Past simple what does it mean? Past Simple: rules of formation and use

Past Simple Tense- past simple tense, one of the main tenses of the English language, which is studied at the level elementary and at subsequent levels is considered in comparison with other times. To understand more complex tenses, you need to thoroughly know and be able to use Past Simple tense. Today we will talk in detail about the formation and use of this time.

Past Simple: education and use.

Learning the Past Simple is a milestone in language learning. Mastery of the past tense instantly expands the range of topics for conversation and gives more freedom in expressing thoughts. On the other hand, the Past Simple opens up the possibility of learning other, more complex past tenses. You are introduced to new forms of verbs that you most likely have not used before, which is undoubtedly a huge step forward.

Considering the importance of mastering Past Simple tense, a lot of time is devoted to it in classes.

When studying any tense, we must know how to construct a statement and how to use a given tense, what actions it conveys.

Let's start with statements.

Statement always begins with a subject followed by a semantic verb. In the statement in Past Simple the semantic verb is placed in the second form (V2):

I lived in Moscow ten years ago. - I lived in Moscow ten years ago.

He wrote a letter yesterday. - He wrote a letter yesterday.

They came to see us last weekend. - They came to visit us last weekend.

What is the second form of the verb?

This is a verb form that is used in the Past Simple to convey a past action. You probably know that all verbs are divided into correct And incorrect. Let's talk about regular verbs. They are called regular because they always form the second (and third) forms according to the rule. To form the second form of regular verbs, you need to add an ending to the verb ED:

Help - helped
look - looked
work - worked

When adding an ED ending to a verb, its pronunciation and spelling may change, so there are a number of rules to remember.

There are not many of these rules, but you need to understand them well, since now you are forming the basis for your further study. Therefore, we have dedicated a separate section to the end of ED, which discusses all the features of its use, rules of pronunciation and writing. Be sure to study! In this article we will look at them briefly.

Rules for pronunciation of words ending in ED.

Rules for writing words ending in ED.

Let's move on to writing verbs ending in ED. There are several simple rules:

If the verb is irregular, then you need to refer to the table of irregular verbs and look in the second column. Tables of irregular verbs are usually found at the end of textbooks. Irregular verbs can be difficult to remember. How to make this task easier, read.

The second form of the verb is used only in statements.

IN denials and questions(except for a question to the subject) it is not the second form that is used, but first. The only exception is the question to the subject, where we do not change the word order and use the second form.

Negation is formed using the auxiliary verb DID and the negative particle NOT. Auxiliary verb with particle NOT is placed before the semantic verb in the first form. In colloquial speech, DID NOT is shortened to DIDN"T :

I didn't close the door. - I didn't close the door.

He didn't answer the question. - He didn’t answer the question.

We didn't go on holiday last year. - We didn’t go on vacation last year.

General issues are formed using the auxiliary verb DID, which is placed before the subject, followed by the semantic verb in the first form:

Did you understand the rule? - Did you understand the rule?

Did she find a job? - Has she found a job?

Did they go to Europe? - Did they go to Europe?

For building information question Before the auxiliary verb we put the necessary question word:

What did you do yesterday? - What did you do yesterday?

When did she sell her car? - When did she sell her car?

Why did they leave? - Why did they leave?

IN question to the subject(Who? Who?) the auxiliary verb DID is not used, but direct word order is used (as in the statement):

Who called you yesterday? - Who called you yesterday?

Who repaired the car? - Who fixed the car?

Who told them about it? -Who told them about this?

Use of Past Simple tense.

Now that you know how to form Past Simple, let's look at the uses of this tense in English:

1. Past Simple is an action that happened in the past and has no relation to the present, a fact about the past:

I went to the movies yesterday. - I went to the cinema yesterday.

She graduated from University last year. - She graduated from the university last year.

They moved to the USA three years ago. - They moved to America three years ago.

2. Past Simple is used if the action was regularly repeated in the past or was habitual, but is no longer repeated:

When I was a child, we often went fishing with my father. - When I was a child, we often went fishing with my dad.

She attended gym three times a week to keep fit. - She went to the gym three times a week to keep fit.

They sold fruits and vegetables. - They sold fruits and vegetables.

To express regular actions in the past, the construction USED TO and the modal verb WOULD are also used. You can read more about their use.

3. Actions that occurred in a row, one after another in the past:

I entered the room and greeted everyone. - I entered the room and said hello.

He turned on the TV and sat in his armchair. - He turned on the TV and sat down in his chair.

We bought some bread and left the shop. - We bought some bread and left the store.

4. When we talk about historical events and figures:

Columbus discovered America. - Columbus discovered America.

The First World War began in 1914. - The First World War began in 1914.

Admiral Nelson defeated the French in the Battle of Trafalgar. - Admiral Nelson defeated the French at the Battle of Trafalgar.

Any time is perceived better if you remember its indicators.

Typical Past Simple tense indicators include: yesterday(yesterday), as well as combinations including words last(past, last) and ago(ago):

Last week - last week
last month - last month
last year - last year
an hour - an hour ago
two days ago - two days ago
three weeks ago - three weeks ago

In addition, prepositions of time can be used in, on, at and others, if the context makes it clear that the action occurred in the past:

We had breakfast at 8 o"clock. - We had breakfast at eight o'clock.

Their first lesson was on Tuesday. - Their first lesson was on Tuesday.

He got married in 2000. - He got married in 2000.

Common mistakes when using Past Simple tense:

- incorrect pronunciation of endings of regular verbs.

You can correct this error by doing exercises on reading endings. Pronounce endings clearly. Don't try to speak quickly until you can pronounce the endings without making them deafening.

- adding ED to irregular verbs or using the wrong form of an irregular verb.

You will most likely be understood, but it is better to avoid this mistake. Read more texts in Past Simple, highlight the regular and irregular verbs in them with different colors. You can make up examples with irregular verbs and give them to your familiar teachers or for checking.

Many people forget to put DID before the subject in questions or use the second form of the verb in questions and statements.

This problem is relevant for all times. In this situation, only practice will help.

If you are learning English on your own, you can try this method: write down all the formulas (affirmations, negations, general and informational questions) in the margins of the page, then select sentences from the texts in the Past Simple and form all the forms by writing them opposite the formulas. At first you will often look at the hint, then less and less, and in the end you will remember everything automatically. Tested by experience!)

The Past Simple is often confused with other tenses. In particular, this and . It's important to understand the differences here. Read about the differences in the use of tenses in our following articles: and.

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Tense, or simply Past Simple, has not too complicated rules. The main thing is to thoroughly understand them. In addition, this tense is one of the most common in the English language. So, Past Simple is

simple is used primarily to describe completed actions in the past, as well as to describe events that were once repeated.

The rules of the Past Simple state that the main array is formed by adding the ending -ed to the stem of a regular verb:

We played different games. - We played various games.

There are, however, several special cases of adding this ending. Let's look at them:

Irregular verbs have three forms, each of which will have to be learned. One thing is reassuring - there are not many such exceptions in the English language:

I read "Harry Potter" yesterday. - I read Harry Potter yesterday.

Interrogative sentences in the tense under consideration are formed with the participation of an auxiliary in the second form), occupying a place before the noun (subject). The main verb remains unchanged:

Did we play? - We played?

When composing, the helping verb did is also placed before the subject, and the necessary interrogative pronoun is placed before the auxiliary verb:

When did he come? - When he came?

Why did you cry? - Why were you crying?

Negation is usual for the Past Simple, but here there is no exception:

We didn't play. - We didn't play.

Instead of “did not”, the phrase “didn’t” is most often used for shortening.

Here is a table with examples of using the Past Simple (rules for composing affirmative, interrogative and negative forms with regular and irregular verbs):

So, we have looked at the formation of the Past Simple, and we will give the rules for using this tense below.

1) An expression of a constant action or attribute of an object, its property or a well-known fact that once took place in the past:

She was so good friend. - She was such a good friend.

The school replaced here. - There was a school here.

2) Expression of single actions in the past. In this case, we also use phrases like yesterday (yesterday), last week, year (last week, last year), a month ago (a month ago), in 1991 (in 1991), on Monday (on Monday) and other:

I saw him a month ago. - I saw him a month ago.

He visited his granny last week. - He visited his beloved grandmother last week.

3) Expression of regularly performed actions in the past:

He never came late. - He was never late.

4) Expression of several successive actions in the past in the order in which they took place:

He opened the box and saw the mail. - He opened the box and saw a letter.

It remains only to add that the Past Simple rule does not imply such a concept as “type of verb”. Therefore, translation in this case is carried out based on the general context of the sentence or series of sentences.

That's all we wanted to tell you about Past Simple. The rules for its use, we hope, will not cause you any difficulties. Good luck!

Affirmative form

Subject + Infinitive without to ending in -ed (form Past Simple for irregular verbs)

1. The lesson finished 5 minutes ago - The lesson ended 5 minutes ago.

• finished – infinitive finish + ending -ed
• ago (back) – an adverb indicating the use of Past Simple

2. I invited them to the party - I invited them to the party (before).

• invited – infinitive invite + ending -ed

3. She paid for the tickets last week - She paid for the tickets last week.

• paid – Past Simple form wrong verb pay
• last week – indicates the use of Past Simple

Negative form

Subject + did + not + Infinitive without to

1. I did not buy any milk yesterday - Yesterday I did not buy milk.

• not – negative particle
• buy – infinitive without to

2. My friend did not pick me up - My friend did not pick me up.

• did – auxiliary verb to do in the Past Simple form
• not – negative particle
• pick up – infinitive without to

3. Last summer they did not go on holiday - Last summer they did not go on vacation.

• did – auxiliary verb to do
• not – negative particle
• go – infinitive without to

Interrogative form

did + Subject + Infinitive without to

1. Did they sing that funny song? – Did they sing that cheerful song? (general question)

• first
• sing – infinitive without to

2. Did you teach her to read? -Did you teach her to read? (general question)

• did – the auxiliary verb to do in the Past Simple form stands on first place to formulate a question
• teach – infinitive without to

3. Why did she stop visiting you? – Why did she stop visiting you? (special question)

• did – auxiliary verb to do is worth after question word why and before subject to
• stop – infinitive without to

#2 Uses of Past Simple

1. To express an action that occurred at a certain moment in the past. Used with the following words and expressions: yesterday - yesterday, last week (month, year, etc.) - last week (last month, year, etc.), a week ago (an hour ago, a year ago, etc.) - week (hour , a year ago, the other day– the other day, in 2014 – in 2014, and some others.

• Someone knocked at the door half an hour ago - Someone knocked on the door half an hour ago.
• It snowed yesterday - It snowed yesterday.

The time of action can also be expressed subordinate clause.

• I noticed him when he called my name - I noticed him when he called me by name (when he called my name - subordinate clause).
• My brother learned to swim when he was on holiday - My brother learned to swim when he was on holiday (when he was on holiday - subordinate clause).

2. For expression row past actions in the order in which they occurred.

• They opened the door and entered the house - They opened the door and entered the house.
• We went to the cinema, watched a film, then popped to a cafe and grabbed a couple of drinks - We went to the cinema, watched a film, then popped into a cafe and grabbed a couple of drinks.

3. For expression usual, repeated actions in the past.

• When my sister was little she cried every day - When my sister was little, she cried every day.
• At my previous workplace we had a staff meeting every Friday - At my previous job, meetings for employees were held every Friday.

#3 Verb TO BE in Past Simple

Linking verb TO BE It has two forms in Past Simple:

1. was(used with nouns or pronouns in the 1st or 3rd person singular form);
2. were(used with nouns and pronouns in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd person plural).

• I was very busy yesterday - Yesterday I was very busy.
• They were in Rome in 2010 - They were in Rome in 2010.

During education negative And interrogative sentences with linking verb TO BE auxiliary verb did not used.

• Was she in the office last Monday? – Was she in the office last Monday?
  Did she be in the office last Monday?
• Are you tired? – Were you tired?
  Did you be tired?
• The weather was not so nice as last time - The weather was not as good as last time.
  The weather did not be so nice as last time
• Probably they were not at home when you came - Perhaps they were not at home when you came.
  Probably they did not be at home when you came

#4 Regular and irregular verbs

When using the Past Simple, you should pay special attention to the formation of forms of the semantic verb. In English, verbs are divided into correct And incorrect.

TO correct verbs are those verbs that form the past simple by adding the ending -ed to the stem of the verb. TO wrong Verbs include verbs that form the Past Simple in other ways.

• She cut her finger when she was cooking dinner - She cut her finger when she was preparing dinner.
• Everyone stood up when the teacher entered the classroom - Everyone stood up when the teacher entered the class.

There are different ways to express the past tense in English. Each of them has its own patterns, having comprehended which, you will be able to easily convey the events of the past in English. One of the most “in demand” tenses is the Past Simple.

It is very easy to draw a parallel here with the Russian language. Everything that we are accustomed to attributing to the past is expressed by the Past Simple (Indefinite). That is why it is called simple time, which conveys ordinary actions and isolated facts.

Formation of Past Simple in English

As in any tense, all points of contact converge in the form of the verb and the use of the auxiliary verb. In an affirmative sentence, the predicate takes either ending ed (if the verb is correct), or it is used second form (2nd column of irregular verbs): V ed or V 2(with all faces the same) . To form questions or negatives, you need an auxiliary verb did. In the first case, it takes place before the subject, in the second - after + the particle not. It is important to note that the predicate verb returns to its primary person, i.e. infinitive without to. It is easy to see how the Past Simple is formed using a table.

Not only in colloquial speech, but also in writing they often use shortened form.

Important nuances

• The first thing I want to note is the verb to be. In principle, it is incorrect, therefore it has a second form (was - singular / were - plural). In affirmative sentences it is used like this, but negative and interrogative sentences are formed without did: wasn’t, weren’t. Despite the fact that it is semantic, no auxiliary verb or other semantic verb is used with it in the past simple.

We were at home last night. — We were at home last night.

I wasn't the best student. — I was not the best student.

Were you in a new club? — Have you been to the new club?

• The pronunciation of the ending ed changes. It all depends on the letters next to each other:

after voiceless consonants - [t] - worked

after voiced consonants and vowels [d] - used, enjoyed

after t/d — — studied, landed

• Features of writing. The second form of the verb will have to be learned by heart, there is no way to escape from it. And with the addition of ed, not everything is easy either. When adding this ending to a word, sometimes there are some changes that are important to know:

1. If the word ends in "y", and in front of her is consonant, then “y” changes to “i”+ ed: try-tried, hurry - hurried. But: pl a y-pla y ed.
2. If a verb has a letter at the end "e", then when adding ed, one of the “e” disappears: change - changed, dance - danced.
3. If the verb ends in I agree(except c, w, z) or — er, -ur, and in front of her short vowel, then the last letter is doubled: stop - stopped, plan-planned, omit-omitted, occur - occurred.
4. If the latter is « l", then it is also duplicated: travel - travelled, quarel - quarelled.
5. Ending with "With", the verb in this case adds and "k": panic - panicked.

Cases of use

The rules for Past Simple (Indefinite) are quite easy to understand. And there are not many of them.

1. First of all, I would like to highlight isolated events in the past, facts. This way we emphasize what happened and simply state the fact. Vivid clues of this time are words such as ago (back), last year/month/week (last year, month, week), yesterday (yesterday), the other day (the other day), in 1998, in questions with when .

Last night my friends celebrated their anniversary. — Last night my friends celebrated their anniversary.

There wasn’t any rain in September. — There was no rain in September.

2. Alternately listed events in the past. The chronological order is very important: for example, got up, washed, had breakfast.

The dog picked up the bone and went away. — The dog picked up the bone and ran away.

She woke up, opened the window and switched on the TV. “She woke up, opened the window and turned on the TV.

3. Regular, constantly repeated actions in the past we will also express it in Past Indefinite: rarely, every week, often, always. You will immediately say that these are Present Simple pointers, and how can you find out. This is always clear from the context, whether the action refers to the present or the past. Just think about the proposal, don’t rush when you see the treasured clue.

Every week he took his son out. “Every week he took his son for a walk.

When I was a little boy I usually went to bed at 8. - When I was a little boy, I went to bed at 8 o'clock.

Sometimes there is confusion between the last function and the phrase used to do smth (be used to do smth). You can study this construction in detail in the article “Used to turnover”.

Even more examples of cases of using this tense can be found in the article “Examples of Past Simple”.

Comparison of times

The grammar of Past Indefinite Tense is quite simple. You will easily understand the formation and usage. But when comparing different past tenses, difficulties arise. Let's figure it out.

So, let's summarize. According to the rules of Past Simple (Indefinite), the verb changes its form, and negation and question are formed using did. When performing exercises and tests, comparing past simple (indefinite) with other tenses, remember that the first of them tells, informs, lets you know that the action happened sometime in the past. All the time frames are a little blurry, the exact time is never specified.

Here you can take a lesson on the topic: Simple past tense in English. Regular and irregular verbs. Past Simple. Regular and Irregular verbs.

In this lesson we will get acquainted with regular and irregular verbs in English and how to use them in sentences simple past tense. It is these verbs that in most cases are part of the past tense.

To express thoughts in the past, the English often use the verbs was and were. Well, what if the main action is expressed by another verb, for example, swim, or play? In such cases, knowledge of regular and irregular English verbs is required. We will look at each category of verbs separately:

Regular verbs Regular verbs are a special group of English verbs that easily form the past tense by adding the suffix -ed to the infinitive (the regular form of the verb). Here are some examples of such verbs:

talk - talked (talk - spoke)
jump - jumped (jump - jumped)
check - checked (check - checked)
look - looked (look - looked)
stay - stayed (stop - stopped)
ask - asked (ask - asked)
show -showed (show - showed)
work - worked (work - worked)

Regular verbs ending in -ed do not change for person or number. Let's look at the example of the verb walk (walk, stroll):

I walked - I walked
you walked - you walked / You walked
he walked - he walked
she walked - she walked
it walked - he/she walked/walked (inanimate)
we walked - we walked
they walked - they walked

I. There are some spelling rules when adding the ending -ed.

1. So, for example, if the verb is already ends with a letter-e , then only -d is added to it. For example:

Change - changed (change - changed)
arrive - arrived (arrive - arrived)
smoke - smoked (smoking - smoked)

2. If the verb ends with the letter -y, then the ending, with rare exceptions, changes to -ied.

For example:
study - studied (teach - taught)
tidy - tidied (clean - cleaned)

try - tried (try - tried)

The exceptions are the verbs: play - played (play), stay - remained (stop), enjoy - enjoyed (enjoy). 3. In some short verbs (in 1 syllable) by adding the ending -ed The consonant is doubled. This rule applies to verbs that ends in one vowel and one consonant

letters. For example:
stop - stop ped (stop - stopped)

II. Regarding regular English verbs, there are also several reading rules.

1. So, for example, in verbs, ending in a voiceless consonant(f, k, p, t), the ending -ed is read softly, like /t/. For example:

walk ed /wɔ:kt/
look ed /lukt/
jump ed /dʒʌmpt/
ask ed /a:skt/

2. In verbs, ending in voiced and all other sounds, the ending -ed is pronounced voiced, like /d/.

For example:
play ed /pleid/
show ed /ʃəud/
arrived /ə"raivd/

chang ed /tʃeindʒd/ 3. The pronunciation of the verb ending -ed changes slightly when the verbs end with the sounds /t/ or /d/.

Then the ending is pronounced /id/. For example:
decid ed /di"saidid/
wait ed /"weitid /
land ed /"lændid /

fad ed/"feidid/ Now let's look at the regular verbs in affirmative sentences.

Here are some examples:
Miriam waited for Adam for several hours. - Miriam waited for Adam for several hours.
She walked towards the river. - She walked towards the river.
They changed their mind. - They changed their decision.
The woman carried a heavy bag. - The woman was carrying a heavy bag.
When I arrived the party was over. - When I arrived, the party was over.
The plane landed near the village. - The plane landed near the village.
The car stopped next to my house. - The car stopped next to my house.
Children played hide-and-seek. - The children played hide and seek.
We stayed at my grandmother's. - We stayed with my grandmother.
I looked around but there was noone. - I looked around, but there was no one there.

He studied German at school. - He studied German at school.

As can be seen from the examples, the place of subjects and verbs in affirmative sentences is fixed, and the remaining members of the sentences can be used depending on the context. When reading the examples, pay attention to the spelling of regular verbs and their pronunciation. In contrast to regular verbs, English also has a number of irregular verbs

, which do not obey the rule of adding the ending -ed, but are formed completely unexpectedly and in different ways. For example:
find - found (find - found)
take - took (take - took)
sleep - slept (sleep - slept)
fight - fought (fight - fought)
get - got (receive - received)
give - gave (give - gave)
buy - bought (buy - bought)
catch - caught (catch - caught)

lose - lost (lose - lost) and many others.
Here you can find the complete

In affirmative sentences, irregular verbs are used in the same way as regular ones. The order of the sentence is fixed: Subject - Predicate - Object - Adverbial modifier. Let's look at examples:

He lost his key a day ago. - He lost his key a day ago.
Simon took my phone number yesterday. - Simon took my phone number yesterday.
I gave her a birthday present. - I gave her a present for her birthday.
They slept for eight hours last night. - They slept eight hours last night.

To form negative and interrogative sentences with regular and irregular verbs (except to be and modal verbs), the auxiliary verb did must be used.

So, for example, in interrogative sentences comes first auxiliary verb did, then the subject and verb, but in its original form (infinitive), since the auxiliary verb did takes on the function of the past tense. Let's look at a few examples:

(+) Her watch stopped working. - Her watch stopped working.
(?) Did her watch stop working? - Has her watch stopped working?

(+) He caught a big fish. - He caught a big fish.
(?) Did he catch a big fish? - Did he catch a big fish?

(+) They played cards in the evening. - They played cards in the evening.
(?) Did they play cards in the evening? - Did they play cards in the evening?

(+) Mr.Right found a purse with money. - Mr. Wright found a wallet with money.
(?) Did Mr.Right find a purse money? - Did Mr. Wright find a wallet with money?

(+) His father called him yesterday. - His father called him yesterday.
(?) Did his father call him yesterday? - Did his father call him yesterday?

As can be seen from the examples, the auxiliary verb did does not change in persons or numbers, such as the verbs do and does, was and were. Also, these questions belong to the general category, and require short answers, which, unlike Russian “yes” and “no,” depend largely on the question itself and the auxiliary verb. Let's take a closer look:

Did you leave early last night? -Yes, I did.
-No, I didn't. -Did you leave early last night? -Yes. -No.
Did they like the cake? -Yes, they did.

-No, they didn't. - Did they like the cake? - Yes. - No. Did their children break the remote control? -Yes, they did. question word at the beginning. For example:

Where did you find the map? - Where did you find the map?
Why did they call us last night? - Why did they call us last night?
Who did you invite to the party? -Who did you invite to the party?
What did she cook fro dinner? - What did she cook for dinner?

Negative sentences with regular and irregular verbs are also formed using the auxiliary verb did, and the negative particle "not".

The main verbs in such sentences remain in their original form, i.e. in the infinitive. Let's look at examples:
(+) He didn’t want us to go. - He wanted us to leave.

(-) He didn't (did not) want us to go. - He didn't want us to leave.
(+) They enjoyed the concert. - They liked the concert.

(-) They didn’t enjoy the concert. - They didn’t like the concert.
(+) Albert promised me something. - Albert promised me something.

(-) Albert didn’t promise me anything. - Albert didn’t promise me anything.
(+) My friend paid t he fine. - My friend paid the fine.

(-) My friend didn't pay the fine. - My friend did not pay the fine.
(+) It broke after all. - And yet it broke.

(-) It didn’t break after all. - And yet it didn’t break.

As can be seen from the examples, the word did can be combined with the particle not, and then the abbreviated form is obtained - didn't.