English grammar: Simple past regular verbs

What this grammar point covers

The simple past with regular verbs is used to talk about actions that happened and finished in the past. Regular verbs form the simple past by adding -ed to the base verb.

When to use it

Use the simple past to talk about something that started and ended in the past. It is used for completed actions, events, or situations.

Key forms

• Affirmative: subject + verb-ed (I walked.)
• Negative: subject + did not + base verb (She did not play.)
• Question: Did + subject + base verb? (Did you watch?)

Examples

Tips

• Remember to add -ed to regular verbs for the past.
• In questions and negatives, use 'did' and the base verb (not the -ed form).
• Some verbs have spelling changes before adding -ed (for example: 'study' → 'studied').

Exceptions and edge cases

• Some verbs are irregular and do not follow the -ed rule (for example: go → went).