In the article we will analyze the temporal features of the English and Russian languages, namely, we will compare the formation of the past tense in these two languages. We will analyze in detail what time is Past Simple (paste simple) in English. We will definitely understand how sentences are built, what rules and exceptions exist. The topic is quite logical and simple, if you do not get distracted when explaining.
Past tense in languages
We should start with the fact that the past tense in Russian and English has a fundamental semantic difference. There is only one past tense in our language. For us, this is absolutely natural and goes without saying: “he read the book yesterday”, “we phoned two days ago”, “by three o’clock I was already ready for the trip”, “they walked from four to eight in the evening”, etc.. All these actions were done in the past and have been done up to the present.
That's enough for usto understand that we are dealing with the past tense. In English, there are four varieties of the past tense. The given examples-sentences are used in different types of past tense forms.
Note: past tenses
So, to make the picture clearer, let's list the types of the past tense - Past Tenses (translated past - "past, past", tenses - "times"):
- Past Simple - past simple.
- Past Continuous - Past Continuous.
- Past Perfect - past perfect.
- Past Perfect Continuous - past perfect in progress.
All these times are past. For clarity, let's look at the difference in additional specific sentences:
- Past Simple: "He read the book yesterday." It is important for us that the action happened sometime in the past - "yesterday". It doesn't matter here whether it was in the morning or in the evening. The main thing is that the action happened.
- Past Continuous: "Yesterday at two o'clock in the afternoon he was reading a book." This tense tells us about a certain action at a particular moment in the past, not just "yesterday", but "yesterday at two o'clock in the afternoon." The action took place at a specific moment.
- Past Perfect: "By two o'clock in the afternoon, he had already finished reading the novel." Here the action took place in the past and was completed before two o'clock. In other words, the action happened before some other action (or time) in the past.
- And finally, Past PerfectContinuous: "He was reading a novel yesterday from three to six in the evening." In this time, the emphasis is on the action in the past, lasted for a long period and ended before a certain time in the past.
At first glance, somewhat confused and difficult. But when you study a specific time and with the necessary training, everything becomes clear.
We are now specifically interested in Past Simple (paste simple) in English. Let's take a look at it.
Past Simple Use Cases
Time Past Simple (paste simpl) in English characterizes actions that took place sometime in the past. Typically, such sentences indicate certain words (perhaps they are simply implied): yesterday or two hours ago, last week or last Friday, last year or month, a couple of years or five years ago, and so on.
Actions that took place in the past and follow each other also characterize this time. For example: “She woke up, took a shower, got ready, had breakfast and went to work.”
This tense is also used when familiar actions in the past are meant, but are no longer relevant now: “In my early childhood, I often liked to visit my grandmother.”
Now let's move on to building sentences and touch on the rules defined in Past Simple.
Affirmative (declarative) sentences in Past Simple
So, to build an affirmative sentence in Past Simple, you need to know the following: in English there are right and wrongVerbs. Let's figure it out:
- Regular verbs are those that obey certain laws of the language, such as the rule of forming the past tense. For all correct, one might say, “obedient” verbs, it is the same and mandatory: the ending “-ed” or “-d” is added to the initial form of the verb (without the particle to) to form the form in the past tense.
- Irregular verbs are, in simple terms, "naughty" verbs that do not obey the general principle of forming the verb form in Past Simple (paste simple). Rules do not apply here - there are exceptions that must be remembered! The difficulty is that there are many irregular verbs. They are all reflected in special grammar tables in textbooks or in ordinary English-Russian dictionaries. Two more forms are given next to the irregular verb. We will be interested in the second form (or the second column in the textbook tables).
When constructing sentences, remember the word order. At the initial stage, try to start with the subject, followed by the predicate, and only then - all the other members of the sentence. This is optional, but desirable, as observing this moment will help develop the habit of not losing significant parts of the statement and knowing exactly where to start building a phrase.
Negative and interrogative sentences in Past Simple
To build negative and interrogative sentences in Past Simple (paste simpl) in English, you need to know thatthere is an auxiliary verb did. This is a helper verb. It helps to build negative and interrogative statements.
In a negative sentence, first (in the first place) is the subject, then the helper verb did with the negation of not (abbreviated as didn't), then the predicate in the initial form without to, and the rest of the sentence.
When constructing a question, the word order is as follows: first, if there is one, the interrogative word is put, then the helper verb did, then the subject, predicate, in the initial form without to, and the rest of the sentence. The example in the table proposed in the article shows this more clearly.
For a complete understanding and consolidation of the acquired knowledge, it is necessary to perform exercises in Past Simple (paste simple). These can be a variety of tasks: put the verb in the right form, translate a sentence from Russian into English, insert a suitable verb from those proposed, etc. The main thing is that you need to complete them with awareness, in which case it will be very easy to build your speech in the past tense.
The article reflects the complete table in Past Simple (paste simpl). Analyze it again in detail and carefully. Two accents - regular/irregular verbs and the auxiliary verb did.
Note: types of simple Simple (symp) time
It must be repeated that if you catch the principle of using tenses in English, and it is peculiar and simple, then the entire type of time table in English will become understandable andtransparent.
For example, simple in translation is “simple”. There are three Simple tenses in English: Present Simple, Past Simple, Future Simple (present simple and past simple, as well as future simple), that is, present simple, past simple and future simple. Each of these types of time is characterized by its own construction of sentences and its own characteristics, which is presented in the table.
It will also be extremely useful to perform exercises for comparing and building sentences in this line of the Simple direction (for example, present simple and paste simple, paste simple and future simple, present simple and future simple). And the more practice the better!
We hope that this article was useful and informative for you.
