Outlines• Definition • Structure• Forms• Uses• Comparison• Conclusion

What is simple past tense?

• The simple past expresses an action in the past taking place once, never, several times. It can also be used for actions taking place one after another or in the middle of another action.

What is simple past tense?

• The simple past expresses an action in the past taking place once, never, several times. It can also be used for actions taking place one after another or in the middle of another action.

Structure • Subject + Verb 2 + Object +

Extension

• Example : I saw two colorful fishes in the lake yesterday.

For regular verbs, simply use the –ed form of the verb in a positive sentence.

When I was a child, I ___________ the piano.

Donna ______________ and _______________ in Paris when she was younger.

For irregular verbs, use the correct past tense form in

positive sentences.

Last week, I ___________ you a letter.

The students _____________ a speech in

English. They __________ a great job!

The verb BERemember the forms of verb BE for the simple past tense:

I, He, She, It WASThey, We, You WERE

Forms Past simple tense can be formed

in three types of sentence. They are as follows-

• Positive• Negative• Question

Simple Past (Positive)

For all verbs use:

Simple Past (Negative)

For all verbs (EXCEPT be), use:

VERB BE (Negative)

For this verb ONLY, never use didn’t. Simply ADD the word NOT after the verb.

I was tired. I was NOT tired.

Simple Past (Question)

For all verbs (EXCEPT be), use:

Did + subject + verb 1 + object?

Example : Did he go to Dhaka?

VERB BE (Question)

For this verb ONLY, never use did.

I was tired. Was I tired?

Uses• 1. To describe actions and situations

that happened in the past. These actions and situations were started and finished in the past .

• Example : We arrived at 9:00 o'clock.

2. To talk about habitual or repeated actions that took place in the past.

Example : We often went there.

3. To tell a story and to express actions which follow each other

in a story.Example : She opened her bag, took out the key and unlocked

the door.

4.To refer to the historical past or to events.

Example : World War II ended in

1945.

5. For reporting what someone said.

Example : David said that he was tired.

6. For making second conditional sentences.

Example : If he told me , I would help

him.

7. To talk about action in the past that take place in the middle of another action.

Example : When Peter arrived, I was reading a book.

 8. The sentence often contains an adverb or adverb phrase of time, such as yesterday, the other day, last night, last

week, three days ago, a few minutes ago, in (year), from

(year) to (year), etc.

Example : We came here in 1980.

Comparisons • Simple Past vs. Past

Continuous

Use the simple past for:

1) action that happened in the past and is . . .

over, done, finished

Use the past continuous for:

1) action that was in progress at a specific point in the past OR

2) focusing on an action that continued for a long time in the past

Compare the meaning of these two sentences:

1. Tom visited us last week.

2. Lisa and her husband were visiting us last week.

The first sentence uses:Simple PastThe second sentence uses: Past Continuous

Questions about past tense

You are warmly welcome to ask us.