GRAMMAR
The Simple Past
The simple past tense
This page will present the simple past tense:
its form
and its use.
Before you continue the lesson read the following passage and try to see how the
verbs are formed and used.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was an Austrian musician
and composer. He lived from 1756 to 1791.
He started composing at the age of five years old
and wrote more than 600 pieces of music. He was only
35 years old when he died.
The verbs "was, lived,started, wrote, died" are in the simple past tense.
Notice that:
lived, started,died are regular past forms.
was, wrote are irregular past forms.
Regular verbs:
The verbs "lived, started, died" are regular past forms. The rule is the following:
Verb + ed
Examples:
The
The simple past
infinitive
live lived
start started
die died
visit visited
play played
watch watched
phone phoned
marry married
For the spelling of the -ed forms click here.
Irregular verbs:
The verbs "was, wrote" are irregular past forms. "Was" is the simple past of "to
be"; "wrote" is the simple past of "write".
More on the simple past of "to be" here.
There is no rule for these verbs. You should learn them by heart.
The
The simple past
infinitive
be was/were
write wrote
come came
do did
meet met
speak spoke
As you can see we cannot predict the simple past forms of these verbs. They are
irregular. You should learn them by heart. Here is a list of irregular verbs.
The forms of the simple past:
The Affirmative form of the simple past:
I, you, he, she, it, we, played.
they
wrote
did.
Examples:
I played tennis with my friends yesterday.
I finished lunch and I did my homework.
The interrogative form of the simple past:
Di I, you, he, she, it, we, they play?
d
write
do?
Examples:
Did you play basketball yesterday?
Did you watch television?
Did you do the homework?
The negative form of the simple past:
I, you, he, she, it, we, did not/didn't play
they
write
do
I didn't like the food served in the wedding party last Saturday.
I didn't eat it.
The use of the simple past
The simple past is used principally to describe events in the past, but it also has
some other uses. Here are the main uses of the simple past.
Finished events in the past
William Shakespeare wrote Hamlet.
Christoph Columbus discovered America in 1492.
He kissed her and left.
Past habitual action
I visited them every day for a year.
I drove to work every day when I worked with that company.
Events that were true for some time in the past
He lived in Paris for 20 years.
They talked on the phone for ten minutes.
Remember:
didn't is the short form of did not. You can say either:
I did not play basketball, or
I didn't play basketball
A list of irregular verbs
Infinitive Simple Past Tense Past Participle
awake awoke awoken
be was, were been
bear bore born
beat beat beat
become became become
begin began begun
bend bent bent
beset beset beset
bet bet bet
bid bid / bade bid / bidden
bind bound bound
bite bit bitten
bleed bled bled
blow blew blown
break broke broken
breed bred bred
bring brought brought
broadcast broadcast broadcast
build built built
burn burned / burnt burned / burnt
burst burst burst
buy bought bought
cast cast cast
catch caught caught
choose chose chosen
cling clung clung
come came come
cost cost cost
creep crept crept
cut cut cut
deal dealt dealt
dig dug dug
dive dived / dove dived
do did done
draw drew drawn
dream dreamed / dreamt dreamed / dreamt
drive drove driven
drink drank drunk
eat ate eaten
fall fell fallen
feed fed fed
feel felt felt
fight fought fought
find found found
fit fit fit
flee fled fled
fling flung flung
fly flew flown
forbid forbade forbidden
forget forgot forgotten
forego (forgo) forewent foregone
forgive forgave forgiven
forsake forsook forsaken
freeze froze frozen
get got gotten
give gave given
go went gone
grind ground ground
grow grew grown
hang hung hung
hear heard heard
hide hid hidden
hit hit hit
hold held held
hurt hurt hurt
keep kept kept
kneel knelt knelt
knit knit knit
know knew know
lay laid laid
lead led led
leap leaped / leapt leaped / leapt
learn learned / learnt learned / learnt
leave left left
lend lent lent
let let let
lie lay lain
light lighted / lit lighted / lit
lose lost lost
make made made
mean meant meant
meet met met
misspell misspelled / misspelt misspelled / misspelt
mistake mistook mistaken
mow mowed mowed / mown
overcome overcame overcome
overdo overdid overdone
overtake overtook overtaken
overthrow overthrew overthrown
pay paid paid
plead pleaded / pled pleaded / pled
prove proved proved / proven
put put put
quit quit quit
read read read
rid rid rid
ride rode ridden
ring rang rung
rise rose risen
run ran run
saw sawed sawed / sawn
say said said
see saw seen
seek sought sought
sell sold sold
send sent sent
set set set
sew sewed sewed / sewn
shake shook shaken
shave shaved shaved / shaven
shear sheared / shore sheared / shorn
shed shed shed
shine shone shone
shoe shod shod
shoot shot shot
show showed showed / shown
shrink shrank shrunk
shut shut shut
sing sang sung
sink sank sunk
sit sat sat
sleep slept slept
slay slew slain
slide slid slid
sling slung slung
slit slit slit
smite smote smitten
sow sowed sowed / sown
speak spoke spoken
speed sped sped
spend spent spent
spill spilled / spilt spilled / spilt
spin spun spun
spit spit / spat spit
split split split
spread spread spread
spring sprang / sprung sprung
stand stood stood
steal stole stolen
stick stuck stuck
sting stung stung
stink stank stunk
stride strode stridden
strike struck struck
string strung strung
strive strove striven
swear swore sworn
sweep swept swept
swell swelled swelled / swollen
swim swam swum
swing swung swung
take took taken
teach taught taught
tear tore torn
tell told told
think thought thought
thrive thrived / throve thrived
throw threw thrown
thrust thrust thrust
tread trod trodden
understand understood understood
uphold upheld upheld
upset upset upset
wake woke woken
wear wore worn
weave weaved / wove weaved / woven
wed wed wed
weep wept wept
wind wound wound
win won won
withhold withheld withheld
withstand withstood withstood
wring wrung wrung
write wrote written
