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Simple Past

FORM Simple Past

[VERB+ed]

EXAMPLES:

I visited my friends.

I often visited my friends.

NOTE: When you are using a verb tense with only one part such as Simple

Past (visited), adverbs usually come before the verb (often

visited). Please remember this is different from verbs with more than one

part such as Present Continuous.

USE 1 Completed Action in the Past

Use the Simple Past to express the idea that an action started and

finished at a specific time in the past. Sometimes the speaker may not

actually mention the specific time, but they do have one specific time in

mind.

EXAMPLES:

I saw a movie yesterday.

I didn't see a movie yesterday.

Last year, I traveled to Japan.

Last year, I didn't travel to Japan.

She washed her car.

She didn't wash her car.

USE 2 A Series of Completed Actions

We use the Simple Past to list a series of completed actions in the

past. These actions happen 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th...

EXAMPLES:

I finished work, walked to the beach, and found a nice place to swim.

He arrived from the airport at 8:00, checked into the hotel at 9:00, and

met the others at 10:00.

USE 3 Single Duration

The Simple Past can be used with a duration which starts and stops in the

past. A duration is a long action often used with expressions like "for

two years," "for five minutes," "all day" or "all year."

EXAMPLES:

I lived in Brazil for two years.

Shauna studied Japanese for five years.

They sat at the beach all day.

We talked on the phone for thirty minutes.

How long did you wait for them?

We waited for one hour.

USE 4 Habit in the Past

The Simple Past can also be used to describe a habit which stopped in the

past. It can have the same meaning as "used to". To make it clear that we

are talking about a habit we often use expressions such as

"always," "often," "usually," "never," "...when I was a child" or "...when

I was younger" in the sentence.




EXAMPLES:

I studied French when I was a child.

He played the violin.

She worked at the movie theater after school.

They never went to school, they always skipped.

ACTIVE / PASSIVE Simple Past
EXAMPLES:
Tom repaired the car. ACTIVE
The car was repaired by Tom. PASSIVE