31 Past Simple Affirmative
Advertising
Introduction
The past simple is the tense used to express situations, events and actions that happened in the past.
When expressed in its affirmative form, the verb confirms something about the subject.
Form
The past simple of regular verbs, in their affirmative form, has this structure:
Subject + Verb (Past tense) + …
Regular
Past form of the verb: verb + -ed.
| Subject | Verb (past tense) |
|---|---|
| I | worked |
| You | worked |
| He | worked |
| She | worked |
| It | worked |
| We | worked |
| You | worked |
| They | worked |
Exceptions
- Verbs with suffix -y preceded by a consonant: change -y to -i and add -ed.
| Infinitive | Verb (past tense) |
|---|---|
| study | studied |
| cry | cried |
| worry | worried |
- Verbs with suffix -e: add only -d.
| Infinitive | Verb (past tense) |
|---|---|
| hope | hoped |
| decide | decided |
| arrive | arrived |
- Verbs with a consonant suffix (except: w, y) preceded by a stressed vowel: double the consonant and add -ed.
| Infinitive | Verb (past tense) |
|---|---|
| stop | stopped |
| ban | banned |
| travel | travelled |
Example
Regular
- I baked delicious biscuits yesterday.
- He played basketball for 8 years.
- They visited Estonia in 2012.
Exceptions
Consonant + -y
- I studied a lot for the exams.
- Their children cried all the time.
- He applied to Oxford University last year.
Base form with suffix -e
- I hoped to meet you yesterday.
- The school decided to call your parents.
- They arrived in Valencia two days ago.
Stressed vowel + consonant suffix
- He stopped doing exercise long ago.
- My friend suggested going to the banned beach.
- They travelled every summer when they were young.
Use
We use the past simple, in the affirmative form, to confirm:
- Actions, situations and events that occurred and finished in the past;
- Repeated events and habits that took place in the past;
- Past events and with time expressions such as: two weeks ago, last year, in 2010, yesterday…
Summary
We use the past simple, in the affirmative form, to confirm situations that occurred in the past and have now concluded.
The structure of regular verbs is:
Subject + Verb (Past tense) + …
For example:
— Regular verbs: “You ask.” ⇒ “You asked.” = We just add -ed.
The past simple tense of regular verbs is formed differently depending on the base form of the verb used.
For example:
— Suffix -y: “I try.” ⇒ “I tried.” = We change –y to i and add -ed.
— Suffix -e: “I dance.” ⇒ “I danced.” = We just add -d.
— Suffix with stressed vowel + consonant (except -w and -y): “I plan.” ⇒ “I planned.” = We double the consonant and add -ed.
Let’s revise this content within the {Form} section. Take a look at the {Example} section that shows its use within a context.
Exercises
The exercises are not created yet. If you would like to get involve with their creation, be a contributor.
Ambassadors
Open TextBooks are collaborative projects, with people from all over the world bringing their skills and interests to join in the compilation and dissemination of knowledge to everyone and everywhere.
Become an Ambassador and write your textbooks.
Online Teaching
Become a Books4Languages Online tutor & teacher.
More information here about how to be a tutor.
