What is the Past Simple?
The Past Simple is used to talk about actions that happened and finished in the past. It's one of the most important tenses for telling stories and talking about your experiences.
How to Form It
Regular Verbs: Add -ed
Most verbs just add -ed to make the past form:
- work → worked
- play → played
- watch → watched
- clean → cleaned
Spelling Rules for -ed:
Most verbs: add -ed
- walk → walked
- talk → talked
Verbs ending in -e: just add -d
- live → lived
- like → liked
- dance → danced
Verbs ending in consonant + y: change y to i and add -ed
- study → studied
- try → tried
- cry → cried
Short verbs (one syllable, one vowel, one consonant): double the final consonant
- stop → stopped
- plan → planned
- drop → dropped
Irregular Verbs: Learn the Past Form
Many common verbs are irregular - they don't follow the -ed pattern. You need to learn these:
| Present | Past |
|---|---|
| go | went |
| come | came |
| see | saw |
| have | had |
| do | did |
| make | made |
| take | took |
| get | got |
| give | gave |
| say | said |
| eat | ate |
| drink | drank |
| buy | bought |
| think | thought |
| know | knew |
| write | wrote |
| speak | spoke |
| teach | taught |
| leave | left |
| meet | met |
Note: There are many more irregular verbs, but these are the most common ones you'll need at A2 level.
Positive Sentences
Formula: Subject + past verb
- I worked yesterday.
- You played football last week.
- He went to Berlin.
- She ate lunch at 1 PM.
- We watched a movie.
- They studied English.
Important: The past form is the same for all persons (I/you/he/she/it/we/they)
- I went / You went / He went / We went
- I worked / She worked / They worked
Negative Sentences
Formula: Subject + did not (didn't) + base verb
- I did not work yesterday (I didn't work)
- You did not play football (You didn't play)
- He did not go to Berlin (He didn't go)
- She did not eat lunch (She didn't eat)
- We did not watch TV (We didn't watch)
VERY IMPORTANT: Use the base verb (not past) after didn't!
- ❌ He didn't went
- ✅ He didn't go
- ❌ She didn't worked
- ✅ She didn't work
Questions
Formula: Did + subject + base verb?
- Did you work yesterday?
- Did he go to Berlin?
- Did she eat lunch?
- Did they watch the movie?
Short Answers:
- Yes, I did. / No, I didn't.
- Yes, he did. / No, he didn't.
- Yes, we did. / No, we didn't.
Again, use the base verb in questions!
- ❌ Did you went?
- ✅ Did you go?
When Do We Use Past Simple?
1. Completed Actions in the Past
Things that happened and finished at a specific time in the past.
- I went to London last year.
- She studied medicine at university.
- We bought this house in 2015.
- They visited us yesterday.
- He worked at DHL for five years. (but he doesn't work there now)
2. Past Habits and Routines (That Don't Happen Now)
Things you did regularly in the past but don't do anymore.
- When I was young, I played football every day. (but not now)
- She lived in Paris for three years. (but not now)
- We walked to school when we were children.
- I had long hair in high school.
3. Series of Past Actions (Telling Stories)
When telling a story, we use Past Simple for the sequence of events.
- I woke up, had breakfast, and went to work.
- She opened the door, saw the mess, and called the police.
- We arrived at the airport, checked in, and waited for the flight.
Time Expressions with Past Simple
These words tell us when something happened in the past:
Specific Time:
- yesterday: I saw him yesterday.
- last (week/month/year/Monday): She called last week.
- ago: They left two hours ago.
- in (+ year): We moved here in 2020.
Question Words:
- when: When did you arrive?
- what time: What time did the meeting start?
Other Time Phrases:
- this morning: I had coffee this morning. (if it's now afternoon/evening)
- on Monday: He started on Monday.
- at 3 PM: The train left at 3 PM.
The Verb "To Be" in Past Simple
The verb "to be" is special - it has two past forms: was and were
Positive:
- I was happy.
- You were late.
- He/She/It was there.
- We were tired.
- They were at home.
Negative:
- I was not (wasn't) happy.
- You were not (weren't) late.
- He was not (wasn't) there.
- We were not (weren't) tired.
Questions:
- Was I late?
- Were you at home?
- Was she happy?
- Were they there?
Short Answers:
- Yes, I was. / No, I wasn't.
- Yes, we were. / No, we weren't.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Mistake 1: Using past form with did/didn't
- ❌ Did you went there?
- ✅ Did you go there?
- ❌ I didn't saw him.
- ✅ I didn't see him.
Mistake 2: Forgetting -ed for regular verbs
- ❌ I work yesterday.
- ✅ I worked yesterday.
Mistake 3: Using wrong irregular form
- ❌ I goed to Berlin.
- ✅ I went to Berlin.
- ❌ She buyed a car.
- ✅ She bought a car.
Mistake 4: Using Past Simple for present situations
- ❌ I lived in Berlin. (if you still live there now)
- ✅ I live in Berlin. (present - you still live there)
- ✅ I lived in Munich. (past - you don't live there now)
Questions with Question Words
Formula: Question word + did + subject + base verb?
- What did you do yesterday?
- Where did she go?
- When did they arrive?
- Why did he leave?
- How did you know?
- Who did you meet? (who = object)
Who as subject (no "did"):
- Who came to the party? (NOT: Who did come?)
- Who wrote this? (NOT: Who did write?)
Practice Examples
Fill in the gaps with Past Simple (answers at bottom):
- I _______ (go) to the cinema last night.
- She _______ (not/like) the movie.
- _______ you _______ (see) John yesterday?
- We _______ (have) a great time at the party.
- They _______ (study) English for three years.
- He _______ (not/work) last Monday.
Correct the mistakes:
- I didn't went to school yesterday.
- Did she bought a new car?
- We was at home last night.
- He buyed a new phone.
Put the verbs in the correct order to make a story:
- Yesterday, I (wake up / have / go) early. I _______ at 6 AM, _______ breakfast, and _______ to work.
Answers: 1. went, 2. didn't like (or did not like), 3. Did...see, 4. had, 5. studied, 6. didn't work (or did not work), 7. I didn't go to school yesterday, 8. Did she buy a new car?, 9. We were at home last night, 10. He bought a new phone, 11. woke up, had, went
Continue Learning: Past Simple
🟢 Foundation (A2) ← You are here
🟡 Development (B1) - Learn "used to", past time clauses, and storytelling techniques
🟠 Advanced (B2) - Master narrative styles, formal registers, and subtle meanings
Ready to test your knowledge?
Take the Past Simple - Foundation Quiz →
Part of the LearnFast.life Grammar Series
