Past simple form Past simple – regular verbs. Some people call this the V2 form of the verb. The simple past (also called past simple, past indefinite or preterite) is a verb tense which is used to show that a completed action took place at a specific time in the past. Yes/No questions. The simple past is the basic form of past tense in English. The time of the action can be in the recent past or the distant past and action duration is not important. We use Past Simple tense to ask and answer questions about actions or events in the past. I met my wife 9 years ago. We crossed the Channel yesterday. Did she clean her home? We ate meat with my best friend yesterday. Simple past tense sentences examples, 50 sentences of simple past tense; 1. 6. The past simple is usually formed by adding d, ed, or ied to the base form of the verb, however, in English there are many irregular verbs that take on a completely different form in the past tense. The best thing to do is to try and memorize them. My father died last year. Were they doctors? 7. Questions in Past Simple. In order to ask a question, was/were needs to be at the beginning of the sentence: Was she a student? He lived in Fiji in 1976. An example of a simple past tense verb used in a sentence would be: "I went to the park." The simple past is also frequently used to talk about past habits and generalizations. Simple tenses: Simple tenses use the most basic forms of verbs: “Doctor Smith treats patients.” Perfect tenses: Perfect tenses use some form of the auxiliary verb “to have” plus the past participle form of the verb: “Doctor Smith has treated 200 patients this year.” 5. Examples. He bought a new house last month. One can check verbs forms in different tenses. The speaker completed their action of going to the park, so you use the verb "go" in the simple past tense. She left the school in 2010. To create a question that will be answered with a ‘yes’ or ‘no’, use ‘did‘ (or ‘didn’t‘ for a negative question) + base form of the verb (infinitive without ‘to’). Read on for detailed descriptions, examples, and simple past exercises. I ask my students to write several verbs (about 10) on the board. Use our search box to check present tense, present participle tense, past tense and past … I watched TV last week. We revise the past simple of all these verbs and then the students make up a story using all the verbs in past simple. The first student starts with the first verb. We use the past simple, in its interrogative form, to ask about situations that occurred and finished in the past.. PastTenses is a database of English verbs. 3. Note how this example uses an irregular verb but in the past simple, which can be a bit confusing until you understand the rules for using these verbs. 4. Using the negative form of “to be” in past simple. In negative sentences, add the adverb not and put it before the word was/were. We form the past simple with the past tense form of the verb. I read an interesting book last month. Regular and irregular verbs I'm going to ask this lady for directions. John Cabot sailed to America in 1498. I asked her age. Asking question with the verb “to be” in past. to ask a question; To interrogate or enquire of (a person). 2. 8. To put forward (a question) to be answered. ask (third-person singular simple present asks, present participle asking, simple past and past participle asked) To request (information, or an answer to a question). The bus stopped a few minutes ago.