Simple Past Tense: Structure, Rules and Examples

Introduction to Simple Past Tense

Tenses are an important part of English grammar. Further, there are different tense forms to represent the present, past, and future. The tense form used to denote a past event or action is referred to as simple past tense. The simple past tense is sometimes also known as the definite past tense. It is because they imply an action that is completed. The Cambridge Dictionary also describes this as a form of verb that indicates an action that has happened and is not happening at the present time.

The verb forms that suggest the occurrence of something that has happened or a habit in the past are often referred to as past indefinite tense or past simple. They are also used, when it is unsure whether the event is completed or ongoing.

Structure of Simple Past Tense

The structure of the simple past is helpful when you are trying to change the verb form. Moreover, with the help of the simple past tense formula, you can easily identify the past tense or even convert sentences into the past form.

Hence, when you are structuring a sentence with a simple past, you can use the following formula:

Subject + Second or past form of the verb (V2) + Object (rest of the sentence)

For Example: I went to bed early yesterday.

When you need to make use of the helping or auxiliary verbs, in that case, the following formula is applicable:

Subject + Auxiliary verb (was/were) + Object (rest of the sentence)

For Example: I was on my way to the hospital.

Rules for Using Simple Past Tense

The most important part about learning tenses is how you can use them in everyday life. Thus, it is essential for you to understand the rules that will help you change the verb from present to past form. So, the following are some simple past tense rules for you:

• In the case of regular verbs: You can add –ed at the end of the base form. For Example, play-played.
• For regular verbs that end with an ‘e’: You only need to add the letter ‘d’ at the last of the base form. For Example, dine-dined.
• The verbs in which the last three letters are in the pattern, consonant-vowel-consonant: Double the last letter and then add -ed. For instance, admit-admitted.
• The words that have a consonant followed by a ‘y, ' The ‘y is replaced with –ied. For instance: reply-replied.
• The verbs that end with ‘d’: Replace the ‘d’ with a ‘t’. For Example, build-built.
• There are some verbs that do not change their forms, such as put-put and set-set.

The simple past indefinite tense also follows the same rules.

Formation of Simple Past Tense

In English grammar, there are some instances where the simple past tense formula needs to be modified based on the verb form or sentence type. Therefore, in this segment, we shall discuss some of the conditions where the rules are changed for forming a simple past.

Regular Verb

The verbs that follow the simple past tense rules are categorized as regular verbs. It also means that the sentence structure for them also remains as:

 Subject + Verb past form + object

For Example:

Irregular Verb

There are some verb forms that do not follow the simple past tense rules and are known as irregular verbs. There are over 200 such verb forms in English that come under this category. Each of these words has a different pattern for changing into the past tense.

For Example:

Affirmative

To convert the positive or affirmative sentences into their simple past, you need to add the second form of the verb after the subject.

For Example, We (Subject) + danced (Verb 2) + in the rain. (Object)

In the case of positive sentences with auxiliary verbs, we use the given formula:

Subject + Was/ Were + Object

Was is used for singular subject, and were is used for plural subject.

Example: I (Subject) + was (Auxiliary verb) + at the hotel. (Object)

Negative

The sentences that have a negative intent require you to use the auxiliary verb didn’t to make the simple past tense. Further, the verb form is not changed when making a negative statement. The formula used for this is:

Subject + Didn’t + Base form of verb (V1) + Object

Example: She (Subject) + didn’t + go (V1) + to the theatre. (Object)

The negative sentences with was/were follow the formula:

Subject + Was/Were + Not + Object.

Example: She (Subject) + was + not + at the pool. (Object)

Interrogative

When you have to ask a question in the simple past tense, then the auxiliary verb did is used to start the question. It is then followed by the subject, the first form of the verb, and the rest of the sentence. The formula for interrogative sentences becomes:

Did + Subject + Base form of verb (V1) + Object

Example: Did + you (Subject) + get the invitation? (Object)

To ask a question in the negative sense, the word not is added after did as shown below:

Did + Not + Subject + Base form of verb (V1) + Object

Example: Did + not + he (Subject) + invite you? (Object)

The simple past tense interrogatives with was/were follow the following formula:

Was/Were + Subject + Object

Example: Were + the birds (Subject) + alright? (Object)

Passive Voice

In passive sentences, the subject is the person or the thing on which the action is taking place. Thus, for the simple past tense form of the passive statements, we use the formula:

Subject + Was/Were + Past participle + Object

Example: The car (Subject) + was + stolen (V3) + by the thieves. (Object)

Examples of Simple Past Tense in Sentences

Examples can help students understand the past tense better. Thus, the following are some past definite and past indefinite tense example sentences for you:

1. Yesterday, I went to the park.

2. We enjoyed playing Pictionary every time we met.

3. Last year, I traveled to France.

4. He ate pizza for dinner.

5. He finished his homework.

6. My grandparents didn’t live in a big city.

7. Did Jenny cook pasta for dinner?

8. She visited her grandparents last weekend.

9. She wrote a letter to her friend.

10. Did the birds chirp in the night?

Tips for Using Simple Past Tense Effectively

Using the different forms of tenses can be hard for many students. However, with the help of these expert tips, you can easily use the simple past tense in English.

• Familiarize yourself with the different rules for the simple past.
• Take daily practice with different regular and irregular verbs.
• Writing exercises can also be a great strategy for you to work on your past tenses.
• Try to use the past tense in your daily conversations.
• Listen to the audio or watch movies to understand how native speakers use simple past tenses.
• Make use of the online resources that can help you improve your command of simple past.
• Reading books, short stories, etc. can also help you in the effective use of simple past.

Worksheet for Simple Past Tense

Now that you have gone through the different ways of using the past simple tense, try this worksheet to assess how much you have understood.

Complete the table in simple past.

Answers:

Conclusion

To sum up, this was all about the simple past types of tenses and how you can structure them in different contexts. Further, you were also able to see how the past form of the verb is used in sentences. If you want to explore the other aspects of English grammar, then you can visit us at Gradding.com. Here, you will get to learn about the different topics and strategies for enhancing your English language skills.

Also read: Parts of speech, Auxiliary verbs  

FAQs

1. What is the formula for simple past tense?

The easy way to create the past form is by using the simple past tense formula, which is given below:

Subject + Verb V2 (past tense form) + Object

In the case of regular verbs, you can use –ed as the base form to make the past tense.

2. When to use past simple?

The past simple tense can be used in the following situations:

• To describe an action that is completed already.
• To describe any past habits or states.
• For providing a specific time reference.

3. When to use past?

When you want to refer to an action which is related to the word ‘pass’, you will need to use its past form which is ‘passed’.

For Example: She passed the test.

4. What are five examples of past tense?

The five examples of the past tense are as follows: