Ready to be a Time Traveller? Let's Learn the Past Simple Tense!

Hello Super Students! Have you ever wanted to tell a story about what you did yesterday, last week, or on your last birthday? The Past Simple Tense is like a magical time machine in English that lets us talk about things that have already happened. It's one of the most important things you'll learn for telling amazing stories!

In these notes, we will learn how to talk and write about the past. It's going to be fun!


What is the Past Simple Tense?

The Past Simple Tense is used to talk about actions and situations that started and finished in the past. Think of it like a photo in a photo album – it captures a moment that is now over.

We use it when we talk about:

  • yesterday
  • last night
  • last week
  • last year
  • a long time ago
For example:

Today, I play with my friends. (This is happening now - Present)

Yesterday, I played with my friends. (This already happened - Past)

Key Takeaway

Use the Past Simple Tense to talk about something that is completely finished. The action is done!


Making the Past Simple: The "-ed" Heroes (Regular Verbs)

For most verbs (action words), making them past tense is easy! They are called regular verbs. You just need to add the magic letters -ed to the end.

Don't worry if this seems tricky at first, we'll go through it step-by-step!

The Three Easy "-ed" Rules

Rule 1: For most verbs, just add -ed.

  • wash -> washed
    Example: Daddy washed the car yesterday.
  • jump -> jumped
    Example: The frog jumped into the pond.

Rule 2: If the verb already ends in -e, just add -d.

  • smile -> smiled
    Example: She smiled at the cute puppy.
  • dance -> danced
    Example: We danced at the party last night.

Rule 3: If the verb ends in a consonant + y, change the 'y' to 'i' and then add -ed.

  • cry -> cried
    Example: The baby cried because he was hungry.
  • try -> tried
    Example: I tried my best to finish the puzzle.
Quick Review Box

Regular Verbs are predictable! Just remember to add -ed at the end to send them into the past.


The Rule Breakers! (Irregular Verbs)

Some verbs are a bit cheeky and don't follow the "-ed" rule. These are called irregular verbs. They change their spelling completely when they go into the past. You just have to remember them, like learning a secret code!

Here are some of the most common ones:

Becomes... in the Past

  • is / am -> was
    Example: I was a baby a long time ago.
  • are -> were
    Example: They were happy to see the movie.
  • have / has -> had
    Example: I had a cold last week.
  • go -> went
    Example: We went to the park on Sunday.
  • eat -> ate
    Example: He ate a big sandwich for lunch.
  • see -> saw
    Example: I saw a beautiful rainbow.
  • think -> thought
    Example: I thought the story was very interesting.
Did you know?

Most storybooks you read, like fairy tales, use the Past Simple Tense because the stories happened "once upon a time"! For example, "Alice opened the pink box. A little fairy jumped out."

Key Takeaway

Irregular verbs change their spelling in the past. The best way to learn them is to practice using them. You can do it!


Asking Questions About the Past

What if you want to ask a question about something that happened in the past? It's easy! We use the special helper words Was, Were, or Did.

Asking with 'Was' and 'Were'

We use Was and Were when the main verb in the sentence is the 'be' verb.

  • Was he tired?
  • Were they hungry?

Asking with 'Did'

For almost all other action verbs, we use the helper word Did. But here's a super important trick!

Memory Trick: Think of Did as a time-travel superhero. It does all the work of going into the past. This means the main verb can relax and stay in its original form (without -ed)!

How to form the question:

Did + who/what + BASE VERB + rest of the question?

Examples:
  • Did he cry?
  • Did you wash the dishes?
  • Did they play outside?
Common Mistake Alert!

Never add '-ed' to the verb when you use 'Did'.

Incorrect: Did you played football?

Correct: Did you play football?

Key Takeaway

To ask a question about the past, start with Was, Were, or Did. If you use Did, remember to keep the main verb in its original form!


Let's Recap! Your Past Simple Checklist

Wow, you've learned so much about travelling to the past! Let's do a quick check.

  • Use the Past Simple Tense for actions that are finished.
  • For regular verbs, just add -ed at the end.
  • Watch out for irregular verbs! They have special spellings (like go -> went).
  • To ask a question, use the helper words Was, Were, or Did.
  • Remember the superhero rule: When you use Did, the main verb stays in its base form!

Great job, time traveller! Keep practising and you'll be a master of the past tense in no time!