2 positive offers of pastes simpl. Past Simple Tense is the simple past tense in English. Affirmative sentences in Past Simple

Speaking in any language, it is impossible to be as understood as possible without knowing the rules for the formation of temporary forms. English for this case has a wide variety of options for self-expression. However, the main time group is the so-called “simple tense group” or simple tenses, which logically divides time intervals into past, present and future. Today we'll stop at time past simple(pronounced [paste simpl]) or the simple past in English language and analyze the ways of its formation, as well as examples of use.

The Past Simple Tense or simple past tense (also known as the Past Indefinite tense or past indefinite tense) is a tense that is used to express states or actions that took place in the past. The so-called simplicity of this time lies in the fact that when using it, do not focus on the duration, completeness, sequence of one event in relation to another.

The action just happened in the past, that's a fact, period. Due to the fact that people constantly strive to simplify the language, this tense form often replaces other forms of the past tense in writing, and even more often in speech, so knowledge of this particular group is necessary to explain situations and thoughts at a simple level. Let's take a closer look at how, where and how this form is used in English.

The only part of speech that lends itself to change in the formation of the past tense are verbs, which are either regular or irregular.

If at first it will be difficult for you to understand whether this or that verb is correct or irregular, refer to the table of irregular verbs: if the verb is not on the list, most likely it belongs to the category of regular.

Past Simple: sentence forms

Having dealt with the types of past tense verbs and how they are formed, you need to learn how to build sentences with them grammatically correctly.

1. The affirmative form of Past Simple does not need the use of auxiliary verbs. To construct a sentence in the affirmative form, it is enough to use the verb in the past tense.

In simple words, it is enough to take an affirmative sentence in the present tense and replace the verb in it with the past tense.

1. The negative form of the Past Indefinite Tense is formed using the auxiliary verb did and the negative particle not (informally didn't), which is placed after the subject. An auxiliary verb with a particle is followed by main verb in infinitive. This means that memorized irregular verbs and the ending -ed in negative sentences will not be useful to us.

	Sobject (Subject)	Auxiliary verb +not	Verbs (Verb)	Object (An object)
present simple (Present)	She	does not (doesn't)	love	him.
past simple (Past tense)	She	did not (didn't)	love	him.

1. The interrogative form is also formed using the auxiliary verb did. It comes first in the sentence, followed by the subject and the main semantic verb in infinitive.

For a short positive answer, it is enough to use auxiliary verbs; for a short negative answer, the particle not is needed. If the answer is negative, the auxiliary verb with the particle must be written together (didn't). The full answer will sound in the affirmative or negative form.

For the formation of special questions, the scheme remains practically unchanged. A question word is added to it only at the very beginning. Question words can be anything, here are some of them: what - what, why - why, how - how, which - which, where - where, when - when.

	? word	Auxiliary verb	Sobject (Subject)	Verbs (Verb)	Object (An object)
present simple (Present)	Why	do	you	like like	reading?
past simple (Past tense)	did	you	like liked	reading?

An exception is the interrogative word who (who), sentences with which do not require an auxiliary verb. This is where your knowledge of regular and irregular verbs will be needed.

Special questions cannot be answered with a simple "yes" or "no", so the answers to them sound in full affirmative or negative form.

Past Simple - use

The simple past tense is very common in English. For correct application in practice, consider all cases of using Past Simple:

1. To express single actions / states or actions in the past, taken as a fact. Speech in such sentences can go, as well as about ordinary everyday situations, and about historical events. Often such sentences contain special indicator words expressed:

• circumstance of time, these include: yesterday - yesterday, the day before yesterday - the day before yesterday, last night - last night, last week / month - last week / last month, in 1999 - in 1999, then - then;
• adverb ago, for example: 5 years ago - five years ago;
• question words when and how.

Examples:

Agatha Christie wrote detective novels. (Agatha Christie wrote detective novels.)	fact
Bruce graduated from the university 3 years ago. (Bruce graduated from university 3 years ago.)
We talked to him about the upcoming performance. (We talked to him about the upcoming performance.)	single action
Steven Spielberg was born in 1946. (Steven Spielberg was born in 1946.)	fact with specific year
She called you 5 minutes ago. (She called you 5 minutes ago.)	single action, presence of adverb ago
The Great Patriotic War began on June 22, 1941.	historical fact
I was excited to take part in the contest yesterday. (I was glad to enter the contest yesterday.)	state with time circumstance
I didn't like your hairstyle then. (Then I didn't like your hairstyle.)	action in the past with adverbial tense (I didn't like it before, but now I like it)
Jane drew portraits in the childhood. (As a child, Jane painted portraits.)	action in the past (I used to draw, now I don't)
He visited us 2 weeks ago. (He visited us 2 weeks ago.)	single action, presence of adverb ago
When did you meet each other? (When did you meet each other?)	question about the past the question word when is used

1. To express habits or actions that were constantly / often repeated in the past, but are not repeated now. Words-indicators in this case are expressed:

• adverbs everyday - every day, always - always, often - often, sometimes - sometimes, each time - every time;
• the expression used + the verb in the infinitive, which translates as "before".

He always wore black jackets. (He always wore black jackets.)	used to wear, now not wearing
I didn't use to brush my teeth twice a day. (I used to not brush my teeth twice a day.)	I didn't clean before, now I do.
Dad used to smoke up to 10 cigarettes a day. ((Before) Father smoked up to 10 cigarettes a day.)	was a habit, now it's gone
Donald Trump used to host The Apprentice. (Donald Trump hosted The Apprentice.)	led, but now no longer leads
Mike used to watch The Big Bang Theory. (Mike used to watch The Big Bang Theory.)	watched but stopped now
They took Chinese classes every day. (They studied Chinese every day.)	no longer doing

1. When there is a story or a listing of events that happened one after another in the past.

1. In subordinate clauses of time to express the completeness of an action. Some indicator words for this case:

• as soon as - as soon as, once - as soon as, before - before, untill - until / until, after - after, when - when.

1. Using indirect speech if the verb in the main clause is used in Past Simple.

1. To characterize the subject in the past.

1. To report the details of any news. To report the news itself, should be used present time Perfect (present perfect), and sentences in Past S are used to describe. However, if you are afraid of confusing tenses, you can use the simple past tense everywhere in such situations.

1. Past Simple is also used to form a second type conditional (Second Conditional), which is used to express events in the present or future tenses, the likelihood of which is very small or completely unrealistic. The Russian equivalent of the second type of conditional sentences may sound like “if yes, if only”. A similar sentence is built using the union if (if). Table with education formulas:

Usage examples:

If I had a million dollars, I would have found a charitable foundation. (If I had a million dollars, I would start a charitable foundation.)	Unreal situation. I don’t have any money now, I can’t establish a fund.
If I were you, I would not do this. (If I were you, I wouldn't do it.)	Unreal situation. I cannot switch bodies with another person or act for him.
We would go swimming if the weather were fine. (If the weather were good, we would go swimming.)	The weather is bad, the likelihood that we can go swimming is very small.
If I had children, I would spend with them all day long. (If I had children, I would spend the whole day with them.)	But I don't have children, so this situation is impossible at the moment.

Pay attention to two nuances:

• If the sentence begins with the clause “if”, then a comma is placed at the junction with the second part so that the sentences do not merge and are easier to read;
• In a conditional sentence, the verb to be in the past tense is usually used only in plural(were), even with pronouns singular I, he, she, it. The form were in such sentences is subjunctive. Although in everyday speech it is possible to replace the was form for the singular, when passing tests, choosing in favor of was would be considered a mistake.

1. The Past Simple tense is also used with the construction I wish, which is equivalent to the Russian “It’s a pity that it’s not”. Usually such a construction is used to express the desire for some action to happen or happen differently. As in the case above, this design also consists of two parts. Table with education formula:

Usage examples:

Pay attention to the features to understand how such proposals are built:

• If we translate the construction in the form of “sorry not”, negative verbs turn into affirmative ones and vice versa;
• As in the formation of a conditional sentence of the second type, the verb to be is used only in the form were, although in colloquial speech deviations from the rule are possible.

1. Past Simple is used with another construction that can often be found in colloquial language - it is (it's) time, which translates as "it's time to". Table with education formulas:

Usage examples:

These were all cases of using the Past Simple (Past Indefinite) or the simple past tense. They won't be too difficult, especially if you understand the grammar, learn the irregular verbs, and practice using the Past Simple Tense in different situations based on the examples above.

The variety of tense forms in English makes it possible to describe the action in more detail, but it may also be confusing. The table “Past Simple” tells in detail how the English Simple Past is formed and when it is used.

Basic rule

Before proceeding to consider the formation of the affirmative, negative and interrogative forms of the English Past Simple, it is necessary to understand how it is translated into Russian and what action it describes. The tense form Past Simple is literally translated as the Simple Past. The term Past refers to the past tense in a broad sense. Simple is an aspect indicating that the described action is normal and occurs regularly. It follows that Past Simple describes ordinary, repetitive actions, facts that happened in the past.

This meaning is also indicated by such marker words as yesterday (yesterday), the day before yesterday (the day before yesterday), two weeks ago (two weeks ago), last year (last year) and others.

Regular verbs

When considering the rule of education Past Simple (Simple Past), new language concepts appear - regular and irregular verbs. Regular verbs form the Past Simple with the ending -ed, which is attached to the stem of the verb.

The basic rules and examples of Past Simple with regular verbs are presented in the following table:

Past Simple Tense: subject + verb + -ed (2nd form of regular verbs)
positive form (Affirmative form)	negative form (Negative form)	Interrogative form (Interrogative form)
I closed - I closed	I did not close - I did not close	Did I close? - I closed?
You closed - You (you) closed (and)	You did not close - You (you) did not close (and)	Did you close? - You (you) closed(s)?
He closed - He closed	He did not close - He did not close	Did he close? - He closed?
She closed - She closed	She did not close - She did not close	Did she close? - She closed?
It closed - He (about an animal or inanimate) closed	It did not close - He did not close	Did it close? - He closed?
We closed - We closed	We did not close - We did not close	Did we close? - Are we closed?
They closed - They closed	They did not close - They did not close	Did they close? - they closed?

IN negative sentence the subject is followed by an auxiliary verb with a negative particle - did not (not). In the question, the word order changes and the auxiliary verb comes first. In both cases, the main verb loses the past tense ending -ed.

Irregular Verbs

There are not so many irregular verbs in English - 470 pieces. Not all of them belong to the daily vocabulary. Many are outdated and not used. But the main thing is different - they need to be known by heart. In order to make a sentence with an irregular verb in Past Simple, you need to look at the second column of the table of irregular verbs.

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Past Simple Tense: Subjects + 2nd Irregular Verb
positive form (Affirmative form)	negative form (Negative form)	Interrogative form (Interrogative form)
I slept - I slept	I didn't sleep - I didn't sleep	Did I sleep? - I was asleep?
You slept - You (you) slept (and)	You didn't sleep - You (you) did not sleep (and)	Did you sleep? - Did you sleep?
He slept - He slept	He didn't sleep - He didn't sleep	Did he sleep? - He slept?
She slept - She slept	She didn't sleep - She didn't sleep	Did she sleep? - She slept?
It slept - He (it) slept	It didn't sleep - He didn't sleep	Did it sleep? - He slept?
We slept - We slept	We didn't sleep - We didn't sleep	Did we sleep? - We sleep?
They slept - They slept	They didn't sleep - They didn't sleep	Did they sleep? - They slept?

What have we learned?

The basic rules and examples of Past Simple in the table help to organize the received theoretical knowledge on the topic. It presents examples of the formation of affirmative, negative and interrogative forms, which, on occasion, can serve as an excellent "cheat sheet".

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Today we will look at the last tense related to the Simple group in English grammar— Past Simple Tense. In Easy Speak English for Adults, our students start using this time already at the first level. It is translated into Russian as "simple past tense". From the article you will learn when it is used, how it is formed, how to build negative and interrogative sentences in this tense.

When we use the Past Simple

We use the simple past tense when we say:

1. About events or actions that occurred in the past and the time for which has expired. That is, the action or event is completed.
(he bought a car last year, they went on vacation last month, the meeting was last week)

2. About events or actions in the past that were repeated regularly, but do not occur now.
(she did dance at school, we went to the gym last year)

3. About events in the past that happened one after the other.
(they met, walked in the park, went to the cinema)

Bonus! Difficulties with English tenses? in Moscow and find out how easy it is to master tenses and start speaking English in 1 month!

How is the affirmative form of Past Simple formed?

When forming Past Simple, we always look at the verb, as it will change. There are two types of verbs in English: right and wrong.

Depending on the verb, the past tense is formed as follows:

• if the verb is correct, we add ending -ed(cook - cooked);
• if the verb is irregular, we put it in second form (see-saw).

There is no rule by which one can determine the correct or irregular verb in front of us. The only way to find out is to look it up in a dictionary or memorize it.

The same is true for forms of irregular verbs. They must be memorized or looked up in a dictionary. The Past Simple education scheme is as follows:

The person in question + a regular verb with the ending ed or the 2nd form of an irregular verb.

I
You
We	worked
They	slept
She	went
He
It

For example

I went to the cinema yesterday.
I went to the cinema yesterday.

She moved last year.
She moved last year.

They married three years ago.
They got married three years ago.

Verb ending -ed in Past Simple

There are several nuances when adding the ending -ed to regular verbs.

• If the verb ends in -e, then the verb is added only -d:

change e- chang ed- change;
clos e-clos ed- close.

• If the verb ends into a consonant, in front of which stressed vowel, then the consonant is doubled:

sto p- sto pped- stop;
ba n-ba nned- forbid.

Exceptions: verbs ending in -x and -w:

fi x- fi xed- fix;
flo w- flo wed- flow.

Note: V British English, when the verb ends in -l, it is doubled no matter where the stress falls:

travel l- travel lled- travel.

American version:

travel l- travel led- travel.

• If the verb ends in -y and preceded by a consonant, y changes to i +ed:

cr y-cr ied- cry;
tr y-tr ied- sample.

Important: If -u is preceded by a vowel, then the ending -ed is added without change letters:

sta y-sta yes- stay;
pla y-pla yes- play.

Companion words Past Simple

These are hint words that help determine that we have a simple past tense:

• yesterday,
• last week / month / year,
• in 1989 (2000, 2012 etc.) year,
• two (three, four, etc.) days/month/years ago.

Examples

I saw him five days ago.
I saw him five days ago.

She watched this film yesterday.
She watched this movie yesterday.

They lived in England in 1999.
They lived in England in 1999.

Negative sentences in Past Simple

Negation is formed with auxiliary verb did(this is the auxiliary verb do, but in the past form) and particles not. In this case, the semantic verb is used in the initial form.

The combination did + not will be our particle " Not". For example, he did not participate in the exhibition, they did not go to the club yesterday.

The scheme for constructing a negative sentence in Past Simple is as follows:

The one in question + did + not + verb in the initial form.

I
You
We			work
They	did	not	sleep
She			go
He
It

Important point: the auxiliary verb did already shows that the sentence is in the past tense, so verb in a sentence(run / jump / work) we do not put in the past tense, but use the initial form. That is, we do not put it in the 2nd form and do not add the ending ed.

Why is it necessary to show 2 times that this is the past tense?

Did not swim yesterday.
He didn't swim yesterday.

NOT: He did not swam yesterday.

For example

They did not work last summer.
They didn't work last summer.

She did not run yesterday.
She didn't run yesterday.

What abbreviation can be used?

We can reduce the negative particle not as follows.

Did + not = didn't

We didn't win this battle.
We have not won this battle.

Interrogative sentences in Past Simple

The construction of questions in Past Simple is the same as in other tenses of this group (Simple). To ask a question, you need to put the auxiliary verb did in the first place in the sentence. The semantic verb, as well as in negation, is not put in the past tense, but its initial form is used. You don't need to add -ed endings.

Did + the person in question + the initial form of the verb.

	I
	you
	they	work?
Did	we	sleep?
	he	go?
	she
	it

Statement

He called me last week.
He called me last week.

They bought a new car.
They bought a new car.

Question

Did he call you last week?
Did he call you last week?

Did they buy a new car?
Did they buy a new car?

Short positive answer contains the auxiliary verb did, which replaces the action itself.

Yes, he did.
Yes, he called.

Yes, they did.
Yes, they bought.

Full positive response constructed as an affirmative sentence.

Yes, he called me last week.
Yes, he called me last week.

Yes, they bought a new car.
Yes, they bought a new car.

Short no answer contains the auxiliary verb did and the negative particle not.

No, he did not.
No, he didn't call.

No, they did not.
No, they didn't buy.

Full negative answer constructed as a negative sentence.

No, he did not call me last week.
No, he didn't call me last week.

No, they did not buy a new car.
No, they didn't buy a new car.

Special questions in Past Simple

When we ask a question with the following question words:

• what,
• when,
• where,
• which,

Interrogative word + did + the one in question + the verb in the initial form?

		I
When		you
Where		they	work?
What	did	we	meet?
why		she	buy?
		he
		it

Let's look at examples.

Why did you steal this thing?
Why did you steal this thing?

When did she sell her phone?
When did she sell her phone?

What did they buy?
What did they buy?

So, we have analyzed the simple past tense, which is actually not so simple. If you have any questions, ask them in the comments below the article.

Also, if you haven't already done so, I advise you to read about other times of the Simple group:

Now let's move on to practice.

Exercise to consolidate Past Simple

Translate the following sentences into English:

1. He built his house in 1997.
2. They went to a concert last month.
3. Did you give her a present yesterday? Yes, I gave her a present yesterday.
4. We didn't see each other last week.
5. My friend broke her phone last year.
6. The children didn't go to camp last summer.
7. Why did he move?
8. Did you go camping last weekend? No, we didn't go.

Write your answers in the comments, and I will definitely check them.

Past Simple is called the simple past tense, but for many it is such a dark forest that they do not know how to approach it. We are sure that this is not about you, but still ... Why do we (or rather, the British) need this Past Simple Tense? Past Simple (otherwise, Past Indefinite) is pronounced like a paste simpl. The rules of the Past simple are simple: we will soon find out when the past simple is used, how the past simple is formed, why it is necessary to use the Past Simple, the rules and examples of the functioning of this tense in the text. Imagine the situation: here you are telling a friend what you did last summer. And they went there, and they were there, and they saw it. How to say all this in English? Not to build barricades from perfect forms, right? That's what it takes past time simple.

Past Simple Tense: rules for using in English

So, let's take a closer look at Past Simple - when is this time used?

• An action that you (or someone else) has done regularly in the past. How often - it doesn't matter. At least every minute, at least once in a millennium. The main thing is that the action was repeated from time to time in the past. Like here: He often visited us (often visited), when we lived there.
• A permanent attribute of an object or characteristic of a person in the past. What was this object or person once? For example: Jane looked much better (looked much better), when I saw her last time.
• A chain of successive actions in the past. Often found in fairy tales like “grandmother for grandfather, grandfather for turnip”, i.e. where the actions of the characters are described step by step. Chain simple actions occurs in our everyday life. Take a look: I entered the hall, switched on the light, opened the wardrobe, and then quickly closed it. He entered, turned on the light, opened the closet - these are sequential actions, very little time passed between them. It makes no sense to complicate the sentence and try to convey this chain of actions in some other way than Past Simple.
• A single action in the past. Yes, yes, this is just about how you went to a resort 10 years ago, and now share your memories. What once happened some time ago (it doesn’t matter if it was yesterday or 140 years ago) is transmitted through the Past Simple.

Underwater rock:

What about cultural heritage? For example, Shakespeare wrote such and such a work in such and such a year. After all, we use the results of Shakespeare's work, and we do it now - in this case, Past Simple is often confused with the present perfect, which just describes the result in the present. However, the simple paste rule here is quite strict. Any invention, any once written work is a fact in the past. And the facts, especially with the indication of the exact date, are the sphere of the Simple tense group.

Past Simple: education

How is Past Simple formed? And it's very simple. They don't call it simple for nothing. Past Simple, education: V2 (second form of the verb). Do you remember that all English verbs can be divided into regular and irregular?

Past Simple: Rules for Forming the Past Simple of Irregular Verbs

Irregular verbs live their own lives: they have three forms, all three need to be known by heart. To get the Past Simple, we use the second form (V2) of the irregular verb.

For example:

Buy - bought - bought Read - read - read Cut - cut - cut Lie - lay - lain A list of irregular verbs is at the end of any dictionary or reference book. Ideally, from the reference book, this list should migrate to the head. Fortunately, there are not many irregular verbs. Relatively. But all other verbs that are not in the list of irregular ones are called regular. And everything is very easy with them. Past Simple: rules for the formation of the simple past of regular verbs Regular verbs in the Past Simple acquire the ending -ed or -d. We add it to the stem of the infinitive.

For example:

To kick - he kicked (to kick - he kicked) To look - he looked (to look - he looked)

If the stem of the infinitive already ends in e, then only -d is added:

To dance - he danced (dance - he danced) To invite - he invited (invite - he invited) That's all! Still, it’s not for nothing that Past Simple was called simple, right? But there are also some pitfalls.

Nuance number 1

If the word ends with the letter y, then you need to change it to i and only then add the ending -ed. We do this manipulation only and exclusively when y is preceded by a consonant.

Compare:

To fly - he flied To obey - he obeyed In the case of obey before y - the vowel e. Well, we put the ending -ed and rejoice that nothing needs to be changed!

Nuance number 2

Liked? Then here's the second clue. If the verb ends with the combination: short vowel + consonant, then the consonant is usually doubled. To plan - he planned This is necessary in order to keep the syllable closed. After all, if in the word planned we do not double n, then we get an open syllable, and in an open syllable it is read differently. The result is a completely different word! Therefore, do not forget to double the consonant where necessary. But look at these examples: To fear - he feared To look - he looked There is no need to double anything here, because consonants are not at all short vowels, nothing can affect their pronunciation. In British English it is always doubled and l at the end of a word: To quarrel - we quarrelled But in American English, such a metamorphosis does not occur. To quarrel - we quarreled How to correctly read verbs with the ending -ed If it is relatively easy to put a verb in Past Simple, then sometimes it is not very easy to read. Try not to neglect the correct pronunciation, otherwise it will be very difficult for a foreigner to understand you.

What about questions and negatives?

To form a question or a negative, we need the auxiliary verb do. Without it, alas, no question can be made, no denial can be formed. The auxiliary verb do in the Past Simple will take the form did. In a negative sentence, did is placed after the subject and acquires the negative particle not.

Negation in Past Simple: the rule of education

Subject + did not + predicate (infinitive) Tom did not eat porridge. Did not = didn't. Didn't is an abbreviated form of did not. IN oral speech you will most likely hear this form. Tom did not eat porridge = Tom didn't eat porridge. Mark did not come yesterday = Mark didn't come yesterday

Question in Past Simple: education rule

In a question, did will come first. The scheme of a general question in the past simple would be: DID + subject + predicate (infinitive)? Did Tom eat porridge? The answer to this question can be complete, but is usually short: - Yes, he did. / No, he didn't.
< strong>Pitfall: Very common mistake when forming questions and denials in Past Simple: use V2 instead of the infinitive. We have well understood how the paste simpl is formed - with the help of the ending -ed (for regular verbs) and V2 for irregular ones. Having understood this, we begin to put the second form of the verb everywhere, but in a question and a negation this is superfluous! The auxiliary verb do has already taken over the functions of the past simple and turned into did (remember that do is an irregular verb: do-did-done. Accordingly, its V2 is did). Did ALREADY shows past simple tense. It is simply not necessary to do any other additional manipulations with the semantic verb (predicate)! Did already took care of everything!

Special questions

These are questions that begin with a special question word. Question words: What what? Where where? Who who? why why? When when? Whom to whom? How how? Special questions are not as difficult as they seem. If the scheme of a simple question looks like this: DID + subject + predicate (infinitive)? Then the scheme of the special question looks like this: Interrogative word + DID + subject + predicate (infinitive)? We just put a question word on the zero position - and that's it! The rest of the word order remains unchanged. The English language would not be English if there were not some exception here. It is. With the question words Who (who?) And What? (what?), if we ask a question to the subject, such a scheme does not work. Indeed, it is even simpler. We just put who or what in place of the subject! And that's it! The predicate remains in the past simple. In practice, it looks like this: Mary ate ice-cream yesterday. (Mary ate ice cream yesterday.) Who ate ice-cream yesterday? (Who ate ice cream yesterday?) Important: this scheme with who only works when we ask a question to the subject. If we ask a question to a direct complement, then the scheme will be standard. Compare: Tom saw Mary two days ago. Who saw Mary two days ago? The question is asked to the subject (Tom). Who is in first position, no auxiliary verb required. Let's go further. Let's first ask a general question (the answer to which will be “yes” or “no”): Did Tom see Mary two days ago? (put did in first place) And now a special question with who, but not to the subject, but to the direct object (Mary): Who did Tom see two days ago? Since we are not asking the question to the subject, it means that, like any question word, who takes the zero position, did remains in the first position and further according to the standard scheme.)

Past Simple Markers

Markers are our helpers, clue words that help us understand when we need Past Simple time. If we notice such a word in a sentence, this is a very eloquent hint that we need to use the simple past tense.
Well, we know the markers, but where should we put them in the sentence? After all, the structure of the English sentence is quite rigid ... Markers that contain the words last, every, ago, as a rule, are placed in the last place in the sentence: I met Helen three months ago. Emma spent three weeks in Paris last year. Markers often, never, usually, seldom, always and similar usually come before the verb: I never saw you working. Tom and I always spent holidays together. Important: If it is not the verb of action that functions as a predicate, but the verb to be, then these markers are placed after it: John was often tired. Marker yesterday can occur both at the beginning of a sentence and at the end: Yesterday I bought a new fur coat. I bought a new fur coat yesterday. And here sometimes can actually stand wherever he wants. More precisely, where you want: I went to Paris sometimes, but always felt uncomfortable there. Sometimes I went to Paris, but always felt uncomfortable there. What if there are no markers in the sentence? How do we work with the English sentence? Let's look at markers first. If you have a ago or last marker, then already at the stage of the first acquaintance with the sentence, without even translating it, you understand what time to use: Past Simple. If there are no obvious markers in the sentence, then we move on to the next step: we translate the sentence. And here you can see some clues.

For example:

Year indication: in 1956, in 2007. My grandpa died in 2007. Month indication: in August, in September. I caught a cold in January. word during- for some time. Attention: during can only be used with nouns denoting a certain time period! During summer, during the weekend, during our meeting. Mary was in London during the winter. marker for. You need to be careful with this marker. This is one of the brightest time signs. Present Perfect. However, if the action has already ended and there is no connection with the present, then for clearly indicates the Past Simple. Compare: I have lived here for 13 years. I have lived here for 13 years. (And I still live or am about to leave.) I lived in London for 13 years, but then moved to New York. I lived in London for 13 years and then moved to New York. (There is no connection with the present, he once lived, and then moved). Clarification with when I pierced my tongue when I was 16. This is a biography fact from the past. So, Past Simple. If the emphasis is not on the fact, but on the process, then another time will be used, Past Continuous: I was eating when my mom called me. Emphasis on the process - I was eating when my mother called me. Pay attention to the second part of the sentence: when my mom called me. Here we use the Past Simple again. Why? Because a shorter action or an action that interrupts a process (expressed in this case as the Past Continuous) requires the use of the Past Simple. Translate the sentence correctly and see how semantic accents are placed! Past Simple is primarily a fact in the past. If the action used to happen regularly, but is no longer happening at the present time, the construction used to + infinitive is used. With this expression, we can designate the habits of the past that we do not have now, or the qualities and properties that are now missing. Take a look: I used to be good at drawing, but now I cannot draw even a straight line. I used to be good at drawing, but now I can't even draw a straight line. The translation of sentences of this type can begin with the words “once” or “remembered”. She used to be so pretty! I remember she was so pretty! As a synonym used to we can use would + infinitive- but only to indicate actions in the past, not characteristics! My mom would bake the best cookies when I was a child. Now you know everything about the Past Simple tense and can easily express your thoughts. And to make your English even more beautiful, read our other articles about the rules and nuances of English grammar.

Past Simple Tense- the 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 time. Today we will talk in detail about the formation and use of this tense.

Time Past Simple: education and use.

Learning Past Simple is a kind of milestone in learning a language. Ownership of the past tense instantly expands the range of topics for conversation, gives more freedom in expressing thoughts. On the other hand, Past Simple opens up an opportunity for you to explore 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.

Given the importance of mastering Past Simple time, a lot of time is devoted to him in the classroom.

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

Let's start with statements.

Statement always begins with the subject (subject), followed by a semantic verb. In a statement in past simple the semantic verb is put 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 see us last weekend. They came to visit us last weekend.

What is the second form of the verb?

This is the form of the verb that is used in the Past Simple tense to convey the past action. You probably know that all verbs are divisible into correct And wrong. Let's talk about regular verbs. That is why they are called correct 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 the ending to the verb ED:

Help - helped
look - looked
work - worked

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

There are not many of these rules, but you need to get a good grasp of them, as you are now forming the basis for your further study. Therefore, we have devoted a separate ending to ED, which discusses all the features of its use, the rules of pronunciation and spelling. Be sure to study! In this article, we will review them briefly.

Rules for pronunciation of words with the ending ED.

/id/	/t/	/d/
Only after /t/ and /d/	After voiceless and hissing /p/, /h/, /s/, /k/, /f/, /tʃ/, /ʃ/	After all other sounds (voiced and voiced)

Rules for writing words with the ending ED.

Let's move on to writing verbs with the ending ED. There are a few simple rules:

	If the verb ends in silent E, then when adding the ending, we add only D	close - closed dance - danced live - lived
	If the verb ends in a closed stressed syllable, then when adding an ending, the final consonant is doubled * letters X and W at the end of a word are not doubled	admit- admitted beg - begged permit- permitted fix-fixed row - rowed
	If the verb ends in Y preceded by a consonant, change Y to I and add ED	apply - applied copy - copied dry - dry
	If there is a vowel before Y at the end of the word, then the ending is added unchanged:	enjoy-enjoyed obey - obeyed play-played
	If a verb ends in L preceded by a short vowel, the final consonant is doubled * in AmE, the letter L is not doubled before a short vowel at the end of a word	travel - traveled quarrel - quarrelled
	If a verb ends in R in a stressed syllable, the final R is doubled	occur - occurred prefer - preferred star- starred

If the verb is irregular, then you need to refer to the table of irregular verbs and look into the second column. Tables of irregular verbs are usually present at the end of textbooks. Remembering irregular verbs can be difficult. How to facilitate this task, read in.

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

IN negatives and questions(except for the 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. Colloquially, DID NOT is shortened to DIDN"T :

subject

DIDN"T

V1

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

subject

V1

?

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

Did she find a job? - Did she find a job?

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

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

WHAT WHEN WHY etc.

DID

subject

V1

?

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?) does not use the auxiliary verb DID, but uses direct word order (as in the statement):

WHO

V2

?

Who phoned you yesterday? - Who called you yesterday?

Who repaired the car? - Who fixed the car?

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

Use of Past Simple tense.

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

1. Past Simple is an action that happened in the past and is not related 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 were selling fruits and vegetables.

Also used to express regular actions in the past USED ​​design TO and the modal verb WOULD. You can read more about their use.

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

I entered the room and greeted everybody. - 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 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 pointers.

Typical Past Simple time indicators include: yesterday(yesterday), as well as combinations that include the words last(past, last) and ago(ago):

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

Also, prepositions of time can be used. in, on, at and others, if it is clear from the context that the action happened 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.

Typical mistakes when using Past Simple time:

- incorrect pronunciation of the endings of regular verbs.

You can correct this mistake by doing exercises on reading the endings. Pronounce the endings clearly. Do not try to speak quickly until you can say the endings without deafening them.

- adding ED to irregular verbs or using irregular shape irregular verb.

You are likely to be understood, but it is better to avoid this mistake. Read more texts in Past Simple, underline regular and irregular verbs in them with different colors. You can make examples with irregular verbs and give them to familiar teachers for verification or.

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 time. 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 (statements, negations, general and informational questions) in the margins of the page, then choose sentences from the texts in Past Simple and form all forms, 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 to automatism. Proven by experience!

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

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