Past Simple: rules of education and use

In English, the Past Indefinite Tense, or simply Past Simple, rules are not too complicated. The main thing is to thoroughly understand them. In addition, this time is one of the most common in the English language. So, Past Simple is Simple past tense, used primarily to describe past actions in the past, as well as to describe events that once occurred.

Past Simple rules say that the basic array of past tenses is formed with the addition of the ending -ed to the basis of the regular verb:

We played different games. - We played various games.

There are, however, a few special cases of joining this ending. Consider these:

The wrong irregular forms have three forms, each of which will have to be learned. Calms one - there are not so many exceptions in English:

I read "Harry Potter" yesterday. - I read "Harry Potter" yesterday.

Interrogative sentences in the considered time are formed with the participation of the auxiliary verb did (the verb do in the second form), which takes place before the noun (subject). The main verb remains unchanged:

Did we play? - We played?

When composing special questions, the verb-helper did also fit before the subject, and before the auxiliary verb the necessary interrogative pronoun is put:

When did he come? - When he came?

Why did you cry? "Why did you cry?"

Negation has the usual English rule. Past Simple is not an exception:

We did not play. - We did not play.

Instead of "did not", the "did not" turnover is most often used for reduction.

Here is a table with examples of the use of Past Simple (rules for constructing an affirmative, interrogative and negative forms with regular and irregular verbs):

So, we have considered the formation of Past Simple, the rules for using this time are given below.

1) The expression of a permanent action or feature of an object, its property, or of all known facts that once took place in the past:

She was so good friend. "She was such a good friend."

The school is replaced here. - There was a school here.

2) Expression of single actions in the past. In this case, auxiliary words and phrases like yesterday (yesterday), last week, year (last week, last year), a month ago, in 1991 (in 1991), on Monday (on Monday ) And so on:

I saw him a month ago. "I saw him a month ago.

His last news granny last week. - He visited his beloved grandmother last week.

3) Expression of regular actions in the past:

He never came late. "He was never late."

4) Expression of several successive actions in the past in the order in which they occurred:

He opened the box and saw the mail. He opened the drawer and saw the letter.

It only remains to add that the rule of Past Simple does not imply such a concept as the "verb form". Therefore, the translation in this case is carried out based on the general context of the proposal or a number of proposals.

That's all we wanted to tell about Past Simple. The rules of its use, we hope, will not cause you any difficulties. Good luck!