PAST SIMPLE: Regular verbs:
PAST SIMPLE: Regular verbs:
To talk about what happened in the past, something that started and ended in a concrete time in the past, something that was completed, we use the Past Simple tense.
To form the past simple tense we have to make differences between the affirmative, the negative and the interrogative sentences.
AFFIRMATIVE:
- Irregular verbs: it's necessary to learn the list of irregular verbs to know how to form each one of them.
Examples: Present simple: I eat an apple today. --> Past simple: I ate an apple yesterday.
- Regular verbs: we add '-ed' to the infinitive (without to) form.
Examples: Present simple: I play the saxophone today. --> Past simple: I played the saxophone yesterday.
BUT:
- If the verb ends by an '-e', we only add the '-d'. Example: believe - believed: I believe in you today. --> I believed in you yesterday.
- If the verb ends by an '-y', it changes into an '-i'. Example: copy - copied: I copy your note today. --> I copied your note yesterday.
- If the verb ends by a short vowel and a consonant (except 'y' or 'w'), we double the final consonant. Example: prefer - preferred. I prefer the blue jacket today. --> I preferred the white one yesterday.
NEGATIVE:
Both for regular and irregular verbs, to form the negative form of the Past Simple, we need to use the Past Simple form of the verb 'to do' (did) and to add 'not'.
We can use the long form (did not) or the short form (didn't).
It's the same form for all the personal pronouns:
I didn't eat an apple.
You didn't eat an apple.
He/she/it didn't eat an apple
...
INTERROGATIVE AND SHORT ANSWERS:
We also use the Past Simple form of the 'do': did in the question order.
It doesn't change in the different pronouns.
Did you watch the TV yesterday? (+) Yes, I did. / (-) No, I didn't.