Lesson 15 of 36 · beginner
Past Simple Tense
Talk about finished actions and events in the past.
When to use it
Use the past simple for actions that started and finished at a specific time in the past.
- I visited Paris last year.
- She called me yesterday.
Regular vs irregular verbs
Regular verbs add -ed. Irregular verbs change form completely and must be memorized.
- walk → walked
- play → played
- go → went
- eat → ate
- see → saw
Negatives and questions
Use 'did' + base verb for questions and negatives — even with irregular verbs.
- I didn't go to the party.
- Did you see the movie?
- She didn't eat breakfast.
Time expressions with the past simple
These words and phrases often signal that you should use the past simple.
- yesterday
- last night / last week / last year
- two days ago
- in 2015
- when I was a child
More examples in context
Practice recognizing the past simple across a range of everyday situations.
- We stayed at a hotel near the beach.
- She graduated from university in 2020.
- They didn't answer my call.
- Did you enjoy the concert last night?
- I found my keys under the sofa.
- He broke his leg while skiing.
Common mistakes to avoid
These are frequent past simple errors, and how to correct them.
- ✗ I didn't went to school. → ✓ I didn't go to school. (use the base verb after 'didn't')
- ✗ She goed to the market. → ✓ She went to the market. ('go' is irregular)
- ✗ Did you saw him? → ✓ Did you see him?
- ✗ Yesterday I am tired. → ✓ Yesterday I was tired.
Quick practice
Fill in each blank with the correct past simple form, then check your answer.
- We ___ (visit) my grandparents last weekend. (answer: visited)
- She ___ (not/finish) her homework. (answer: didn't finish)
- ___ you ___ (sleep) well last night? (answer: Did ... sleep)
- He ___ (buy) a new phone yesterday. (answer: bought)
- They ___ (not/come) to the party. (answer: didn't come)