Past Simple Example In English

The past simple or past tense in English (simple past tense) is the verb tense to refer to an action or state that has already happened.

The use of verbs in the past simple in English, follow the following rules:

Affirmative sentences. In affirmative sentences, where we talk about an event or action in the past, we will write the sentence using a verb conjugated in the past:

Subject + verb in the past + complements of the predicate.

For affirmative sentences we must know if the verb we will use is regular or irregular. Regular verbs in English are all those in which the past tense (and the participle) is formed by adding –ed or –d to the simple form of the verb. The irregular verbs in English They are formed in different ways, since they do not follow a rule, so it is necessary to know the past and participle forms of each verb, to use the appropriate one and not confuse them.

Regular verbs:

Carmen worked in the hotel (carmen worked in the hotel)

I played football (I played football)

They stayed at home all day long

Irregular verbs:

John ran on Sunday

We took a bus to town

You lost your keys

Negative sentences. For the negative form, we use the auxiliary verb to do conjugated in the past simple, the negative particle not and the simple form of the verb: Did + not + verb

You can also use the contraction didn’t: didn’t + verb:

We did not win / we didn’t win (we did not win)

I did not drink milk / I didn’t drink milk (I did not drink milk)

They did not care about you / They didn’t care about you

Hannibal did not conquer Rome / Hannibal didn’t conquer Rome (Hannibal did not conquer Rome)

Interrogative sentences. In interrogative sentences the auxiliary verb to do is also used in the past, followed by the subject of the sentence and the verb in the simple form: did + subject + verb:

Did you go to the concert? (Did you go to the concert?)

Why did we arrive here? (Why did we come here?)

Did he bring the sandwiches? (Did you bring the sandwiches?)

Did they finish? (Are they done?)

Exceptions. The verb to be has two forms for the past: was for the singular and were for the plural and the second person singular.

To form negative sentences, only the particle not is added, and the contraction form is also used: was + not = wasn’t; were + not = weren’t.

In the interrogative form was or were they are written before the subject:

I was a cute child - I was not a cute child / I wasn’t a cute child - Was I a cute child?

We were in the mountains in winter - We were not in the mountains in winter / We weren’t in the mountains in winter - Were we in the mountains in winter?

Helen was in the school - Helen was not in the school / Helen wasn’t in the school - Was Helen in the school?

They were tired - they were not tired / they weren’t tired - Were they tired?

20 examples of sentences in the past simple in English (simple past tense):

Yesterday, we came early at our practice.

Yesterday, we didn’t come early at our practice.

Sometimes, I walked in this street.

Did I sometimes walked in this street?

Sally saw a shark on the beach.

Sally did not see a shark on the beach.

The dog ate my roast beef.

Did the dog eat my roast beef?

Julio didn’t sing beautifully.

Did Julio sing beautifully?

They thought that was the better way.

Did they think that was the better way?

I wrote a note for you and pinned it in the door.

I wrote a note for you but did not pin it in the door.

You appeared suddenly!

Did you appear suddenly?

I felt happy when she came.

I didn’t feel happy when she came.

He was in love with her.

Was he in love with her?

We didn’t have a brown sofa.