As you know, there are four present, past and future tenses (active voice) in English. Their study usually begins with the Simple group (simple times). This article will look at Present Simple Tense, how to use it and examples.
Past Simple Tense
Past Simple (Past simple tense) is used when talking about an action that happened in the past. For this, exact time markers are used, such as:
- yesterday (yesterday);
- the day before yesterday (day before yesterday);
- five days ago (5 days ago);
- last year/month (last year/month);
- in 1992 (in 1992).
For greater clarity, the Past Simple table will be shown below, but first let's look at how the sentence is built.
In order to construct an affirmative sentence in "Paste Simple", you must use the verb in the second form. This means that if it is correct, then the ending -ed is added to it. But, if it is wrong, then it must be put in the second form. Irregular verbs you need to knowby heart!
For example:
- Yesterday I met my neighbor in the supermarket. He shared with me the latest news. - Yesterday I met my neighbor in the supermarket. He shared the latest news with me.
- I visited my lovely country - Greece in 2016. - I visited my lovely country Greece in 2016.
In order to build a negative sentence in the Past Simple, you need to use the auxiliary verb did, to which the particle not is added. It should be remembered that the semantic verb will already be in the first form:
- Yesterday I did not (didn't) meet my neighbor in the supermarket. He didn't share with me the latest news. - Yesterday I did not meet my neighbor in the supermarket. He didn't tell me the latest news.
- I didn't visit my lovely country - Greece in 2016.
To form an interrogative sentence, the auxiliary verb did is also used, which is put in the first place. At the same time, the semantic verb, as in the negative sentence, is used in the first form:
- Did I meet my neighbor in the supermarket yesterday? Did he share the latest news? - I met my neighbor at the supermarket yesterday? Did he share the latest news?
- Did I visit my lovely country - Greece in 2016? - Did I visit my favorite country Greece in 2016?
Past Simple table
For better assimilation and memorization, we advise you to compile such tables for each time studied, and thenmake a summary option that will come in handy throughout the training.
| Simple | Continuous (continuous) | Perfect (completed) | Perfect Continuous | |
| Past (past) |
The action happened in the past. There is no current result. Pointer words: yesterday, two days ago, last year, 2008, etc. Education:
+ I played hockey yesterday. - I didn't play hockey yesterday. Did I play hockey yesterday? Important! In interrogative and negative sentences - the semantic verb - in the first form. |
fill in as you learn | fill in as you learn | fill in as you learn |
This is how the generalized Past Simple table looks like.
Using verbs
Special attention should be paid to the Past Simple tense verbs. If it is correct, then the ending -ed is added. It should be remembered that when a verb ends in -y and is preceded by a consonant, the letter -y changes to -i.
For example, dry - dried (dry), try - tried (try), but play - played (play).
If the verb is irregular, then its second form is used:
1) I went to the shop yesterday and met myold friend. - I went shopping yesterday and met my old friend.
went - the second form of the verb go (to walk); met - the second form of the verb meet (to meet).
2) My daughter swept the floor every day during last week. - My daughter swept the floor every day last week.
swept - the second form of the verb sweep (sweep).
Practice exercises
1. Put the verbs in brackets into the correct form. Translate into Russian.
Yesterday I (walk) on the way to work. I (see) a lot of beautiful parks on my way. It (to be) an excitin experience. My family (move) to this city 2 months ago. We (not like) it at first. But yesterday I (understand) that it is really gorgeous place!
2. Complete the table by putting the verbs in the correct form. Make a transfer (if required).
| watch | watch | |
| swept | ||
| understand | ||
| went | ||
| feed | feed | |
| can | ||
| fly | ||
| be | ||
| tried | ||
| play |
Past Simple vs Present Perfect
I would like to pay special attention to the fact that many people confusewhen it is necessary to use Past Simple (the table is given above), and when Present Perfect. The present completed tense is used when talking about an action that actually happened in the past, but at the same time it has a result in the present. For example:
I can't open the door, I lost my keys. - I cannot open the door, I have lost my key.
BUT!
I lost my keys last week. - I lost my key last week.
In the first sentence, we see the result - the person has lost the keys and now cannot open the door. The second sentence simply states a fact. Also, do not forget about the pointer words that will help us determine the correct time.
