Function, Patterns, Examples, and Exercise of SIMPLE PAST TENSE (English is Easy and Fun)

Simple Past Tense

Simple Past Tense

Function: to tell about activity that began in the past and ended in the past too. We usually use simple past tense when the adverb of time in the sentence is specific  when the adverb is not specific we can use simple perfect tense.

Patterns of simple past tense are:

Ø  (+)      S + V2 + ….

Ø  (-)      S + Did not + V1 + ….        

Ø  (?)      + S + V1 + ….                

The symbol …. It can be change by adverb, object, or nothing.

V2 same as past form of the verb, there are two type of v2, there are regular verb and irregular verb. Regular verb just be added “d or ed”. Suffix “ed” just use if the last character of the words t or d. irregular verb can  be guest.

For the examples of the irregular verb of V2:

1.     Bring ~> brought

2.    Read ~> read

3.    Write ~> wrote

4.    Bear ~> bore

In simple past tense we usually use adverb of time to know when we do our past activity. The adverb of time that we usually use are yesterday, just now, this morning  ……… day ago, ………..week ago, ………….years ago, last……. , etc

Examples of simple past tense:

1.     (+) Yesterday I went to the book store with my parents.

(-) Yesterday I did not go to the book store with my parents.

(?) Did you go to the book store with your parents yesterday?

2.  (+) She lost her purse just now.

(-) She did not lose her purse just now.

(?) Did she lose her purse just now?

3.  (+) My father was a banker at English Bank in 1992.

(-) My father was not a banker at English Bank in 1992.

(?) Was my father a banker at English Bank in 1992?

Exercise

1. He … when you … him last night.

·          slept, called

·          was sleeping, called

2. I sometimes … my head under the water when I swam in the ocean.

·          puts

·          put

3. The woman had already left when her friends …

·          came

·          come

4. Did the tour participants … the sunrise this morning?

·          see

·          saw

5. You … regret if you joined the community.

·          won't

·          wouldn't

6. The businessman … the sales contract two days ago.

·          backs out of

·          backed out of

7. How did you … your last weekend?

·          spent

·          spend

8. They made mistakes because they didn’t … the guidelines.

·          follow

·          followed

9. The people … in poverty for two decades.

·          live

·          lived

10. It wasn’t her who … money from your wallet.

·          takes

·          took