Past Simple
Past Simple - Exercises and Quiz
These exercises focus on using Past Simple for past actions.
When Do We Use the Past Simple?
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For actions that happened in the past and are now finished:
Example: I played soccer yesterday.
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For specific events at a specific time:
Example: She visited her grandma last week.
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For a series of actions in the past:
Example: He woke up, ate breakfast, and went to school.
How to Form the Past Simple
To make a sentence in the Past Simple, we use:
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Regular verbs: Add -ed to the verb.
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Irregular verbs: These verbs change completely in the past, and you need to memorize them.
Regular Verbs in the Past Simple
For regular verbs, just add -ed to the base verb.
Verb Base Form |
Past Simple Form |
play |
played |
watch |
watched |
cook |
cooked |
clean |
cleaned |
Spelling Rules:
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For most verbs, add -ed:
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play → played
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walk → walked
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For verbs ending in -e, just add -d:
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like → liked
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dance → danced
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For short verbs with a consonant + vowel + consonant, double the last consonant and add -ed:
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stop → stopped
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plan → planned
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For verbs ending in -y after a consonant, change y to i and add -ed:
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study → studied
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cry → cried
Irregular Verbs in the Past Simple
Irregular verbs do not follow the -ed rule. They change completely in the past tense, so you need to memorize them.
Verb Base Form |
Past Simple Form |
go |
went |
eat |
ate |
have |
had |
see |
saw |
buy |
bought |
take |
took |
make |
made |
Negative Sentences in the Past Simple
To make a negative sentence, use did not (or didn’t) + the base verb. Do not change the verb to the past form in negatives.
Subject |
Positive Sentence |
Negative Sentence |
I |
I watched a movie. |
I did not watch a movie. |
She |
She went to school. |
She did not go to school. |
They |
They played soccer. |
They didn’t play soccer. |
Short Forms (Contractions):
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Did not = didn’t
Examples:
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He didn’t eat dinner.
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We didn’t see the movie.
Questions in the Past Simple
To ask a question in the past simple, use did + the subject + the base verb.
Positive Sentence |
Question Form |
You visited your friend. |
Did you visit your friend? |
She played the piano. |
Did she play the piano? |
They saw a movie. |
Did they see a movie? |
Short Answers:
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Yes, I did / No, I didn’t.
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Yes, she did / No, she didn’t.
Time Expressions Used with the Past Simple
We often use the Past Simple with time expressions to show when something happened.
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Yesterday: I went to the park yesterday.
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Last (last night, last week, last month, last year): She visited her grandma last week.
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Ago: They moved here three years ago.
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In + year: We met in 2020.
Common Errors and How to Fix Them
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Forgetting "did not" in negative sentences:
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Incorrect: She did not went to the party.
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Correct: She did not go to the party.
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Using the past form of the verb after "did" in questions:
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Incorrect: Did you went to the store?
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Correct: Did you go to the store?
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Forgetting the -ed ending for regular verbs:
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Incorrect: I play soccer yesterday.
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Correct: I played soccer yesterday.
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Using the base form for irregular verbs:
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Incorrect: She go to school last week.
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Correct: She went to school last week.
Everyday Use of the Past Simple
You can use the Past Simple to talk about:
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What you did yesterday: "I watched TV yesterday."
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Something you finished last week: "We finished our homework last week."
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A trip or vacation: "They went to Spain last summer."
Have a look at this lesson to understand the difference between Past Simple vs Past Continuous.
Practice Sentences
Present Simple |
Past Simple |
I play soccer every weekend. |
I played soccer yesterday. |
She goes to school every day. |
She went to school yesterday. |
We eat breakfast at 8 AM. |
We ate breakfast at 8 AM. |
FAQ
When do I use the Past Simple?
Use the Past Simple to talk about actions that are finished and happened in the past. For example: "I went to the store yesterday."
How do I form the Past Simple for regular verbs?
For regular verbs, add -ed to the verb. Example: "I played soccer."
How do I make a negative sentence?
Use did not + the base form of the verb. Example: "She did not go to school."
How do I ask a question in the Past Simple?
Use did + the subject + the base form of the verb. Example: "Did you eat lunch?"
What’s the difference between regular and irregular verbs?
Regular verbs add -ed to form the past, while irregular verbs change completely. For example: play → played (regular) vs. go → went (irregular).