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Simple past

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</style><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">This article is about an English tense form. For the comparable tense form in other languages, see <a href="Preterite" title="Preterite">Preterite</a>.</div>

The past simple, simple past, or past indefinite, in English equivalent to the <a href="Preterite" title="Preterite">preterite</a>, is the basic form of the <a href="Past_tense" title="Past tense">past tense</a> in <a href="Modern_English" title="Modern English">Modern English</a>. It is used principally to describe events in the past, although it also has some other uses.<a href="#cite_note-:0-1">[1]</a> Regular English verbs form the past simple in -ed; however, there are a few hundred <a href="List_of_English_irregular_verbs" title="List of English irregular verbs">irregular verbs</a> with different forms.<a href="#cite_note-:1-2">[2]</a>

The term "<a href="Simple_aspect" class="mw-redirect" title="Simple aspect">simple</a>" is used to distinguish the <a href="Syntax" title="Syntax">syntactical</a> construction whose basic form uses the plain past tense alone,<a href="#cite_note-3">[3]</a> from other past tense constructions which use auxiliaries in combination with participles, such as the <a href="Present_perfect" title="Present perfect">present perfect</a>, <a href="Past_perfect" class="mw-redirect" title="Past perfect">past perfect</a>, and <a href="Past_progressive" class="mw-redirect" title="Past progressive">past progressive</a>.<a href="#cite_note-4">[4]</a>

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Formation">Formation</h2></div>

Regular verbs form the past simple end-ed; however there are a few hundred <a href="List_of_English_irregular_verbs" title="List of English irregular verbs">irregular verbs</a> with different forms.<a href="#cite_note-:1-2">[2]</a> The spelling rules for forming the past simple of regular verbs are as follows: verbs ending in -e add only –d to the end (e.g. live – lived, not *liveed), verbs ending in -y change to -ied (e.g. study – studied) and verbs ending in a group of a consonant + a vowel + a consonant double the final consonant (e.g. stop – stopped).<a href="#cite_note-:2-5">[5]</a> For details see <a href="English_verbs#Past_tense" title="English verbs">English verbs § Past tense</a>.

Most verbs have a single form of the past simple, independent of the <a href="Grammatical_person" title="Grammatical person">person</a> or <a href="Grammatical_number" title="Grammatical number">number</a> of the subject (there is no addition of -s for the third person singular as in the <a href="Present_simple" class="mw-redirect" title="Present simple">present simple</a>). However, the <a href="Copula_verb" class="mw-redirect" title="Copula verb">copula verb</a> be has two past tense forms: was for the first and third persons singular, and were in other instances.<a href="#cite_note-:0-1">[1]</a> The form were can also be used in place of was in conditional clauses and the like;<a href="#cite_note-:3-6">[6]</a> for information on this, see <a href="English_subjunctive" title="English subjunctive">English subjunctive</a>. This is the only case in modern English where a distinction in form is made between <a href="Subject-auxiliary_inversion" class="mw-redirect" title="Subject-auxiliary inversion">inversion</a>, <a href="Negation_(grammar)" class="mw-redirect" title="Negation (grammar)">negations</a> with not, and emphatic forms of the past simple use the auxiliary did.<a href="#cite_note-:3-6">[6]</a> For details of this mechanism, see <a href="Do-support" title="Do-support">do-support</a>. A full list of forms is given below, using the (regular) verb help as an example:

<ul><li>Basic past simple:

<ul><li>I/you/he/she/it/we/they helped</li></ul></li>

<li>Expanded (emphatic) past simple:

<li>Question form:

<li>Negative:

<li>Negative question:

Base form

Affirmative (+)

S + verb(ed) + c

Negative (-)

S + did not ( didn't) + verb + C

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Usage">Usage</h2></div>

The past simple is used for a single event (or sequence of such events) in the past, and also for past habitual actions:<a href="#cite_note-:0-1">[1]</a>

<dl><dd><dl><dd>He took the money and ran.</dd>

<dd>I visited them every day for a year.</dd></dl></dd></dl>

It can also refer to a past state:

<dl><dd><dl><dd>I knew how to fight even as a child.</dd></dl></dd></dl>

For actions that were ongoing at the time referred to, the <a href="Past_progressive" class="mw-redirect" title="Past progressive">past progressive</a> is generally used instead (e.g. I was cooking).<a href="#cite_note-:4-7">[7]</a> The same can apply to states, if temporary (e.g. the ball was lying on the sidewalk), but some stative verbs do not generally use the progressive aspect at all, typically verbs of mental states (know, believe, need), of emotional states (love, dislike, prefer), of possession (have, own), of senses (hear) and some others (consist, exist, promise) – see <a href="Uses_of_English_verb_forms#Progressive" title="Uses of English verb forms">Uses of English verb forms § Progressive</a> – and in these cases the past simple is used even for a temporary state:

<dl><dd><dl><dd>The dog was in its kennel.</dd>

However, with verbs of sensing, it is common in such circumstances to use could see in place of saw, could hear in place of heard, etc. For more on this, see <a href="Can_see" class="mw-redirect" title="Can see">can see</a>.<a href="#cite_note-:4-7">[7]</a>

If one action interrupts another, then it is usual for the interrupted (ongoing) action to be expressed with the past progressive, and the action that interrupted it to be in the past simple:<a href="#cite_note-:4-7">[7]</a>

<dl><dd><dl><dd>Your mother called while you were cooking.</dd></dl></dd></dl>

The past simple is often close in meaning to the <a href="Present_perfect" title="Present perfect">present perfect</a>. The past simple is used when the event happened at a particular time in the past, or during a period which ended in the past (i.e. a period that does not last up until the present time). This time frame may be explicitly stated, or implicit in the context (for example the past tense is often used when describing a sequence of past events).<a href="#cite_note-:4-7">[7]</a>

<dd>We turned the oven off two minutes ago.</dd>

<dd>I came home at 6 o'clock.</dd>

<dd>When did they get married?</dd>

<dd>We wrote two letters this morning.</dd>

<dd>She placed the letter on the table, sighed, and left the house.</dd></dl></dd></dl>

These examples can be contrasted with those given at <a href="Uses_of_English_verb_forms#Present_perfect" title="Uses of English verb forms">Uses of English verb forms § Present perfect</a>. Also, for past actions that occurred before the relevant past time frame, the <a href="Past_perfect" class="mw-redirect" title="Past perfect">past perfect</a> is used.

Various compound constructions exist for denoting past <a href="Habitual_aspect" title="Habitual aspect">habitual</a> action. The sentence When I was young, I played football every Saturday might alternatively be phrased using <a href="Used_to" class="mw-redirect" title="Used to">used to</a> (... I used to play ...) or using <a href="English_modal_verbs" class="mw-redirect" title="English modal verbs">would</a> (... I would play...).

The past simple form also has some uses in which it does not refer to a past time. These are generally in <a href="Condition_clause" class="mw-redirect" title="Condition clause">condition clauses</a> and some other <a href="Dependent_clause" title="Dependent clause">dependent clauses</a> referring to hypothetical circumstances, as well as certain expressions of wish:

<dl><dd><dl><dd>If he walked faster, he would get home earlier.</dd>

<dd>I would rather she wore a longer dress.</dd></dl></dd></dl>

For more details see the sections on <a href="Uses_of_English_verb_forms#Conditional_sentences" title="Uses of English verb forms">conditionals</a>, <a href="Uses_of_English_verb_forms#Dependent_clauses" title="Uses of English verb forms">dependent clauses</a> and <a href="Uses_of_English_verb_forms#Expressions_of_wish" title="Uses of English verb forms">expressions of wish</a> in the article on uses of English verb forms.

For use of the past simple (and other past tense forms) in indirect speech, see <a href="Uses_of_English_verb_forms#Indirect_speech" title="Uses of English verb forms">Uses of English verb forms § Indirect speech</a>. An example:

<dl><dd><dl><dd>He said he wanted to go on the slide.</dd></dl></dd></dl>

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Pronunciation_of_-ed">Pronunciation of -ed</h2></div>

The regular verbs ending with -ed are pronounced as follows:<a href="#cite_note-:2-5">[5]</a>

<ul><li>Regular verb endings with voiced consonants+/d/, e.g. hugged /hʌɡd/.</li></ul>

<ul><li>Regular verb endings with unvoiced consonants+/t/, e.g. stopped /stɒpt/.</li></ul>

<ul><li>Regular verb endings with /t/ or /d/ + /ɪd/, e.g. needed /niːdɪd/.</li></ul>

<ul><li><a href="English_verbs#Past_tense" title="English verbs">English verbs</a></li>

<li><a href="Uses_of_English_verb_forms#Simple_past" title="Uses of English verb forms">Uses of English verb forms</a></li>

<li><a href="Preterite#English" title="Preterite">Preterite</a></li>

<li><a href="Past_tense#English" title="Past tense">Past tense</a></li></ul>

Other tenses:

<ul><li><a href="Present_simple" class="mw-redirect" title="Present simple">Present simple</a></li>

<li><a href="Present_perfect" title="Present perfect">Present perfect</a></li></ul>

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="References">References</h2></div>

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</style><cite id="CITEREFComrie2006" class="citation book cs1">Comrie, Bernard (2006). Tense. Cambridge textbooks in linguistics (8. pr. 2004 transferred to digital printing 2006 ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 41–43. <a href="ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <bdi>978-0-521-28138-6</bdi>.</cite>

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<li id="cite_note-:1-2">^ <a href="#cite_ref-:1_2-0">a</a> <a href="#cite_ref-:1_2-1">b</a> <cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/grammar/english-grammar-reference/past-simple">"Past simple"</a>. LearnEnglish - British Council. 2010-03-18. Retrieved 2024-01-04.</cite>

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<li id="cite_note-3"><a href="#cite_ref-3">^</a> <cite id="CITEREFAartsChalkerWeinerWeiner2014" class="citation book cs1">Aarts, Bas; Chalker, Sylvia; Weiner, Edmund S. C.; Weiner, E. S. C. (2014). The Oxford dictionary of English grammar. Oxford paperback reference (2. ed., [fully rev. and updated] ed.). Oxford: Oxford Univ. Press. <a href="ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <bdi>978-0-19-965823-7</bdi>.</cite>

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<li id="cite_note-4"><a href="#cite_ref-4">^</a> <cite id="CITEREFComrie2001" class="citation book cs1">Comrie, Bernard (2001). Aspect: an introduction to the study of verbal aspect and related problems. Cambridge textbooks in linguistics (Transferred to digital print ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge Univ. Press. <a href="ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <bdi>978-0-521-29045-6</bdi>.</cite>

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<li id="cite_note-:2-5">^ <a href="#cite_ref-:2_5-0">a</a> <a href="#cite_ref-:2_5-1">b</a> <cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org/grammar/a1-a2-grammar/past-simple-regular-verbs">"Past simple – regular verbs"</a>. Learn English Teens - British Council. Retrieved 2024-01-04.</cite>

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<li id="cite_note-:3-6">^ <a href="#cite_ref-:3_6-0">a</a> <a href="#cite_ref-:3_6-1">b</a> <cite id="CITEREFBiberQuirk2012" class="citation book cs1">Biber, Douglas; Quirk, Randolph, eds. (2012). "Chapter 10: Verb and adjective complement clauses". Longman grammar of spoken and written English (10. impression ed.). Harlow: Longman. <a href="ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <bdi>978-0-582-23725-4</bdi>.</cite>

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<li id="cite_note-:4-7">^ <a href="#cite_ref-:4_7-0">a</a> <a href="#cite_ref-:4_7-1">b</a> <a href="#cite_ref-:4_7-2">c</a> <a href="#cite_ref-:4_7-3">d</a> <cite id="CITEREFBiberQuirk2012" class="citation book cs1">Biber, Douglas; Quirk, Randolph, eds. (2012). "Chapter 6: Variations in the verb phrase: tense aspect, voice, and modal use.". Longman grammar of spoken and written English (10. impression ed.). Harlow: Longman. <a href="ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <bdi>978-0-582-23725-4</bdi>.</cite>

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</ol></div></div>

<ul><li>iStudyEnglishOnline (2015). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150814141504/http://istudyenglishonline.com/english-tenses/past-simple/">Past Simple Uses & Explanations</a>. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://istudyenglishonline.com/english-tenses/past-simple/">the original</a> on August 14, 2015.</li></ul></div><div><div class="zim-footer">

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