Simple past
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The simple past, sometimes called the preterite, is the past tense of Modern English. It is used to describe events in the past. It may combine with either or both of two aspects, the perfect and the progressive. When the simple past is employed in the subjunctive mood, it is called the subjunctive imperfect.
Pronunciation
If the base verb ends in /d/ or /t/, the regular past-tense ending -ed is pronounced /ɨd/; after all other unvoiced consonants it becomes /t/, and in all remaining cases (other voiced consonants and vowels) it is pronounced /d/.
Form: regular verbs
The simple past is formed by adding -ed to the end of an infinitive and then removing the to, for example:
- to play becomes played
Verbs ending in -e add -d instead, for example:
- to place becomes placed
Verbs ending in a consonant, containing one vowel and having one syllable add a second of the last consonant and then -ed, whilst also removing the to to form the simple past, for example:
- to stop becomes stopped
Verbs of which the final letter is -y replace the y with an i. For example:
- to try becomes tried
Form: irregular verbs
All the irregular verbs have different forms: to go becomes went, to buy becomes bought, to cut becomes cut, etc.
| Pronoun | Example verb |
|---|---|
| I | stole (of to steal) |
| I | saw (of to see) |
Use
One uses the simple past for actions or situations that one has completed in the past at a definite time.
The time can be given in the sentence:
I came home at 6 o'clock.
The time is asked about:
When did they get married?
One uses the past simple for repeated actions in the past.
We walked to school every day.
The past simple is used in stories to express actions that follow each other.
Charles entered the hall, looked around, took off his coat and put it on a chair.