SIMPLE PAST SIMPLE PAST

Here we go again. The Simple Past tense, is a simple tense to describe actions
occurred in the past or past experiences. For example:
I visited my grandparents last wee. I visited my grandparents last wee.
!esterday, she bought a new sweater. !esterday, she bought a new sweater.
The structure is "uite simple:
Sub#ect Sub#ect $ $ %erb in Simple past %erb in Simple past $ $ &omplement'Time expression &omplement'Time expression
(enni)er went to *uana#uato last summer. (enni)er went to *uana#uato last summer.
In the simple past, verbs don+t change with third person or singular personal
pronouns.
I ate pi,,a with my )riends- .e rented a new house- I ate pi,,a with my )riends- .e rented a new house-
!ou )orgot her birthday- !ou played basetball- !ou )orgot her birthday- !ou played basetball-
He went to the dentist- !ou played basetball- He went to the dentist- !ou played basetball-
She stayed home- They created a new electrical system- She stayed home- They created a new electrical system-
The only exception is the verb be, which has two )orms:
was'were was'were
I was shy in high school. I was shy in high school.
They were my best )riends. They were my best )riends.
For the negative sentences we have to use the auxiliary verb )or the simple past:
did not / didn+t did not / didn+t
I didn+t lie sports in high school. I didn+t lie sports in high school.
0aura didn+t buy a movie, she bought a boo. 0aura didn+t buy a movie, she bought a boo.
.e also use the auxiliary verb )or the past in the !es'1o "uestions and .h2
3uestions:
4id you visit your parents5 4id you visit your parents5
!es, I did. .e went to a nice restaurant. !es, I did. .e went to a nice restaurant.
1o, I didn+t. I stayed home and called them at night. 1o, I didn+t. I stayed home and called them at night.
6ut o) course, we don+t use the auxiliary in "uestions with verb be, because the
verb be is actually an auxiliary verb.
.ere you nervous in your wedding5 .ere you nervous in your wedding5
!es I was. I was really nervous. !es I was. I was really nervous.
1o, I wasn+t. I was very relaxed. 1o, I wasn+t. I was very relaxed.
.here were you last night5 .here were you last night5
I was in my girl)riend+s house. I was in my girl)riend+s house.
.ho was your best )riend in college5 .ho was your best )riend in college5
7y best )riend was 7ar. .e were cra,y. 7y best )riend was 7ar. .e were cra,y.
Now, some notes to remember:
8egular verbs 8egular verbs 9 %erbs that have the same ending in their simple past and past
participle )orm: -ed
play2played ' stay2stayed ' paint2painted ' study2studied ' visit2visited play2played ' stay2stayed ' paint2painted ' study2studied ' visit2visited
Irregular verbs Irregular verbs 9 %erbs that have a di:erent ending in their simple past and past
participle )orm: ?
eat2ate ' write2wrote ' buy2bought ' meet2met ' go2went ' swim2swam ' drin2dran eat2ate ' write2wrote ' buy2bought ' meet2met ' go2went ' swim2swam ' drin2dran
Personal Personal
Pronouns Pronouns
S. past o) S. past o)
be be
I I was was
you you were were
He He
was was She She
It It
.e .e
were were !ou !ou
They They
Time ;xpressions Time ;xpressions
yesterday yesterday last year last year
last night last night last summer last summer
last Friday last Friday two days ago two days ago
last wee last wee <ve months <ve months
ago ago
last month last month two years ago two years ago
last last
1ovember 1ovember
long time ago long time ago
last semester last semester in =>?@ in =>?@
last vacations last vacations