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Formation and use of the past simple. Past Simple: rules of formation and use

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This article is the second in the series “Times of the English Language”. The first was devoted to ways of expressing it in this language, and this material will present past tense in English. As we know, the past tense is a form of the verb that indicates the time of the action, which in in this case happened in the past. In English we call all past tenses Past Tenses, the difference of which lies only in their duration or quality: will it be simple past -, long past - or past perfect – . Let us dwell on each of the indicated past tenses in English.

Past Simple - simple past tense in English

This tense can be called practically the main one when expressing the past tense in English, since it, in principle, expresses any action that took place in the past. Of course, it competes with this time , which, being the present perfect tense, is nevertheless translated by a verb in the past tense. In this case, you should remember only one point - Present Perfect comes into force only in cases where the action occurred in the past and in some way affects or is connected with the present. If past events have no such connection, take Past Simple and use it without doubt.

Time is formed Past Simple simple: if , take its second form (from the table); if the verb is correct, add an ending to it - ed. Need a question? We use did. The predicate is expressed by a verb to be in the required form? We put it at the beginning of the sentence and we're done. Is denial necessary? The same auxiliary verb will come to the rescue did, only in company with a particle not. The same particle is easily attached to the verb to be in the past tense form in English.

To sum it up: time Past Simple we use in the following cases:

  • our action happened in the past and has nothing to do with the present. Pay attention to the marker words: yesterday(yesterday), last month(last month) 5 years ago(5 years ago), in 1999(in 1999)

    My brother was born in 1987. - My brother was born in 1987.

    She moved to the capital 7 years ago. - She moved to the capital seven years ago.

    We saw him last month. - We saw him last month.

  • we strive to retell a series of actions in the past

    He wrote the letter, put it in the envelope, left it on the table and went out. - He wrote a letter, put it in an envelope, left it on the table and left.

  • we want to show that the action referred to was common and occurred repeatedly in the past over a period of time

    From 1995 to 2000 worked as a manager. - He worked as a manager from 1995 to 2000.

  • if our goal is to present a well-known fact of the past

    The Second World War began in 1939. - Second World War started in 1939.

Past Continuous - long past tense in English

The only difference between this time and the previous one is that in this case the action of the past is shown in process. For example:

Mary was doing chores at 10 a.m. - Mary was cleaning at 10 o’clock in the morning.

As a cheat sheet, you can remember that the verb will be of the imperfect form. From the sentence it is clear that the formation of time Past Continuous requires only knowledge of the verb form to be - was / were. To one of them we add the main verb and assign an ending to it - ing. In the case of an interrogative sentence, we place the auxiliary verb at the beginning, and in a negative sentence we attach it to the same auxiliary verb not.

You also need to use this past tense in English:

  • if you are talking about an action that happened at a certain point in the past

    She was drinking coffee when I came in. - She was drinking coffee when I arrived.

  • if you want to characterize a person, thus making your speech emotionally charged

    My mother was always hiding sweets from me when I was a kid. - When I was a child, my mother constantly hid sweets from me.

Past Perfect and Past Perfect Continuous - perfect and perfect continuous past tenses in English

To form these tenses you will need a good knowledge of verb forms, both regular and irregular. For Past Perfect need an auxiliary verb have in the past tense form in English, that is had and participle II of the main verb (for regular ones - form in - ed, for incorrect ones – the third form in ). For time use an auxiliary verb to be in the form of time Past Perfect, that is had been, to which we add the main verb as participle I, that is, the form in - ing. In question had goes to the beginning of the sentence, and when negated, calls to itself not.

The simple perfect tense is used only in a few cases:

  • if we want to express an action that ended before a certain point in the past

    Malfoy had done the work by the time his friend returned. - Malfoy had finished all the work by the time his friend returned.

  • if we want to show two actions, one of which was in progress, and the second was completed by the time it started.

    The rain had stopped and the stars were twinkling on the dark sky. - The rain stopped, and the stars sparkled in the dark sky.

Each tense form of the English language has its own characteristics. Today we are talking about the properties and uses of the tense Past Simple Tense- Simple Past.

Features of using Past Simple Tense

In English, unlike Russian, the past tense (Past) consists of four tense forms - Past Simple (Simple Past), Past Continuous (Past Continuous), Past Perfect (Past Perfect), Past Perfect Continuous(Past Perfect Continuous). By describing an action that happened in the past, they tend to create a problem of choice. However, there are significant differences between them. They help determine what time is used in each specific case. Rules and examples of the Past Simple, one of the most common tenses, will tell you how this tense form is constructed and when it is used.

When we use Past Simple

Past Simple is used in the following cases:

  • To describe a fact or a single action in the past:


Yesterday my sisters Mary and Ann went shopping togather - Yesterday my sisters Mary and Ann went shopping together (single action in the past).

Last month the sientists discovered two lost paintings of a famous artist - Last month, scientists discovered two lost paintings famous artist(fact in the past).

Please note that the Past Simple uses the following time markers: yesterday, the day before yesterday, a long time ago, five weeks ago, the other day ( the other day), in 1999 (in 1999), on Friday (on Friday), last month (last month) and others.

  • To describe a state in the past:


Many years ago Edward was a shy boy - Many years ago Edward was a shy boy.

  • To describe repeated actions in the past, habits that are no longer performed today:


Nancy often went to the libarary last year - Nancy often went to the library last year (she doesn’t do this now).

Bob liked reading morning newspaper many years ago - Bob liked reading the morning newspaper many years ago.

  • To describe events that followed one another in the past:


My father entered the shop, took a basket and bought a bottle of milk - My father entered the store, took a basket and bought a bottle of milk.

As can be seen from the above examples, the English tense form Past Simple (Simple Past) largely coincides with Present Simple (Simple Present). The only thing is that the time of action is transferred from the present to the past.

Affirmative form

Example sentences for children explain when to use tense. But there is also another, no less important question- how the Past Simple is formed. The following table will help you figure out this not very difficult task.

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In an affirmative sentence, the subjects come first, which can be expressed by a noun or pronoun in the singular or plural. The second one is a verb in the past tense. And here it is important not to rush, but to understand which verb is in front of us - correct or incorrect. If the verb belongs to the group of regular ones, then in the Past Simple we add ending -ed(to push-pushed).

If the verb is irregular, then you need to refer to the table of irregular verbs and find the desired form in the second column (to eat - ate).

Negative form

Negative sentences maintain direct word order: subjects + did not + verb. As can be seen from the formula, the subjects come first. This is followed by the auxiliary verb did (do in the past tense), the negative particle not (not) and the verb in the main form without the particle to. Here you should pay attention to the following nuance: the auxiliary verb did “deprives” the main verb of the right to be used in the past tense, since only one verb can be in the Past Simple in a sentence.

Question

In an interrogative sentence it is observed reverse order words: did + subjects + verb. This grammatical formula suggests that the auxiliary verb did comes first in the English question, which is not translated into Russian and again “takes away” the past tense form from the main verb. The subjects are placed in second place, and the verb itself without the to part of the particle is in third place.

What have we learned?

Today the focus is on the English Past Simple Tense or Simple Past Tense for grade 2. The main cases of using this tense were considered using examples. Tables for the formation of the affirmative, interrogative and negative forms helped to understand the problems, how to explain the formation of a verb in the Past Simple and how to make sentences with them.

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Examples of affirmative sentences translated into Past Simple. In the article I have prepared simple sentences that you can practice with children, 3rd and high school students. I also posted interrogative and negative sentences here. All examples are from native English speakers.

Simple sentences translated into Past Simple

1. I had a doll. I had a doll.
2. Yesterday was Sunday. Yesterday was Sunday.
3. We listened to fairy tales. We listened to fairy tales.
4. Mark watched cartoons. Mark watched cartoons.
5. My mom cooked a cake. My mother made a cake.

6. My dog ​​was black. My dog ​​was black.
7. We played outside. We played outside.
8. He didn't like my toys. He liked my toys.
9. They asked a teacher. They asked the teacher.
10. She helped her mom. She helped mom.

Past Simple sentences with irregular verbs

1. We went to the zoo. We went to the zoo.
2. A cat ate. The cat ate.
3. My mom bought a doll. My mother bought a doll.
4. I took my toy. I took my toy.
5. We drank a lemonade. We drank lemonade.

6. Kate saw a rainbow. Katya saw a rainbow.
7. You draw a nice house. You drew a beautiful house.
8. They made nice flowers. They made beautiful flowers.
9. The dog run after the cat. The dog ran after the cat.
10. He told me his secret. He told me his secret.

Past Simple - sentences for high school with translation

1. I understood what the teacher said. I understood what the teacher said.
2. We had seven lessons on Monday. On Monday we had seven lessons.
3. I was at the gym last Sunday. Last Sunday I was at the gym.
4. I downloaded mp3 files on the Internet. I downloaded mp3 files on the Internet.
5. She spoke English pretty well. She spoke English well.

6. David worked all Saturday. David worked all Saturday.
7. We watched black and white movies. We watched black and white films.
8. They came here for a week. They came here for a week.
9. He traveled around the world. He traveled the world.
10. She created her own company. She created her own company.

1. I learned English. I taught English language.
2. He didn’t play football. He played football.
3. We washed our hands. We washed our hands.
4. They cleaned my room. They cleaned my room.
5. She cooked spaghetti. She cooked spaghetti.

6. We baked a cake. We baked a cake.
7. I brushed my hair. I combed my hair.
9. He fixed his bike. He fixed his bike.
10. She dried her hair. She washed her hair.

1. I read a book. I was reading a book.
2. I drew a picture. I was painting a picture.
3. I wrote a message. I was writing a letter.
4. I took a nap. I was dozing.
5. I rode my bike. I was riding a bike.

6. I swam. I was swimming.
7. I ate ice-cream. I was eating ice cream.
8. I drank water. I drank water.
9. I went to the movies. I went to the cinema.
10. I read an article. I read the article.

Past Simple examples of interrogative sentences with translation

1. Did she eat sushi? Did she eat sushi?
2. Where were they lost? Where were they lost?
3. What did he create? What did he create?
4. Who are the candies? Who ate the candy?
5. Did you boil the water? Have you boiled water?

6. Did they usually take the subway to school? Do they usually go to Skoda by metro?
7. Did Mary watch a movie last night? Did Mary watch a movie last night?
8. When did you go to Moscow? When did you go to Moscow?
9. Did she book our flights? Did she book us a flight?
10. Did you make a dinner? Have you prepared dinner? 5. You didn’t come to my birthday party. You didn't come to my birthday.

6. He didn’t chop the onions. He didn't cut the onion.
5. Tom didn’t know that. Tom didn't know about this.
7. My father didn’t take a taxi to the airport. My father didn't take a taxi to the airport.
8. We didn't live in America. We didn't live in America.
9. Mark and David were not excellent students in high school. In high school, Mark and David were not good students.
10. He didn’t eat spicy food when he lived in China. When he lived in China, he didn't eat spicy food.

What is Past Simple (Past Idefinite)

Past Simple (Past Indefinite) is the simple past tense in English, which is used to convey information about a specific event or action that happened in the past.

The name speaks for itself - this tense form is actually considered the simplest in the ocean of past tenses of the English language. The action could take place in the recent past or the distant past, and its duration, duration or completion does not matter.

Formula education Past Simple

When using correct English verbs:

Subject + verb infinitive without particle « to» + ending -ed.

My grandma danced a lot when she was young.
My granny a lot danced when I was young.

When using irregular English verbs:

Subject + 2 verb form.

Jessica hung out with her foreign mates at the record store last week.
Last week Jessica hanging out with my foreign friends.

Word markers and pointers in the Past Simple

The main indicators of “Past Simple” time include: the following words and phrases:

  • yesterday- yesterday,
  • last week- last week,
  • two hours ago- two hours ago,
  • then- Then,
  • in 1998- in 1998, etc.
Mom bought that bag by Gucci in 2005.
Ma bought that Gucci bag in 2005.
Yesterday they watched their favorite photos from the past.
Yesterday They watched your favorite photos from the past.

Affirmative sentences in Past Simple

The affirmative sentence in “Past Simple” is constructed quite simply. First comes subject, followed by verb with ending «- ed"if it is correct (regular); or second verb form, if it refers to irregular verbs. Regardless of the person and number of the English subject, the predicate remains identical for everyone. Past Simple rules and examples can be found in the table below.

Interrogative sentences in Past Simple

To create interrogative sentence (interrogative sentence) in “Past Simple”, you just need to put the auxiliary verb “ did", then subject and finally initial form of the semantic verb(i.e. infinitive without the particle “to”).

Negative sentences in Past Simple

As in a regular affirmative sentence, a negative sentence ( negative sentence) you should start with subject. Next we add the auxiliary verb “ did"with a negative particle" not»: « did not / didn't", and then we use the infinitive form of the verb without using the particle " to" Voila!

Formula for constructing a negative sentence in the Past Simple
REGULAR VERB IRREGULAR VERB
I + DIDN'T+ PAINT I didn't draw I + DIDN'T + SLEEP I didn't sleep
You + DIDN'T+ PAINT You didn't draw You + DIDN'T + SLEEP You didn't sleep
She + DIDN'T+ PAINT
He + DIDN’T+ PAINT
It + DIDN'T+ PAINT		 She didn't draw
He didn't draw
It didn't draw		 She + DIDN'T + SLEEP
He + DIDN'T + SLEEP
It + DIDN'T + SLEEP		 She didn't sleep
He didn't sleep
It didn't sleep
We + DIDN'T + PAINT We didn't draw We + DIDN'T + SLEEP We didn't sleep
You + DIDN'T+ PAINT You didn't draw You + DIDN'T + SLEEP you didn't sleep
They + DIDN'T+ PAINT They didn't draw They + DIDN'T + SLEEP They didn't sleep

Using verbs in the Past Simple

When it comes to the past tense in English, many people probably have a question: “How to use the verb correctly” be"?" To avoid asking such a question, let us recall that this verb has a couple of forms: “ was» / « were» / « been" Since we are talking about “Past Indefinite”, we, accordingly, need the second options based on the rules for constructing this English-speaking tense.

It's time to give a couple of examples " Past Simple» for clarity:

Gee, I don't have any idea where that guy was last time!
My God, I have no idea where was that guy last time!
Their kids were typical sweetums and binged on candies almost every day back in the days.
In the past their children were typical sweet tooths and ate candy almost every day.

Formation of Past Simple in active and passive

When we touch on "Past Simple", it is important to remember that this tense has 2 options. One is used for active voice(Active voice) - time " Past Simple Active" The second is for passive voice - time " Past Simple Passive».

  • Passive voice:

If used correct verbs in " Past Simple»:

Subject + verb was/were + infinitive verb without particles « to» With ending «- ed».

That seascape was painted by Edward William Cooke in the 19th century.
That seascape was painted by Edward William Cook in the 19th century.

Subject + verb was/were + 3 form verb

Their names were forgotten two decades ago.
Their names were forgotten two decades ago.

Affirmative sentence: "Past Simple Passive" vs. "Past Simple Active":

"Black Widow" was written by Iggy Azalea in 2014.
Iggy Azalea wrote"Black Widow" in 2014.
Iggy Azalea wrote the song "Black Widow" in 2014.

Negative sentence: "Past Simple Passive" vs. "Past Simple Active"

"Cloud Atlas" wasn't directed by Hayao Miyazaki then.
Hayao Miyazaki didn't direct"Cloud Atlas" then.
Hayao Miyazaki was not the director of Cloud Atlas back then.

Interrogative sentence: "Past Simple Passive" vs. Past Simple Active"

Was that mansion built by my ancestors last century?
Did my ancestors build that mansion last century?
My ancestors built that mansion last century?

Uses of Past Simple

Difference between Past Simple and Present Perfect

Past Simple Present Perfect
The action happened at a certain moment in the past. The action ended at an indefinite moment, we have the result, but we do not know in what exact period of time the action occurred.
Elizabeth left us yesterday.
Elizabeth left us yesterday.		 Elizabeth has left for Seoul.
Elizabeth went to Seoul.
An action happened at a certain point in the past and cannot be repeated. The action happened, we have the result on at the moment, and it can be repeated.
We met Princess Diana.
We met Princess Diana.		 We have spoken to Nicki Minaj.
We spoke with Nicki Minaj.
Past Simple - a certain fact in the past, a given that some action took place in the past. We do not know whether it lasted, is still lasting, or has already ended; it just was. Present Perfect - concrete result actions at the present moment in time, the action not only happened but also ended. Whether it completed successfully or not will be clear from the context and the words of the markers.

Nota Bene: To understand “Past Simple” once and for all and understand what the difference is between it and “Present Perfect”, do not forget to pay attention to the free online simulator from EnglishDom. There you will not only find an explanation of the grammatical nuances of using these two tenses, but you will also be able to consolidate the learned material in practice.

Conclusion

So we figured out what this strange time “Past Indefinite” is, and also talked about the differences between “Past Simple” and “Present Perfect”. Feel free to use this time in English and share your memories and impressions with friends and colleagues!

We invite you to familiarize yourself with other tenses of the English language

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The Past Simple Tense is the simple past tense of a verb in English. This is one of the basic times you need to know on basic level learning English and it belongs to the group of simple tenses - Simple Tenses (Present Simple, Past Simple, Future Simple). The English usually use this tense when talking about the past, that is, when an action verb answers a question: what did you do?

From this article you will learn:

When to use Past Simple in a sentence about the past:

So, as mentioned above Past Simple Tense (simple past tense) used in a sentence that refers to the past. But let's figure out what the past is. The past tense is a grammatical category, and the past is a philosophical concept, and in order not to get confused, there are clue words in the English language that indicate the past. These are the words - yesterday, last, ago(for example, a year ago), and actually year in the past(eg 1970). Rule 1 below will help you remember these tips.

The Past Simple Tense (rules for beginners from the book “English Grammar: Simply About Complex Things”)

Here's ten more simple rules from my book that will help you avoid basic mistakes when learning this verb tense.

1. " yesterday, ago, last, when(v.sl) – Past Simple then"

2. "in" Past Simple assistant did , the end of the action ed »

3. “if the verb is correct – ed add if wrong D2 remember"

4. Appears in a negative sentence didn't(after D.L.),
and D2 changes to D or see rule No. 5

5. In exercises on Past Simple « you see not, write didn't»

6. "where" did, No ed and there is no second form D2".

7. B will ask. appears in the sentence did
and D2 changes to D or see rule No. 8

8. “if you want to Past Simple did write and D2 on D change.

9. " be don't need either did, neither ed."

10. “be polite, that you were– don’t forget » .

Commentary on the rules:

Rule 1. « Yesterday, ago, last, when(v.sl) – Past Simple then" says that the sentence should use the simple past tense - The Past Simple Tense, if it contains temporary expressions (hints):

  • yesterday- yesterday
  • ago- backwards, that is, in phrases like:
  1. a week ago - a week ago
  2. a month ago - a month ago
  3. a year ago - a year ago
  • last- past, that is, in phrases like:
  1. last week - last week
  2. last month - last month
  3. last year - last year, etc.
  • When(question next) - that is, in questions starting with When...? - When?

Conclusion: If the sentence contains " yesterday, ago, last, when(v.sl) » , then 100% of it must use Past Simple Tense.

Rule 2.“In the Past Simple, the assistant did, the ending of the action ed» means that for most verbs (they are called regular) the past tense is formed by adding the ending -ed to the main form (it is called the first).

watch - watch (first form)
watch ed- look l(second form)

Adding an ending -ed to a regular verb, we put it in the second form.

Rule 3. “If the verb is correct -ed add, if incorrect D2 remember” says that there are still irregular verbs to which you CANNOT add a past tense ending -ed.

sleep - sleep (first form)

slept — slept(second form)

So, we have looked at three rules for the simple past tense - Past Simpe Tense and we will stop there for now. 'Cause now it's time to find out how to make Past Simple Tense sentences.

How to make sentences in Past Simple Tense

Now look at these diagrams and read again rules 4-8.

Rule 4. Appears in a negative sentence didn't(after D.L.),
and D2 changes to D or see rule No. 5

Rule 5. In exercises on Past Simple « you see not, write didn't"that is a negative particle « not" is translated into English not not, A didn't.

EXAMPLE. He didn't. — He didn’t do.

Rule 6."Where did, No ed and there is no second form D2"

Rule 7. Appears in an interrogative sentence did(before D.L., but after V.sl.),
and D2 changes to D or see rule No. 8

Rule 8."if you want to Past Simple ask a question before actor don't forget did write and D2 on D change.

Let's leave two rules for later, but for now answer the questions.

Test yourself and answer the questions:

  1. When should you use the Past Simple Tense in a sentence?
  2. Which tense expressions indicate the simple past tense?
  3. What form is the verb in the simple past tense?
  4. How are affirmative, negative, and interrogative sentences constructed in Past Simple Tense? Draw time diagrams.
  5. What rules do you remember?

Now let's figure it out How to read the ending -ed in the Past Simple.

If you remember well eight rules for the Past Simple, then you need to do it