PAST SIMPLE TENSE – Form and Use | English Course Malta

Simple Past Use

PAST SIMPLE FORM

Regular Form: Add ‘ed’ to the bare infinitive for regular verbs – I worked / he played
Negative Form: Use DID NOT + Base of Verb (long form) or DIDN’T + Base of Verb
Question Form (Regular & Irregular Verbs): DID Subject Base of Verb – Did you buy a book at the shop?
Irregular Form: Remember many verbs are irregular in the past!
Definition: In English the Past Simple Tense may also be called, the Simple Past Tense and the Past Indefinite Tense. Use this tense when the time/action are finished or complete in the past.

Simple Past Form

Person	Regular Verb	Irregular Verb	Negative Long Form	Negative Short Form
	Base Verb + ed	Past Simple Form	did not + Base Verb	didn’t + Base Verb
	walk+ed = walked	go = went	did not walk / did not go	didn’t walk / didn’t go
I	walked	went	did not walk / did not go	didn’t walk / didn’t go
You	walked	went	did not walk / did not go	did not walk / did not go
He/She/It	walked	went	did not walk / did not go	did not walk / did not go
We	walked	went	did not walk / did not go	did not walk / did not go
You	walked	went	did not walk / did not go	did not walk / did not go
They	walked	went	did not walk / did not go	did not walk / did not go

Use the Past Simple Tense when:

the action is complete or finished – I drank a coffee before breakfast.
the time is past – I went to Rome in 1991.
a past habit / routine – I swam every day when I was a child.

Simple Past Question Form

AUXILIARY VERB DID	SUBJECT	BASE OF VERB	OBJECT
DID	I	meet	you before?
DID	you	go	by bus?
DID	he/she/it	play	football?
DID	we	win	the competition?
DID	you	do	your H.W.?
DID	they	find	your phone?
DID	walked	talk	to him?
DID	walked	know	the answer?

Test yourself with these exercises.

DOWNLOAD List of Irregular Verbs in English A1 – A2 level.Teacher’s Tip: Do you need some help to remember the IRREGULAR SIMPLE PAST in English? Here’s a list ordered by sound to help youHow quickly can you find the past simple form of the most common irregular verbs in this word search?