Simple Past

Grammar Reference

Preparatore: Dott.ssa Barbara Meloni

Simple Past

Introduction

The Simple Past tense is one of the most common tenses in English. Its form is the same with all subjects. It is usually formed by adding -ED to the verb (regular verbs).It corresponds to the Italian tenses Passato remoto, Imperfetto and Passato prossimo.

Simple Past

USEa) Completed Action in the Past.

We use the Simple Past to express the idea that an action started and finished at a specific time in the past:

I worked yesterday.

Simple Past

b) A Series of Completed Actions.

We use the Simple Past to list a series of completed actions in the past. These actions happen 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and so on.

I finished work, walked to the beach, and talked with the children.

Simple Past

How is the simple past tense formed:

With most verbs, the simple past is created simply by adding -ED.

Examples: Play- Played

Talk-Talked

Simple Past

Negative & Interrogative form:

They are formed with the auxiliary verb did

(Simple Past of the verb do).

With did the verb is in its base form, because the “idea” of past is already included in the auxiliary.

Did you work yesterday?

I didn’t play tennis yesterday.

Simple Past

Changes:

There are some exceptions to the general rule:

a. If the verb ends in e, the Past tense is formed adding d: live- lived.

b. If the verb ends in consonant +y, we change y to i and add ed: try- tried.

c. If the verb ends in one vowel + one consonant (but NOT w or y), we double the consonant, then add –ed: stop- stopped.

d. All other cases including w: add ed.

Examples: boil- boiled, show- showed.

Simple Past

Pronunciation Rules:

-Ed is pronounced:

Id with verbs ending in d or t:Wanted, needed.T with verbs ending in p, s, k or f:Stopped, washed, worked.D in all the other cases: closed,

rained, studied.

Simple Past

This tense often goes together with adverbs or time expressions like:

Yesterday / three days ago/ last night/ summer/ week/ month / year…..

A minute/ a moment / an hour ago…

In 1984/ In May

When I was 13……. / A long time ago /

When I was a child……..