The past simple tense is used to talk about something that happened and was completed in the past.
- I jumped into the river.
(finished action/jumped) - Last week it was cold.
(finished time/last week)
The past simple is formed using subject + past participle form of a verb.
- Last week I visited my mum.
(subject/I + past participle form of a verb/visited) - When we were young we played football.
(subject/we + past participle form of a verb/played)
The negative is formed using subject + did + not + bare infinitive form of a verb.
- Last week I didn’t visited my mum.
(subject/I + did + not + bare infinitive/visit) - When we were young we didn’t play football.
(subject/we + did + not + bare infinitive/play)
The question is formed using question word + did + subject + bare infinitive form of a verb.
- When did you visit your mum?
(question word + did + subject/you + bare infinitive form of a verb/visit) - Where did you play football when you were young?
(where + did + subject/you + bare infinitive form of a verb/play)
For yes/no questions it is formed using did + subject + bare infinitive form of a verb.
- Did you visit your mum last week?
(did + subject/you + bare infinitive form of a verb/visit) - Did you play football when you were young?
(did + subject/you + bare infinitive form of a verb/play)
For regular verbs we add -ed to the verb. Many verbs are irregular. Here is a complete irregular verb list.
Common mistakes with tenses.
