Simple Past Tense

The Simple Past Tense, also known as Past Indefinite Tense, is used to indicate an action completed in the past. It often occurs with adverbs or adverb phrases of past time. For example, 'I received his letter a week ago'. Sometimes this tense is used without an adverb of time. In such cases the time may be either implied or indicated by the context. For example, "I learnt English in England", "I didn't sleep well (i.e. last night)". The Simple Past is also used for past habits; as, 'She always carried an umbrella'.

Rules:

• 2nd form of Verb is used in the positive sentences
• 1st form of Verb is used in negative and interrogative sentences

Structure of Sentence

Positive Sentence

• Subject + 2nd form of verb + object

• Helping verb is not used in the positive sentence

Examples

1. The teacher punished naughty boy.
2. The students went to school.

Negative Sentence

• Subject + helping verb ("did") + not + (1st form of verb) + object

• Helping verb "did" alongwith "not" is added after the subject in sentence.
• 1st form of verb is used instead of 2nd form.
• If we use 'never', we have to put it before verb and in this case "did not" are not used in the sentence.

Examples

1. The teacher did not punish naughty boy.
2. The students did not go to school.
3. I never saw such small flies before.

Interrogative Sentence

• Helping verb ("Did") + subject + (1st form of verb) + object

• The sentence starts with "Did".
• 1st form of verb is used instead of 2nd form.

Examples

1. Did teacher punish naughty boy?
2. Did students go to school?
3. What did she cook?

• The words "what, where, when, how, etc." will be used before "did" in such kind of interrogative sentences.

Interrogative Negative Sentence

• Helping Verb (Did) + subject + not + (1st form of verb) + object

• In Past Simple Tense, interrogative negative sentences are just like interrogative affirmative sentences with only use of "not" after subject.

Examples

1. Did the teacher not punish naughty boy?
2. Did the students not go to school?

Rule: Must put Question Mark (?) in the end of interrogative and interrogative negative sentences.

More Examples of Past Simple Tense

Positive Sentences

1. I watched television.
2. We read newspaper.
3. They played football.
4. You loved swimming.
5. She cooked food.
6. He taught English.
7. It rained in morning.
8. He studied many hours every day.
9. Babar defeated Rana Sanga at Kanwaha.
10. She left school last year.

Negative Sentences

1. I did not watch television.
2. We did not read newspaper.
3. They did not play football.
4. You did not love swimming.
5. She did not cook food.
6. He did not teach English.
7. It did not rain in morning.

Interrogative Sentences

1. Did I watch television?
2. Did we read newspaper?
3. Did they play football?
4. Did you love swimming?
5. Did she cook food?
6. Did he teach English?
7. Did it rain in morning?
8. How did she make it?

Interrogative Negative Sentences

1. Did I not watch television?
2. Did we not read newspaper?
3. Did they not play football?
4. Did you not love swimming?
5. Did she not cook food?
6. Did he not teach English?
7. Did it not rain in morning?

1. Present Simple (Indefinite) Tense
2. Present Continuous Tense
3. Present Perfect Tense
4. Present Perfect Continuous Tense

5. Past Simple (Indefinite) Tense
6. Past Continuous Tense
7. Past Perfect Tense
8. Past Perfect Continuous Tense

9. Future Indefinite (Simple) Tense
10. Future Continuous Tense
11. Future Perfect Tense
12. Future Perfect Continuous Tense

1. How Many Tenses in English
2. The Sequence of Tenses