VERBS (Simple Past ) ENGLISH GRAMMAR

The Simple Past Tense

Definition
The simple past tense is a verb tense form that indicates that an action is
complete. It denotes actions or states of being, in the past.

Form
To form the simple past tense, you have to use the past tense form of the
verb. In the case of many verbs, you have to just add an –ed to the root form
of the verb. For example, the past tense of the verb walk is walked.
However, there are irregular verbs for which the past tense form does not
follow the rule mentioned above. These verbs have a different spelling in the
past tense form. For example, the past tense form of the verb eat is ate. The
past tense form of the verb bring is brought.

Some verbs do not change at all in the past tense form. Examples are read,
beat, and hit.

Below given is a list of commonly used verbs and their past tense form.
Root form of the verb Past tense form of the verb
buy bought
sleep slept
write wrote
put put
keep kept
swim swam
sing sang
speak spoke
dance danced
carry carried
smile smiled
dig dug
drink drank
drive drove
do did
Has/have had
be (is/am) was
be (are) were
come came

Uses of the simple past tense

The simple past tense is used to indicate completed actions. The action is
complete at a time before now, which can be in the distant past or the recent
past.

Examples
I had breakfast at around 7.30 in the morning.

The lion escaped from its enclosure yesterday.

Note:
The simple past tense is often used with a time expression. The time
expression can be that of frequency, a definite point of time or an indefinite
period of time.
Time expressions of frequency are often, always, sometimes, seldom, rarely,
occasionally etc.

Definite points of time are expressions such as yesterday, last week, at 8

o’clock, last year, in 1980, and when I was a child.
An indefinite period are expressions such as ages ago, the other day, and a
long time ago.
Examples
I seldom had food at the school canteen.
She had a bad headache yesterday.
In 2001, Sam graduated from Stamford.
The other day, I heard someone talking about the tsunami.