30 Examples of Sentences in Past Simple

The past simple (past simple) is a tense used to express actions or states that began and ended in the past. For example: They went to Mexico for their summer vacation. / They went to Mexico for their summer vacation.

The past simple can be used to express both punctual past actions (I went to the park yesterday. / I went to the park yesterday.), as habitual actions in the past (I went to the park every day. / I used to go to the park every day.). It is the context that determines which use is referred to.

The past simple is one of the so-called narrative tenseor narrative tenses in English, together with the past continuous (past continuous) and past perfect (perfect past).

Uses of past simple

The past simple is used to express:

  • Actions or states that started and ended in the past. These actions or states do not extend or have implications in the present. In Spanish it is equivalent to the simple past tense (I went, I did, I came). For example: He came home on Saturday. / He came home on Saturday.
  • Actions that follow a chronological order in the past. For example: Yo woke up and I stayed in bed for an hour. Then, I got up and I had a shower. / I woke up and stayed in bed for an hour. Then I got up and took a shower.
  • Habitual actions or states in the past. These actions were not punctual but were repeated or habitual. In Spanish it is equivalent to the imperfect tense (went, did, came). For example: Yo lived in another city in the past. / I lived in another city in the past.

Habitual actions or states in the past can also be expressed with the construction used to (used to). For example: Yo used to live in another city in the past. / I used to live in another city in the past.

to take into account: Since the past simple It is equivalent to two verb tenses in Spanish: the present perfect (I went, I did, I came) and the past perfect (went, did, came), it is the context that determines which usage is referred to.

Regular Verbs and Irregular Verbs

The verbs in past simple They are divided into regular and irregular, which determines their writing and pronunciation:

  • Regular verbs. The past simple of regular verbs in English is formed by adding the ending -ed to the infinitive of the verb. For example: work-workEdwant–wantEdstart–startEd.
  • Irregular verbs. The past simple Of the irregular verbs in English, unlike the regular ones, it does not follow any rule for its formation. For example: eat- tiebreak – brokecut – cut.

See also:

affirmative structure of past simple

There is only one conjugation for all the people in English, that is, the verb conjugated in the past does not change according to the pronoun, as it does in Spanish. For example:

  • Yo gave a speech. / I gave a speech.
  • I have gave a speech. / He gave a speech.

The past simple follow the structure:

subjectverb in past simpleYo
you
I have
She
Item
We
Theywent

For example: She learned the lesson by heart. / She memorized the lesson.

Attention: Unlike Spanish, the verb in past simple in English it does not change depending on the pronoun. For example: I went; she went; they went.

negative structure of past simple

The negative structure of past simple is formed by preceding the auxiliary did not (didn’t) to the infinitive of the verb:

Subjectdidn’tinfinitive verbYo
you
I have
She
Item
We
Theydidn’t go

For example: Yo didn’t eat a big sandwich for lunch. / I didn’t eat a big sandwich for lunch.

Attention: The conjugation of the negative structure of the past simple is given by the presence of the auxiliary did not). The main verb in negative sentences is in the infinitive (and not conjugated in the past, as in affirmative sentences). For example: She didn’t pay much for the blouse. (And no: She didn’t pay…)

interrogative structure of past simple

The interrogative structure of the past simple is formed by preceding the auxiliary did to the subject. The main verb goes in the infinitive (and not conjugated in the past).

DidSubjectinfinitive verbdidYo
you
I have
She
Item
We
They go

For example: did you play tennis last week? / Did you play tennis last week?

Attention: In the interrogative structure, the main verb is in the infinitive (and not conjugated in the past). For example: did you study? (And no: Did you study?)

Verb to be

Subjectwas / werecomplementYo
I have
She
Itemwas / wasn’t (was not)born here. you
We
Theywere / weren’t (were not) born here.

The verb to be (to be and to be) in past simple is different from the rest of the verbs in English:

  • It has two conjugations according to the pronoun: was / were. For example: Yo was a good student at elementary school. / I was a good student in elementary school.
  • The negative sentences with to be do not use didn’t (did not). The negative is formed with wasn’t (was not) Y weren’t (were not), according to the pronoun. For example: They weren’t beats. / They arrived, they were not late.
  • To be does not use the auxiliary did to ask questions. Used was / wereyesas appropriate, and the inversion between subject and verb is respected, as in all questions in English. For example: Were you at the office yesterday? / Were you at the office yesterday?

Adverbs of time and frequency with the past simple

The past simple It can be used together with adverbs of time and frequency. Adverbs of time usually go at the end of the sentence, and those of frequency, between the subject and the verb.

yesterday
Yesterdaywhile ago
some time agolast month
last monthlast week
In the past weeka long time ago
long agolast year
last yeartwo weeks ago
two weeks agomany years ago
Many years agousually
usuallythe day before yesterday
the day before yesterdayages ago
a very long time agooften
oftenon the weekend
weekendin 2017
in 2017Sometimes
sometimeson Saturday
Saturdaywhen i was a kid
as a kidseldom
seldomjust the other day
the other dayalways
forevernever
never

to take into account: The word aug means “does”. It is used after a period of time. For example: ten years aug.

Examples of sentences in past simple

  1. I traveled across the US last summer.
    I traveled around the United States last summer.
  2. I met your brother at the movie theater yesterday.
    I met your brother at the cinema yesterday.
  3. Matt was the friend who saved my life.
    Matt was the friend that saved my life.
  4. Did you notice his reaction?
    Did you notice his reaction?
  5. We went to school by bus yesterday.
    Yesterday we went to school by bus.
  6. I bought the car in January.
    I bought the car in January.
  7. Suddenly, Tom broke in and asked for his brother.
    Suddenly, Tom appeared and asked for his brother.
  8. I didn’t think about that, sorry!
    I didn’t think of that, sorry!
  9. Did Joyce go to Paris last year?
    Joyce went to Paris last year?
  10. Did you do much hiking during your vacation?
    Did you do a lot of hiking during your vacation?
  11. It rained all night.
    It rained all night
  12. Where did you buy those chocolates?
    Where did you buy those chocolates?
  13. Mel visited an active volcano while he was in Iceland.
    Mel visited an active volcano while in Iceland.
  14. When I was a child, I didn’t like soccer.
    When I was a kid, I didn’t like soccer.
  15. Last year I went to Europe with my aunt.
    Last year I went to Europe with my aunt.
  16. Steve wrote down his telephone number and address on a piece of paper.
    Steve wrote down his phone number and address on a piece of paper.
  17. Paul didn’t study for the exam.
    Paul did not study for the test.
  18. We were best friends while we were at high school.
    We were the best of friends during high school.
  19. Did you see Mary while in London?
    Did you see Mary while you were in London?
  20. They didn’t believe him.
    They didn’t believe him.
  21. Jill left the party early last night.
    Jill left the party early last night.
  22. In the past, I loved watching series.
    In the past, I loved watching series.
  23. Shakespeare wrote many plays and sonnets.
    Shakespeare wrote many plays and sonnets.
  24. Aristotle was a Greek philosopher.
    Aristotle was a Greek philosopher.
  25. My favorite band gave a great concert last week.
    My favorite band gave a great concert last week.
  26. The couple got married at a beautiful private ceremony.
    The couple got married in a beautiful private ceremony.
  27. He picked up a hot plate and burned his hand.
    He picked up a hot plate and burned his hand.
  28. I played with my friends every day when I was a child.
    I used to play with my friends every day when I was a kid.
  29. Tom lost his passport while he was on vacation.
    Tom lost his passport while on vacation.
  30. The temperature dropped 15 degrees during the night.
    The temperature dropped 15 degrees overnight.

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Interactive test to practice