Past Simple

We use the past simple tense for a single finished action in the past at a definite past time, and for a series of actions in the past.

In order to form the past simple, we have to conjugate the verb.

Regular verbs make the Past Simple Tense by adding -ed (or -d if the verb already ends in -e).

If the verb ends in a consonant with one vowel before it, double the consonant before -ed.

Do not double -w, -x, -y.

When the verb has two or more syllables, double the consonant only when the accent is on the final syllable.

If the verb ends in one consonant before -y, change the -y to -i and then add -ed.

Negative Form

We make the negative form in the following way:

Subject + did not/didn't + simple verb

Interrogative Form

We make the interrogative form in the following way:

Did/Didn't + subject + simple verb + ?

Irregular Verbs

Many common verbs do not take -ed to make the Past Tense.

These are irregular verbs and must be learned separately.

There are 16 groups of irregular past forms.

Group I. a -> oo

stand - stood

understand - understood

shake - shook

take - took

Group II. short o

get - got

forget - forgot

shoot - shot

Group III. long o

break - broke

choose - chose

drive - drove

freeze - froze

ride- rode

rise - rose

shine - shone

speak - spoke

steal - stole

wake - woke

write - wrote

Group IV. long a (a - e)

come - came

become - became

give - gave

forgive - forgave

Group V. short i

bite - bit

do - did

hide- hid

Group VI. ay -> aid

lay - laid

pay - paid

say - said

Group VII. -ell -> -old

sell - sold

tell - told

Group VIII. short e

fall - fell

hold - held

meet - met

Group IX. i -> a

begin - began

drink - drank

give - gave

sing - sang

sit - sat

swim - swam

Group X. -ow/aw/y -> ew

blow - blew

draw - drew

fly - flew

grow - grew

know - knew

throw - threw

Group XI. -ought

bring - brought

buy - bought

fight - fought

think - thought

Group XII. - aught

catch - caught

teach - taught

Group XIII. -t

feel - felt

keep - kept

leave - left

mean - meant

sleep - slept

Group XIV. -ear -> -ore

tear - tore

wear - wore

Group XV. d -> t

build - built

lend - lent

send - sent

spend - spent

Group XVI. stay the same

cost - cost

cut - cut

hit - hit

hurt - hurt

let - let

put - put

read - read

shut - shut

Group XVII. mixed

eat - ate

find - found

hear - heard

go - went

have - had

lose - lost

make - made

run - ran

see - saw

win - won