Simple Past

Simple past refers to the description of already occurred, completed, or finished actions. Simple past tense has different names too. Sometimes simple past is also called Past simple, Past indefinite, or Preterite tense. The duration of action must be performed. It can be a distant past, recent past, or any past. It shouldn’t be in the present or future.

There are three types of past for which we use different terms, which are as follows:

  • Frequency: Sometimes, often 
  • Definite Time: Yesterday, a week ago, six months back
  • Indefinite Time: Long time back, ages ago

Form: Subject+2nd form of verb+Object. 

Note: You can form sentences with or without the object. 

Past Simple Examples:

The past simple examples are as follows:

Example 1: I ate. 

Example 2: He gave the football yesterday. 

Example 3: She sang in front of a huge crowd. 

Example 4: They ran to catch the bus. 

Example 5: Myra cooked dinner last night. 

Example 6: We did not close the door. 

Example 7: Didn’t he do it?

Example 8: Did you go to the market yesterday?

Example 9: He did not make it out of the fire. 

Example 10: Did they take her home?

Simple Past Tense Verbs:

Regular verbs in the simple past tense verbs are in their second form.

Regular verbs are classified into two parts as follows: 

  • Regular verbs ending with a vowel
  • Regular verbs ending with a consonant

Three subtypes of this category:

  1. Regular consonants
  2. Y suffix
  3. Doubling consonant

Ending With Vowel:

Only -d is added at the end in this type of regular verb. Following are examples:

  • Change Changed Changed
  • Arrange Arranged Arranged
  • Deserve Deserved Deserved 
  • Name Named Named
  • Underline Underlined Underlined

Ending with consonant 

There are three types of regular verbs ending with consonants which include:

Regular Consonants:

Only -ed is added at the end of the verb in this kind. 

Examples are:

  • Scold Scolded Scolded
  • Cook Cooked Cooked
  • Accept Accepted Accepted
  • Play Played Played

Y Suffix:

Y is converted to -ied at the end of the verb. Following are a few examples:

  • Identify Identified Identified
  • Carry Carried Carried 
  • Dry Dried Dried
  • Enjoy Enjoyed Enjoyed
  • Fry Fried Fried

Doubling Constant:

In one-syllable verbs, when a vowel comes before a constant, we double the last consonant + -ed.

Examples are:

  • Beg Begged Begged
  • Clap Clapped Clapped
  • Control Controlled Controlled
  • Drag Dragged Dragged
  • Travel Travelled Travelled

Preterite Tense Irregular Verbs:

Irregular verbs in the simple past tense are also in their second form. Irregular verbs are classified into four groups with one exception as follows: 

  1. The constant group
  2. Common past group
  3. Second form differing group
  4. Unique group
  5. The exception 

The constant group:

In this kind of irregular verb group, all forms of verbs, i.e., 1st, 2nd & 3rd, are the same.

Examples:

  • Cut Cut Cut
  • Bet Bet Bet
  • Put Put Put 
  • Spread Spread Spread
  • Wed Wed Wed 

Common past group:

This irregular verb has 2nd and 3rd forms constant with the base form(1st) being different.

Examples: 

  • Lose Lost Lost
  • Catch Caught Caught
  • Send Sent Sent
  • Pay Paid Paid
  • Read Read(Red)   Read(Red)

Second form differing group

This type refers to the 1st and 3rd forms being the same while the 2nd form stands different. Following are some examples:

  • Become Became Become
  • Run Run Run
  • Come Came Come
  • Overcome Overcame Overcome

Note: In this classification, only four examples exist. 

Unique group

In group 4, all the forms of verbs are unique. Following are the examples:

  • Eat Ate Eaten
  • Fly Flew Flown
  • Swim Swam Swum
  • Begin Began Begun
  • Ring Rang Rung

The exception:

The only exception is the word Beat, with 1st and 2nd form being the same and 3rd form differing as follows:

  • Beat Beat Beaten

Past Indefinite Types:

There are four types of sentences in past indefinite: Following are their classifications: 

  1. Affirmative 
  2. Negative
  3. Interrogative
  4. Interrogative negative

Affirmative: 

An affirmative sentence is the basic form of any tense. 

Form- Subject+2nd form of verb+Object. 

Examples: 

  1. He ate.
  2. She gave.
  3. They needed it.

Negative:

Negative sentences hold a negative statement. 

Form- Subject+Did not+1st form of verb+Object. 

Examples:

  1. It did not fall.
  2. She did not scream.
  3. He didn’t do his homework.

Interrogative:

Interrogative sentences and question sentences.

Form- Did+Subject+1st form of verb+Object+?

Examples: 

  1. Did he write the article?
  2. Did I do something wrong?
  3. Did she make the cupcakes?

Interrogative Negative:

These types of sentences are negative questioning sentences. 

Form- Didn’t+Subject+1st form of verb+Object+?

Examples:

  1. Didn’t the Parliament approve the rules?
  2. Didn’t I sleep?
  3. Didn’t he submit?

Conclusion:

We can use simple past tense for actions which are completed. It may refer to a series of completed actions or a time period past connotations. It can be used to describe things that happened as long as 100 years ago as well as things that happened seconds before. Simple past tense can also be used to describe an event that took place in between another event.