Past Simple

Completed actions or states in the past with a finished time reference

beginner

When to Use

•Finished actions in the past: I visited Paris in 2022.
•A series of completed actions: She packed her bag, locked the door, and left.
•Past habits or routines: We often played outside after school.
•Past states: They lived in Rome for three years (past, finished).
•Questions/negatives with did: Did you watch the game?

How to Form

Affirmative (+)

Regular: verb + -ed (walk → walked); Irregular: learn the form (go → went)

Negative (-)

Subject + did not (didn't) + base verb

Question (?)

Did + subject + base verb?

💡 No -ed after did in negatives/questions. Irregular verbs must be memorized.

Examples

✓She finished her homework last night.

✗She finish her homework last night.

Use past form (finished) for a completed action.

✓They didn't like the movie.

✗They didn't liked the movie.

After did/didn't, use the base verb (like).

✓Did you meet the new teacher?

✗Met you the new teacher?

Questions use did + subject + base verb.

✓I went to bed early.

✗I go to bed early yesterday.

Irregular verb: go → went in past simple.

Common Mistakes

💡 Practice Tips

• Memorize irregular verb lists (go/went, have/had, see/saw).
• Use time markers: yesterday, last week, in 2020, ago.
• Remember: no -ed after did/didn't/did.
• Use did for all subjects in negatives/questions.

present-simple present-perfect 📝 tenses-beginner 📝 past-simple-quiz

Past Simple

Completed actions or states in the past with a finished time reference

beginner

When to Use

•Finished actions in the past: I visited Paris in 2022.
•A series of completed actions: She packed her bag, locked the door, and left.
•Past habits or routines: We often played outside after school.
•Past states: They lived in Rome for three years (past, finished).
•Questions/negatives with did: Did you watch the game?

How to Form

Affirmative (+)

Regular: verb + -ed (walk → walked); Irregular: learn the form (go → went)

Negative (-)

Subject + did not (didn't) + base verb

Question (?)

Did + subject + base verb?

💡 No -ed after did in negatives/questions. Irregular verbs must be memorized.

Examples

✓She finished her homework last night.

✗She finish her homework last night.

Use past form (finished) for a completed action.

✓They didn't like the movie.

✗They didn't liked the movie.

After did/didn't, use the base verb (like).

✓Did you meet the new teacher?

✗Met you the new teacher?

Questions use did + subject + base verb.

✓I went to bed early.

✗I go to bed early yesterday.

Irregular verb: go → went in past simple.

Common Mistakes

💡 Practice Tips

• Memorize irregular verb lists (go/went, have/had, see/saw).
• Use time markers: yesterday, last week, in 2020, ago.
• Remember: no -ed after did/didn't/did.
• Use did for all subjects in negatives/questions.

present-simple present-perfect 📝 tenses-beginner 📝 past-simple-quiz

Past Simple

When to Use

How to Form

Examples

Common Mistakes

💡 Practice Tips

Related

Past Simple

When to Use

How to Form

Examples

Common Mistakes

💡 Practice Tips

Related

When to Use

How to Form

Examples

Common Mistakes

✗She didn't went.

✗Did you saw it?

✗I was go to school.

💡 Practice Tips

Related

When to Use

How to Form

Examples

Common Mistakes

✗She didn't went.

✗Did you saw it?

✗I was go to school.

💡 Practice Tips

Related