses are used to talk about actions that happened in the past.
The main difference between them is what they emphasize: simple past describes an action that happened at a specific moment in the past but has no lasting effects on the present, while present perfect stresses the impact that the action causes.
For example,
I cut my finger when I was cooking. But it’s ok now. (past simple)
I have cut my finger and need a bandage as it’s bleeding. (present perfect)
You might also like the following:
Simple Past Tense: Final Words
I hope this guide has helped you understand the past simple tense.
Now go forth and use this tense to communicate with others in your daily life.
Want to know more about English grammar? Check out this dedicated section.
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