6.3. PAST SIMPLE

Basic form

Subject + Verb (past form)

Quick examples

· I was sleepy.

· He didn't learn any Italian when he was in Italy two year ago.

· I went to the cinema, bought popcorn and watched a movie.

We use the Past Simple to talk about actions that happened at a specific time in the past. The actions can be short or long. There can be a few actions happening one ofter another.

Use

1. Events in the past that are now finished

2. Situation in the past

3. A series of actions in the past

Use 1: Past actions that are now finished

The first use of the Past Simple to express actions that happened at a specific time in the past. The actions can be short or long.

· John cut his finger last week. short

· I went to college 3 years ago. long

· He ate the dinner 1 hour ago. short

· I slept well last night. long

Use 2: Situation in the past

Another use of this tense is talk about situations in the past.

· I lived in New York for 10 years (I don't live there anymore).

Use 3: A series of actions in the past

The Past Simple can also be used with a few actions in the past happening one after another.

· He entered a room, lit a cigarette and smiled at the guests.

Form

Forming a sentence in the Past Simple is easy. To form a declarative sentence, all you need is the subject of the sentence (e.g. I, you, he, a dog) and the past form of your verb (e.g. was, talked, swam). Questions and negative sentences are only a little more difficult, because they require an auxiliary verb.

Declarative Sentences

Time Expressions

Common time expressions (time adverbials) in the Past Simple are:

· yesterday

· the other day

· just now

· the day before yesterday

Questions

Negative Sentences