Simple past tense is a verb tense that indicates a completed action that happened in the past. The past is all the past, it can happen in yesterday, one hour ago, one minute ago, one second ago, or even one millisecond ago, all of them are in the past.
Use simple past tense for:
Structure: Subject + Verb 2
Structure: Subject + Did + Not + Verb 1
Structure: Did + Subject + Verb 1 + ?
Note:
Verb 1 or infinitive form is a verb that uses the root form of the verb.
Verb 2 or past tense form is a verb. Regular verbs are ended with -ed or -d.
Add –ed at the end of the base form.
Simple Present Tense | Simple Past Tense |
Add | Added |
Join | Joined |
Need | Needed |
Add –d at the end of the base form.
Simple Present Tense | Simple Past Tense |
Care | Cared |
Relate | Related |
Smile | Smiled |
In fact, there are hundreds of irregular verbs in English. Here are a few examples of them:
Simple Present Tense | Simple Past Tense |
Buy | Bought |
Come | Came |
Feel | Felt |
Go | Went |
Make | Made |
Put | Put |
Positive Sentences | Negative Sentences | Questions |
I watched the Korean drama last night. | I did not watch the Korean drama last night. | Did you watch the Korean drama last night? |
They lived in New Zealand ten years ago. | They did not live in New Zealand ten years ago. | Did they live in New Zealand ten years ago? |
She called me this morning. | She did not call me this morning. | Did she call you this morning? |
Positive Sentences | Negative Sentences | Questions |
I bought a camera yesterday. | I did not buy a camera yesterday. | Did you buy a camera yesterday? |
We went to Europe two years ago. | We did not go to Europe two years ago. | Did we go to Europe two years ago? |
They made their own bags last month. | They did not make their own bags last month. | Did they make their own bags last month? |
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