Past Simple is one of the very first topics to start learning English. But it is also one of the most important. If the first topics are well mastered, then the rest will be much easier to understand. In ordinary colloquial speech, simple tenses are very often used, so it is important to master them and master them confidently. When this topic has been carefully studied, the proposals in Past Simple will be very easy to build. But first, you need to understand what a simple past tense is and how it works. And also to find out what role the auxiliary verbs did / was / were play in the grammar, and what place they should occupy in the sentence.
What is Past Simple
Past Simple, or simple past tense, indicates actions that have been performed in the past. Moreover, it is very important to remember that these actions occurred at some particular moment and have already been completed.
For example: I watched this film two hours ago. - I watched this movie two hours ago.
This action was committed in the past, it completed completely two hours ago, a specific moment is indicated. The completed action and the indication of a specific moment are the main indicators that the simple past tense should be used. There are markers that help you navigate the first steps when you need to use Past Simple:
- Some days / years / hours ago;
- last year;
- yesterday;
- in 1865, etc.
Verb to be
The first step is to remember what form in Past Simple the auxiliary verb to be takes. According to the rules of English grammar, was and were are forms of the verb to be in the simple past tense. Was used with the third person singular and the pronoun I, and were used with all the others. It is also worth noting that according to the rules of English grammar, was and were used when the sentence lacks a semantic verb. That is, a verb that has its own meaning, expressing some action. In the affirmative sentence, the auxiliary verb is after the subject.
Examples: I was keen on painting two years ago. - Two years ago, I was fond of drawing.
I was at the cinema yesterday. - I was at the cinema yesterday.
You were at work five hours ago. “You were at work five hours ago.”
Interrogative sentences with the verb to be
According to the rules of grammar, was and were form an interrogative form, moving to the first place in the sentence. That is, in questions, the verb to be is put at the very beginning, and the subject is followed by it.
Examples: Were you at school yesterday? “You were at school yesterday?”
Was he a student four years ago? “You were a student four years ago?”
Denial with was and were. Grammar
Auxiliary verbs perform many functions. In English grammar, was and were with the addition of not form negation. Negative sentences are formed as follows: subject, auxiliary verb + not. Negation can be written as was not / were not or reduced to wasn't / weren't.
Examples: I wasn't at school yesterday. - I was not at school yesterday.
You weren't at the cinema two hours ago. “You weren't in the cinema two hours ago.”
Auxiliary verb to do
The verb to do in Past Simple takes the form did. This verb serves to form interrogative and negative forms, when the sentence contains a semantic verb. In affirmative sentences, did is not used as an auxiliary verb. However, it is worth paying attention to the semantic. In the simple past tense, the ending –ed is added to the semantic verb in the function of the predicate as a general rule. But if it is an irregular verb, then it does not change according to the rules, but has its own past tense form. There is a table of irregular verbs that you just need to memorize and use if necessary. This table is quite large, but do not be scared. Many verbs from it are used quite often in speech, so they can be easily remembered by composing various sentences with them.
Example sentences with the correct verb: I watched this film yesterday. - I watched this movie yesterday.
Example sentences with irregular verbs: I gave you this book two days ago. “I gave you this book two days ago.”
Denial and questions with did
If the sentence has a predicate expressed by a semantic verb, then the question is formed using did. The auxiliary verb is placed first, followed by the subject, and the subject by the predicate. Moreover, it is necessary to remember that in matters the semantic verb stands in the initial form, that is, without the ending –ed. This ending is used only in affirmative sentences.
Examples: Did you watch this film yesterday? - Did you watch this movie yesterday?
Did he buy this book two days ago? “You bought this book two days ago?”
The negation is formed by adding not to the auxiliary verb did. Moreover, it is worth noting that the semantic verb is also used without the –ed ending. The subject will be at the beginning of the sentence, then did + not, and then the semantic verb.
Examples: I did not buy this book yesterday. - I did not buy this book yesterday.
You did not give me this book yesterday. “You didn't give me this book yesterday.”
You did not visit me two days ago. “You didn't come to me two days ago.”
In writing and speaking, you can shorten the combination did + not. It will look like this: didn't.
These are the basic rules for building different types of sentences in Past Simple. To easily and quickly build phrases in the simple past tense, you need to remember markers that indicate that the given tense should be used, learn irregular verbs and use according to the rules of the was / were / did grammar. Over time, you can learn how to put auxiliary verbs in the right place and choose the necessary form of the semantic verb, almost without thinking.