Past Simple is used to describe something which occurred in the past.
Imagine you’re telling a story about something that happened in the past. When you use the past simple tense, you’re talking about things that already happened and are finished. It’s like watching a movie about what happened yesterday or last week.
For example:
“Yesterday, I played with my friends at the park.”
“Last summer, we went to the beach and built sandcastles.”
“She finished her homework before dinner.”
See how each sentence talks about something that already happened? That’s the past simple tense! It’s like pressing the rewind button and watching what happened before now.
We use the past form of the verb in Past Simple. That means adding “ed” at the end of the verb.
But not every time.
- Verbs can be divided into two categories; ‘regular’ and ‘irregular.’
- Regular Verbs: Regular verbs follow a predictable pattern when forming their past tense and past participle. To form the past tense, regular verbs typically add “-ed” to the base form (infinitive) of the verb.
Examples of regular verbs include:-
walk (walked, walked), talk (talked, talked), play (played, played), etc.
- Irregular Verbs: Irregular verbs do not follow the standard “-ed” pattern when forming their past tense and past participle. Instead, they have unique forms that must be memorized. Examples of irregular verbs include:-
go (went, gone), eat (ate, eaten), sing (sang, sung), etc.
Exercise 1: Complete the sentences using the correct form of verbs:
- I ___________ to school, yesterday. (Go)
- I ___________ a movie at the cinema, last week. (Watch)
- My father ___________ me to drive. (Teach)
- Joe ___________ himself when he ___________. (Hurt/ Fall)
- He ___________ a wonderful essay on Gandhi in the last class. (Write)
- Those jeans were quite expensive. They ___________ me a lot of money. (Cost)
- He ___________ the window because it was cold outside. (Shut)
- I ___________ not to go to the party. (Decide)
Mastering grammar tenses like the Past Simple is a crucial step toward improving your English fluency. Understanding when and how to use it helps you express past events clearly and confidently in both spoken and written English.
If you’re looking to strengthen your foundation further, enrolling in an English speaking course in Delhi NCR can offer structured learning with expert guidance. You can also explore flexible learning options by joining online English speaking classes from the comfort of your home.
Whichever path you choose, stay consistent with your practice—and fluency will follow!