# data[].attributes.body
DEFINITION OF THE SIMPLE PAST TENSE

The simple past tense, sometimes called the preterite, is used to talk about a completed action in a time before now. The simple past is the basic form of past tense in English. The time of the action can be in the recent past or the distant past and action duration is not important.

EXAMPLES

John Cabot sailed to America in 1498.

My father died last year.

He lived in Fiji in 1976.

We crossed the Channel yesterday.

You always use the simple past when you say when something happened, so it is associated with certain past time expressions

frequency: often, sometimes, always
I sometimes walked home at lunchtime.
I often brought my lunch to school.

a definite point in time: last week, when I was a child, yesterday, six weeks ago
We saw a good film last week.
Yesterday, I arrived in Geneva.
She finished her work atseven o'clock
I went to the theatre last night

an indefinite point in time: the other day, ages ago, a long time ago
People lived in caves a long time ago.
She played the piano when she was a child.

Note: the word ago is a useful way of expressing the distance into the past. It is placed after the period of time: a week ago, three years ago, a minute ago.

Be Careful: The simple past in English may look like a tense in your own language, but the meaning may be different.

FORMING THE SIMPLE PAST TENSE

PATTERNS OF SIMPLE PAST TENSE FOR REGULAR VERBS

Affirmative
Subject | + verb + ed |
I | skipped. |
Negative
Subject | + did not | + infinitive without to
They | didn't | go.
Interrogative
Did | + subject | + infinitive without to
Did | she | arrive?
Interrogative negative
Did not | + subject | + infinitive without to
Didn't | you | play?

TO WALK

AffirmativeNegativeInterrogativeI walked | I didn't walk | Did I walk?
You walked | You didn't walk | Did you walk?
He walked | He didn't walk | Did he walk?
We walked | We didn't walk | Did we walk?
They walked | They didn't walk | Did they walk?

SIMPLE PAST TENSE OF TO BE, TO HAVE, TO DO

SubjectVerb  | Be | Have | Do
I | was | had | did
You | were | had | did
He/She/It | was | had | did
We | were | had | did
You | were | had | did
They | were | had | did

NOTES ON AFFIRMATIVE, NEGATIVE, & INTERROGATIVE FORMS

AFFIRMATIVE

The affirmative of the simple past tense is simple.

I was in Japan last year

She had a headache yesterday.

We did our homework last night.

NEGATIVE AND INTERROGATIVE

For the negative and interrogative simple past form of "to do" as an ordinary verb, use the auxiliary "did", e.g. We didn't do our homework last night.
The negative of "have" in the simple past is usually formed using the auxiliary "did", but sometimes by simply adding not or the contraction "n't".

The interrogative form of "have" in the simple past normally uses the auxiliary "did".

EXAMPLES

They weren't in Rio last summer.

We didn't have any money.

We didn't have time to visit the Eiffel Tower.

We didn't do our exercises this morning.

Were they in Iceland last January?

Did you have a bicycle when you were young?

Did you do much climbing in Switzerland?

Note: For the negative and interrogative form of all verbs in the simple past, always use the auxiliary 'did''.

SIMPLE PAST, IRREGULAR VERBS

Some verbs are irregular in the simple past. Here are the most common ones.

TO GO

He went to a club last night.

Did he go to the cinema last night?

He didn't go to bed early last night.

TO GIVE

We gave her a doll for her birthday.

They didn't give John their new address.

Did Barry give you my passport?

TO COME

My parents came to visit me last July.

We didn't come because it was raining.

Did he come to your party last week?

Let's continue the lesson by watching videos for a better understanding on The Simple Past Tense: Video 1

# data[].attributes.headline
Since you have the general idea on simple past tense form, let's learn on we can use it in a form of sentences: Video 2

# data[].attributes.subject
Since you have the general idea on simple past tense form, let's learn on we can use it in a form of sentences: Video 2

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Past Simple Tense - Structuring Sentences

# data[].attributes.headline
Okay students, now we all should do some practices! as you all know, practice makes perfect. So let's do it !

# data[].attributes.subject
Okay students, now we all should do some practices! as you all know, practice makes perfect. So let's do it !

# data[].attributes.headline
Okay class, it is time to test your understanding and play a fun online quiz together with the whole class. 

# data[].attributes.subject
Okay class, it is time to test your understanding and play a fun online quiz together with the whole class. 

# data[].attributes.headline
Answering some questions online will enhance your knowledge on this topic, so let's get started!

# data[].attributes.subject
Answering some questions online will enhance your knowledge on this topic, so let's get started!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Free gamified quizzes on every subject that students play in class and at home. Pick an existing quiz or create your own for review, formative assessment, and more.

# data[].attributes.headline
To end the lesson, why not we play some games to test our understanding shall we?

# data[].attributes.subject
To end the lesson, why not we play some games to test our understanding shall we?

# data[].attributes.body
I hope you have learned something and understand the rule of simple past tense. Thank you for being here till the end. Good day, fellas!