Definition:
The Simple Past describes completed actions or states in the past at a definite time.
Formation:
| Type | Affirmative | Interrogative | Negative |
| Regular Verbs | Subject + verb + -ed | Did + Subject + base verb? | Subject + did not (didn’t) + base verb |
| Irregular Verbs | Subject + irregular past form | Did + Subject + base verb? | Subject + did not (didn’t) + base verb |
Examples:
| Verb Type | Affirmative | Interrogative | Negative |
| Regular | She walked to school. | Did she walk to school? | She didn’t walk to school. |
| Irregular | He went home. | Did he go home? | He didn’t go home. |
| Be | They were happy. | Were they happy? | They weren’t happy. |
Spelling Rules (Regular Verbs):
| Rule | Base Form | Past Form |
| Add -ed | walk, play | walked, played |
| Ends in -e → add -d | live, love | lived, loved |
| CVC + consonant → double consonant + -ed | stop, plan | stopped, planned |
| Ends in -y → -ied | study, cry | studied, cried |
Uses:
| Use | Example |
| Finished action | I visited Paris last year. |
| Past habit | She played tennis every Sunday. |
| Sequence of events | He woke up, brushed his teeth, and left. |
| Past state | They were best friends in school. |
