Past Simple Tense

Most English verbs are regular. To form the Past Simple, add -ed to the base verb. There are a few spelling rules to be aware of:

Many of the most common English verbs are irregular. Their past forms do not follow the -ed rule and must be learned individually. Here are the most important ones:

• I walked to the station because I missed the bus.
• She studied medicine at university for six years.
• They went to Paris last summer and loved every minute of it.
• He was very happy when he heard the news.
• We had dinner at a nice restaurant in the city centre.

• I didn't walk — I took a taxi instead.
• She didn't study law; she studied medicine.
• They didn't go to Paris — they went to Rome.
• He wasn't angry; he was just very tired.
• We didn't have enough time for dessert.

• Did you walk to the station this morning?
• What did she study at university?
• Where did they go on holiday last summer?
• Was he happy when he heard the news?
• Why did you leave so early last night?

These time expressions confirm that the action is clearly in the past. When you use one, always use the Past Simple — not the Present Perfect.

The Past Simple is used in several different situations. Select an exercise below to practise each one. Each page includes three exercise sets and a full grammar explanation.

• 1
  Past Simple: To Describe Completed Actions in the Past

  Use the Past Simple for actions that started and finished at a specific point in the past — often with a time expression like yesterday or in 2015. Example: She finished the report before the meeting.

• 2
  Past Simple: To Describe Past Habits and States

  Use the Past Simple to talk about things you regularly did in the past, or situations that existed for a period but are no longer true now. Example: She walked to school every day when she was young.

• 3
  Past Simple: To Describe Actions Happening Over a Period of Time in the Past

  Use the Past Simple for actions that continued over a completed past period — even if they lasted a long time. Example: She worked at the company for ten years before she retired.

• 4
  Past Simple: To Describe Sequential Actions in the Past

  Use the Past Simple when a series of completed actions happened one after another. The order of the verbs shows the order of events. Example: She woke up, had breakfast, and left for work.

• 5
  Past Simple & Past Continuous: To Describe a Point in the Past While Another Action is in Progress

  Use the Past Continuous for the longer background action and the Past Simple for the shorter action that interrupts it. Example: I was cooking when the phone rang.