Casa ESL · grammar guides · level A1–A2
Past Simple — Complete Guide with Examples
The past simple tells finished stories: things that started and ended in the past. Yesterday, last year, in 2019, when I was a child — if the time is finished, this is your tense.
When to use the past simple
Use it for completed actions at a known past time: "I visited Rome in 2023." For sequences in stories: "She opened the door, saw the mess, and called the police." And for past habits: "We played outside every day when I was young."
Signal words: yesterday, last night/week/year, ago, in + past year, when I was…. If you can answer "when?" with a finished time, use the past simple.
Regular and irregular verbs
Regular verbs add -ed: work → worked, play → played, study → studied (consonant + y → -ied), stop → stopped (short vowel + consonant doubles).
Irregular verbs must be memorised — there is no rule. The most important twenty: go → went, have → had, do → did, say → said, make → made, get → got, see → saw, come → came, take → took, know → knew, give → gave, find → found, think → thought, tell → told, buy → bought, eat → ate, drink → drank, write → wrote, read → read (same spelling, different sound), be → was/were.
Questions and negatives with did
Did is the past helper for every subject — no third-person changes. "Did you see the game?" / "She didn't call me."
Same golden rule as does: when did or didn't appears, the main verb returns to base form. "Did you went?" is wrong — did carries the past, so the verb stays as go.
| Form | Example |
|---|---|
| Positive (regular) | They walked home. |
| Positive (irregular) | She went home. |
| Negative | I didn't watch the film. |
| Question | Did he arrive on time? |
| Be (was/were) | I was tired. / They were late. / Was she there? |
Common mistakes
✓ Did you go to the party?
After did, use the base verb.
✓ I didn't see him.
Didn't already marks the past.
✓ She bought a new phone.
Buy is irregular: buy → bought.
✓ They were happy.
Was is for I/he/she/it; were is for you/we/they.
Practice
- We ___ (see) a great film last night.
show answer
saw - ___ she ___ (finish) the report?
show answer
Did she finish - I ___ (not go) to work yesterday.
show answer
didn't go - They ___ (be) in Malta two years ago.
show answer
were - He ___ (stop) smoking in 2020.
show answer
stopped
FAQ
How do I form the past simple?
For regular verbs add -ed (worked, played). Irregular verbs have their own forms that must be learned (go → went, see → saw). Questions and negatives use did + base verb.
What is the difference between was and were?
Was goes with I, he, she, and it. Were goes with you, we, and they: I was tired, but they were tired.
When should I use past simple instead of present perfect?
Use the past simple when the time is finished and stated or known (I saw it yesterday). Use the present perfect when the time is open or the result matters now (I have seen it).
Want this to actually stick?
One-on-one lessons with a real teacher, or free worksheets for this level — your pace, your goals.
More guides: Present Simple · Present Continuous · Present Perfect · Articles: A, An, and The