English grammar: Past simple

What this grammar point covers

The past simple is an English verb tense used to talk about actions or situations that happened and finished in the past.

When to use it

Use the past simple to talk about completed actions or events that happened at a specific time in the past.

Key forms

• Regular verbs: verb + -ed (e.g. walked, played)
• Irregular verbs: special past form (e.g. went, saw)
• Negative: did not + base verb (e.g. did not go)
• Question: Did + subject + base verb? (e.g. Did you see?)

Examples

Tips

• Remember to use the base form of the verb after 'did not' and in questions.
• Many common verbs are irregular and do not end in -ed (e.g. go → went, have → had).
• Do not use 'was/were' with action verbs in the past simple.

Exceptions and edge cases

• Irregular verbs have special past forms that you need to memorize.
• Some verbs have the same form in the present and past (e.g. put, cut).