Simple Past Tense

Simple Past Tense

The Simple Past Tense is used for actions that started and finished at a specific time in the past. When using such verbs in sentences, it is not necessary to specify the tense. However, it should be understood that he is talking about the past tense in the sentence.

Example:

• I planted this peach tree last year.

This tense is used to describe several actions that have been completed in the past, one after the other, in a sentence.

Example:

• I finished my homework, took a coffee, and had a walk in the city park.

This tense can also be used in sentences for past habits. These types of sentences have the same purpose as ‘used to’ phrase. It should be understood in the sentence that the mentioned action is a habit. Time expressions such as “always”, “often”, “usually”, “never” can be used to reinforce this meaning.

Example:

• I played football when I was a young man.

Simple Past Tense Positive Sentences

While we use the simple past tense in a positive sentence, we use the second form of the verb after the subject. The second form of the verb does not change according to the subject, except for the verb -to be.

Subject + Verb 2nd Form + Complement

Example:

• We played soccer yesterday.
• I made a delicious cake.
• She laughed a lot at the story I told.

Simple Past Tense Negative Sentences

While we use the simple past tense in a negative sentence, we use the auxiliary verb ‘did’ in the form of ‘did not’ or ‘didn’t’ by taking the negative suffix. In negative sentences, the verb is used in its first form.

Subject + did not + Verb 1st form + Object

Example:

• We did not play soccer yesterday.
• I didn’t make a cake.
• She didn’t laugh at the story I told.

Simple Past Tense Questions

When forming a question sentence with the simple past tense, the auxiliary verb of Simple Past Tense, ‘did’, comes first. The verb should be used in its first form as in negative sentences.

Did + Subject + Verb 1st Form + Complement?

Example:

• Did you play soccer yesterday?
• Did you make a cake?
• Why did she laugh at the story you told?

⇒⇒⇒ In order to transform regular verbs into their second form,  the suffix ‘-d’, ‘-ed’, or ‘-ied’ are added to these verbs in accordance with certain rules. For irregular verbs, these rules are not applicable.