Past Simple - examples with translation and rules of use.

In English, in contrast to the Russian, 16 verb tenses. Most language learners believe that the use of time is the most difficult subject in grammar. But if you know how and when to use them, then there will be no difficulties, and English will be easier to learn. Consider in this article Past Simple - rules and examples that will help to better understand this time.

When is "Past Simple" used?

Past Simple, or Past Simple Tense is a simple past tense in the English language, meaning repetitive or one-time action in the past. It is formed by ending -ed in the correct verbs and changing the root of the wrong in affirmative sentences. But it also happens that the verb does not change and has the same form in the simple past, the perfect past, and the participle II. Therefore, the form of irregular verbs in the past tense must be learned by heart. To distinguish a correct verb from a wrong verb is very simple - if the verb is not in the list of wrong, then it is correct. In English, about 200 irregular verbs, and each of them has 3 forms - a simple past, a perfect past and participle II. But there is no need to learn all 200 verbs, since only half of them are actively used.

Every time in English there are time markers - these are adverbs indicating when the action occurred. In Paste Simple it is:

• Ago - ago;

• Last - the past;

• Yesterday yesterday;

• The day before yesterday - the day before yesterday;

• The other day - the other day;

• In + year.

According to the British version of English, adverbs of time are used at the end of the sentence. A variant of the use at the beginning of the sentence is allowed, which is undesirable, and a gross mistake is considered use in the middle of the sentence.

The auxiliary verb in Paste Simple is the past form of the verb do-did, which is used in negative and interrogative sentences.

But this rule does not apply to the verb to be - to be, in which all 3 forms - assertion, negation and question - are formed with the verb to be itself.

Below we consider examples of Past Simple with translation when forming affirmative, negative and interrogative sentences.

Affirmative Proposals

Affirmative sentences in English in Paste Simple are formed in 2 ways:

• The correct verbs add the ending-ed;

Work - worked;

Call - called;

Use - used.

• In the wrong - the root itself changes.

Break - broke;

Put - put;

Get - got.

How are conjugated verbs in the Past Simple ? Examples will help to understand this issue.

I called - I called.

You called - You called.

He called - He called.

She called - She called.

It is called He / she / it called.

We called - We called.

They called - They called.

How is the verb to be used in the Simple Symplex ? Examples of the following suggestions will help to understand this issue.

I was a pupil.

You were a pupil.

He was a pupil.

She was a pupil.

We were a pupil.

They were a pupil.

The verb to be is wrong and in the Past Simple it has 2 forms - was for 1, 2, 3 singular and were - for 1, 2, 3 faces of the multiple person.

In this example, there is no sentence with the pronoun it, since it denotes inanimate objects, and they can not be students. The pronoun it refers to a single number and with it the verb to be has the form was.

It was an interesting film.

Negative sentences

Negation is formed with the help of did and not. On the letter there are two possible options: did not and did not, but more often the latter is used.

How is the question formed in Paste Sipml ? Examples:

I did not work.

You did not work.

He did not work.

She did not work.

It did not work.

We did not work.

They did not work.

For the verb to be the form in the Past Simple will have the following form:

I was not here yesterday.

(We were not here yesterday).

He was not here yesterday.

She was not here yesterday.

He was not here yesterday.

We were not here yesterday (We were not here yesterday).

They were not here yesterday.

Interrogative proposals

The question is formed using did by the following formula:

The formula shown in the picture demonstrates how questions are posed in the Past Simple . The examples below will help to better understand and consolidate it.

Did I call? - I called?

Did you call? - You called?

Did he call? -He called?

Did she call? - She called?

Did it call? - She / she / she called / la / lo?

Did we call? - We called?

Did they call? "Did they call?"

If there are so-called Wh-questions in the sentence, then did will be used after them. Let us consider in more detail their use in the Past Simple. Examples:

Did you go to the school yesterday? "Did you go to school yesterday?"

Did Henry buy his car two years ago? - Henry bought the car 2 years ago?

When did they call you? "When did they call you?"

The option is not only with did, but did not.

Did not they help you? "They did not help you?"

Did not Sarah and John go to the birthday party? "Did Sarah and John go to the birthday party?"

Did not his daughter call him? "Did his daughter call him?"

With wh-questions and other questions, the auxiliary verb is used after the question.

When did they go to the office? - When did they go to the office?

Where did they live when he was a small boy? "Where did they live when he was a little boy?"

How many questions did you ask? - How many questions did you ask?

In the same way, the verb to be is formed in the form of the Past Simple . Examples:

Was he at school yesterday? - He was at school yesterday?

Were you in Italy 2 years ago? - Were you in Italy two years ago?

Was Peter in the birthday? - Peter was at the party?

Who was this man with you? - Who was this man with you?

When were you in India? - When you were in India?

When studying English there will be no problems with grammar, and in particular with Past Simple. Rules and examples for understanding grammar are the best helpers.