Past Simple Tense

The past simple describes actions or states that started and finished entirely in the past. It is widely used in narratives, historical writing, biographies, research reporting, and descriptions of completed events. The tense creates a clear sense of time, closure, and sequence, which makes it essential for academic and formal writing.

1. Structure

a) Regular Verbs

Regular verbs form the past simple by adding –ed to the base form:

work → worked
play → played
clean → cleaned

Spelling rules for regular verbs:

If a verb ends in e, add –d → love → loved
If a verb ends in consonant + y, change y → ied → study → studied
If a one-syllable verb ends in vowel + consonant, double the consonant → stop → stopped, plan → planned

b) Irregular Verbs

Irregular verbs do not follow a fixed pattern:

go → went
see → saw
take → took
write → wrote

These forms must be memorized because they do not follow standard rules.

2. Negative Form

Negatives are made using did not (didn’t) + base form of the verb:

She did not visit the museum.
They didn’t play cricket yesterday.

Important rule:
✗ She didn’t visited
✓ She didn’t visit

The main verb returns to its base form because did already marks the past.

3. Interrogative Form

To form questions, English uses did + subject + base verb:

Did you watch the match?
Did he finish his homework?

With question words:

Where did she go?
When did the conference start?

4. Uses of the Past Simple

a) Completed Actions in the Past

The most common usage: an action that started and ended in the past.

She graduated last year.
They moved to Lahore in 2020.

Time expressions such as yesterday, last night, last week, two days ago often indicate this function.

b) A Series of Past Actions

Used to tell stories, reports, or sequences:

He woke up, took a shower, and left for work.
This shows clear chronological order.

c) Past Habits

Used for habits that no longer happen:

She played tennis when she was younger.
People travelled by horse in the past.

The expression “used to” is often related, but past simple alone is acceptable.

d) Past Facts or Finished Situations

Describes states or conditions that existed in the past:

The city was quiet 20 years ago.
He lived alone before his marriage.

These states are no longer true now.

e) Historical or Scientific Writing

Widely used for reporting historical events or completed research results:

Darwin published “On the Origin of Species” in 1859.
The experiment showed a significant change in temperature.

5. Signal Words (Common Time Markers)

yesterday
last week/month/year
in 1999 / in ancient times
a moment ago
two days ago
once / previously / formerly

These often help to identify the past simple.

6. Verb “To Be” in Past Simple

The verb “to be” has two forms in the past:

was (for I, he, she, it)
were (for you, we, they)

Examples:

I was tired yesterday.
They were excited.

Negatives:

I was not (wasn’t) late.
They were not (weren’t) ready.

Questions:

Was she at school?
Were they happy?

7. Past Simple in Professional and Academic Writing

Used to report completed studies and findings:
- The researchers conducted a survey in 2022.
- The patients showed improved symptoms.
Used in biographies and historical descriptions:
- Marie Curie received two Nobel Prizes.
Used in case studies:
- The patient presented with fever and fatigue.

8. Common Learner Mistakes

Incorrect	Correct	Why
He go yesterday.	He went yesterday.	Irregular verb
Did you went?	Did you go?	After “did,” base form
They didn’t worked.	They didn’t work.	“Did” already marks past
She was study in 2019.	She studied in 2019.	Action, not state → use past simple verb

9. Why the Past Simple is Important

It provides clear, direct storytelling.
It is the foundation for writing narratives, history, novels, and news reports.
It helps differentiate between finished past actions and ongoing past situations (which belong to past continuous or present perfect).
It is widely used in academic research reporting to describe completed experiments or past data.

Short Summary

The past simple expresses completed actions, past habits, historical events, and research outcomes. Regular verbs use –ed, irregular verbs use unique forms, and questions and negatives require did + base form. It is essential for accurate storytelling, academic writing, and describing past experiences