GRAMMAR

The Simple Past

The simple past tense

This page will present the simple past tense:

 its form
 and its use.

Before you continue the lesson read the following passage and try to see how the
verbs are formed and used.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was an Austrian musician

and composer. He lived from 1756 to 1791.
He started composing at the age of five years old
and wrote more than 600 pieces of music. He was only
35 years old when he died.

The verbs "was, lived,started, wrote, died" are in the simple past tense.

Notice that:

 lived, started,died are regular past forms.

 was, wrote are irregular past forms.

Regular verbs:
The verbs "lived, started, died" are regular past forms. The rule is the following:

Verb + ed
Examples:

The
The simple past
infinitive

live lived

start started

die died

visit visited

play played

watch watched

phone phoned

marry married
For the spelling of the -ed forms click here.
Irregular verbs:
The verbs "was, wrote" are irregular past forms. "Was" is the simple past of "to
be"; "wrote" is the simple past of "write".

More on the simple past of "to be" here.

There is no rule for these verbs. You should learn them by heart.

The
The simple past
infinitive

be was/were

write wrote

come came

do did

meet met

speak spoke
As you can see we cannot predict the simple past forms of these verbs. They are
irregular. You should learn them by heart. Here is a list of irregular verbs.

The forms of the simple past:

The Affirmative form of the simple past:

I, you, he, she, it, we, played.

they
wrote

did.
Examples:

 I played tennis with my friends yesterday.

 I finished lunch and I did my homework.

The interrogative form of the simple past:

Di I, you, he, she, it, we, they play?

d
write

do?
Examples:

 Did you play basketball yesterday?

 Did you watch television?
 Did you do the homework?

The negative form of the simple past:

I, you, he, she, it, we, did not/didn't play

they
write
 do

 I didn't like the food served in the wedding party last Saturday.

 I didn't eat it.

The use of the simple past

The simple past is used principally to describe events in the past, but it also has
some other uses. Here are the main uses of the simple past.

Finished events in the past

 William Shakespeare wrote Hamlet.
 Christoph Columbus discovered America in 1492.
 He kissed her and left.

Past habitual action

 I visited them every day for a year.

 I drove to work every day when I worked with that company.

Events that were true for some time in the past

 He lived in Paris for 20 years.

 They talked on the phone for ten minutes.

Remember:
didn't is the short form of did not. You can say either:

 I did not play basketball, or
 I didn't play basketball
A list of irregular verbs
Infinitive Simple Past Tense Past Participle

awake awoke awoken

be was, were been

bear bore born

beat beat beat

become became become

begin began begun

bend bent bent

beset beset beset

bet bet bet

bid bid / bade bid / bidden

bind bound bound

bite bit bitten

bleed bled bled

blow blew blown

break broke broken

breed bred bred

bring brought brought

broadcast broadcast broadcast

build built built

burn burned / burnt burned / burnt

burst burst burst

buy bought bought

cast cast cast

catch caught caught

choose chose chosen

cling clung clung

come came come

cost cost cost

creep crept crept

cut cut cut

deal dealt dealt

dig dug dug

dive dived / dove dived

do did done

draw drew drawn

dream dreamed / dreamt dreamed / dreamt

drive drove driven

drink drank drunk

eat ate eaten

fall fell fallen

feed fed fed

feel felt felt

fight fought fought

find found found

fit fit fit

flee fled fled

fling flung flung

fly flew flown

forbid forbade forbidden

forget forgot forgotten

forego (forgo) forewent foregone

forgive forgave forgiven

forsake forsook forsaken

freeze froze frozen

get got gotten

give gave given

go went gone

grind ground ground

grow grew grown

hang hung hung

hear heard heard

hide hid hidden

hit hit hit

hold held held

hurt hurt hurt

keep kept kept

kneel knelt knelt

knit knit knit

know knew know

lay laid laid

lead led led

leap leaped / leapt leaped / leapt

learn learned / learnt learned / learnt

leave left left

lend lent lent

let let let

lie lay lain

light lighted / lit lighted / lit

lose lost lost

make made made

mean meant meant

meet met met

misspell misspelled / misspelt misspelled / misspelt

mistake mistook mistaken

mow mowed mowed / mown

overcome overcame overcome

overdo overdid overdone

overtake overtook overtaken

overthrow overthrew overthrown

pay paid paid

plead pleaded / pled pleaded / pled

prove proved proved / proven

put put put

quit quit quit

read read read

rid rid rid

ride rode ridden

ring rang rung

rise rose risen

run ran run

saw sawed sawed / sawn

say said said

see saw seen

seek sought sought

sell sold sold

send sent sent

set set set

sew sewed sewed / sewn

shake shook shaken

shave shaved shaved / shaven

shear sheared / shore sheared / shorn

shed shed shed

shine shone shone

shoe shod shod

shoot shot shot

show showed showed / shown

shrink shrank shrunk

shut shut shut

sing sang sung

sink sank sunk

sit sat sat

sleep slept slept

slay slew slain

slide slid slid

sling slung slung

slit slit slit

smite smote smitten

sow sowed sowed / sown

speak spoke spoken

speed sped sped

spend spent spent

spill spilled / spilt spilled / spilt

spin spun spun

spit spit / spat spit

split split split

spread spread spread

spring sprang / sprung sprung

stand stood stood

steal stole stolen

stick stuck stuck

sting stung stung

stink stank stunk

stride strode stridden

strike struck struck

string strung strung

strive strove striven

swear swore sworn

sweep swept swept

swell swelled swelled / swollen 

swim swam swum

swing swung swung

take took taken

teach taught taught

tear tore torn

tell told told

think thought thought

thrive thrived / throve thrived

throw threw thrown

thrust thrust thrust

tread trod trodden

understand understood understood

uphold upheld upheld

upset upset upset

wake woke woken

wear wore worn

weave weaved / wove weaved / woven

wed wed wed

weep wept wept

wind wound wound

win won won

withhold withheld withheld

withstand withstood withstood

wring wrung wrung

write wrote written