Navigate the Simple Past Tense | Learn Tenses in English

 Welcome back! Today, we’re taking a trip down memory lane. We’ve covered how things happen generally and what’s happening right now, but what about things that are already over and done with? That’s where the Simple Past Tense comes in.

In American English, we use the simple past to talk about completed actions. Whether it happened five minutes ago or five hundred years ago, this is the tense you’ll need. Let’s break it down so your readers can master it in no time!

The simple past tense
Simple past tense


1. The Active Voice: Who Did It?

In the active voice, the subject is the one who performed the action in the past.

  • Positive Statements: For regular verbs, we usually add -ed (walked, played). For irregular verbs, the form changes (ran, ate, saw).

  • Negatives: We use the helper verb did not (or the contraction didn't) followed by the base form of the verb.

    Pro Tip: Once you use "did," the main verb stays simple. We say "I didn't eat," not "I didn't ate."

  • Questions: We start the sentence with Did.

2. The Passive Voice: What Happened to It?

We use the passive voice when we want to focus on the person or thing that received the action.

  • The Formula: [Subject] + was/were + [Past Participle].

    • Use was for I, he, she, it.

    • Use were for you, we, they.

  • Negatives: Simply add not after the "was" or "were" (e.g., wasn't or weren't).

80 Simple Examples

Let’s get into the examples! We’ve kept these short—all under 10 words—to make them easy for students to digest.

Active Voice: Positive Statements

  1. I baked a chocolate cake.

  2. She visited her grandma yesterday.

  3. They watched a scary movie.

  4. He bought a new truck.

  5. We finished the project early.

  6. The dog barked all night.

  7. You called me last night.

  8. It rained for three hours.

  9. She lost her car keys.

  10. They moved to Chicago recently.

Active Voice: Negative Statements

  1. I did not eat breakfast.

  2. She didn't like the movie.

  3. They did not play soccer.

  4. He didn't finish his chores.

  5. We did not see him.

  6. It didn't snow last winter.

  7. You didn't answer the phone.

  8. The cat didn't jump high.

  9. They didn't go to work.

  10. I didn't lose my phone.

Active Voice: Positive Questions

  1. Did you see that bird?

  2. Did she send the email?

  3. Did they arrive on time?

  4. Did he fix the sink?

  5. Did we win the game?

  6. Did it taste good?

  7. Did you study for math?

  8. Did the store open early?

  9. Did she wear a coat?

  10. Did they find their dog?

Active Voice: Negative Questions

  1. Didn't you see the sign?

  2. Didn't she call you back?

  3. Didn't they enjoy the trip?

  4. Didn't he pay the bill?

  5. Didn't we meet last year?

  6. Didn't it work yesterday?

  7. Didn't you buy the milk?

  8. Didn't she pass the test?

  9. Didn't they hear the news?

  10. Didn't he tell the truth?

Passive Voice: Positive Statements

  1. The house was built in 1990.

  2. The windows were cleaned today.

  3. The letter was mailed yesterday.

  4. The car was stolen nearby.

  5. The flowers were watered earlier.

  6. The cake was eaten quickly.

  7. The decision was made finally.

  8. The trees were cut down.

  9. The gold was found here.

  10. The books were sold out.

Passive Voice: Negative Statements

  1. The room wasn't painted blue.

  2. The reports weren't filed correctly.

  3. The movie wasn't filmed here.

  4. The dinner wasn't cooked well.

  5. The lights weren't turned off.

  6. The door wasn't locked tightly.

  7. The shoes weren't made here.

  8. The secret wasn't kept long.

  9. The roads weren't paved yet.

  10. The truth wasn't revealed then.

Passive Voice: Positive Questions

  1. Was the bill paid yesterday?

  2. Were the kids picked up?

  3. Was the window broken accidentally?

  4. Were the tickets bought online?

  5. Was the song recorded live?

  6. Were the walls scrubbed clean?

  7. Was the package delivered today?

  8. Were the cows fed today?

  9. Was the movie directed well?

  10. Were the errors fixed quickly?

Passive Voice: Negative Questions

  1. Wasn't the car washed today?

  2. Weren't the letters sent out?

  3. Wasn't the cake decorated yet?

  4. Weren't the floors swept yesterday?

  5. Wasn't the meeting canceled today?

  6. Weren't the taxes filed early?

  7. Wasn't the dog found yesterday?

  8. Weren't the dishes washed properly?

  9. Wasn't the tree planted here?

  10. Weren't the clothes dried yet?

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How To Read Years in English?

Image
Unlike reading digits, reading years in English can be a bit tricky since the natural way of reading dates can vary from decades to decades and century to century. This blog will cover everything you need to know about telling years in English. Reading years in English 1. Years before 999 For years before 999, read them just like numbers. in 999 CE - in nine hundred and ninety-nine CE in 900 CE - in nine hundred CE in 801 CE - in eight hundred and one CE in 71 CE - in seventy-one CE 2. Years from 1000 to 1999 Reading dates from 1000 to 1999 is rather difficult since varied ways are there. We need to sub-categorize them further for convenience. 1. Years ending in 00 Read them as hundreds. in 1800 - in eighteen hundred in 1100 - in eleven hundred 2. Years ending in 01, 02, 03, 04, to 09 Read the first digits in tens, read the zero as "oh" and read the last digit in 1901 - in nineteen oh one in 1105 - in eleven oh five in 1509 - in fifteen oh nine 3. Years with first and third d...
Read more

Who Are OR Who Is?

Image
ESL people are sometimes at a loss about the correct SVA (Subject Verb Agreement) aspect of sentences with "who." There are two angles to look at this question from. 1. Where only "Who IS" right! Suppose you are walking into a room where a number of people are present. Would you use a singular verb or a plual verb in these sentences? Who is/are interested in Football? Who wants snacks? Who is eating pizza tonight? Even if you are asking this question to a group of people and sure that there will be more than one person as an answer, you are supposed to use A SINGULAR VERB. It is because we donot know the number of people beforehand. 2. Where only "Who ARE" right! However, there are instances where you need to use a plural verb. It is when you know the number of people in advance. In fact, here, you are not trying to count the people, but rather you want to know the names or something of those persons. Suppose you are going to a restaurant and see two peopl...
Read more

Think of Vs. Think about | Advanced English Grammar

Image
The prepositions "of" and "about" after the verb "think" create subtle but distinct differences in meaning. Here's a breakdown: Think of To come up with something (an idea, a solution, a name, etc.): This implies a more active process of creation or recall. "I can't think of her name right now." (My mind isn't producing it.) "Let's think of a way to solve this problem." (Let's invent or devise a solution.) "He thought of a funny joke." (An idea came to his mind.) To have a particular opinion or view of someone or something: This focuses on your judgment or assessment. "What do you think of this new movie?" (What is your opinion or judgment?) "I don't think much of his behavior." (I have a low opinion of it.) "She thinks highly of her teacher." (She has a good opinion of her.) To recall or remember someone or something: This emphasizes bringing som...
Read more