404:. The simple past is used when the event happened at a particular time in the past, or during a period which ended in the past (i.e. a period that does not last up until the present time). This time frame may be explicitly stated, or implicit in the context (for example the past tense is often used when describing a sequence of past events).
97:
with different forms. The spelling rules for forming the past simple of regular verbs are as follows: verbs ending in -e add only –d to the end (e.g. live – lived, not *liveed), verbs ending in -y change to -ied (e.g. study – studied) and verbs ending in a group of a consonant + a vowel + a consonant
328:), but some stative verbs do not generally use the progressive aspect at all, typically verbs of mental states (know, believe, need), of emotional states (love, dislike, prefer), of possession (have, own), of senses (hear) and some others (consist, exist, promise) – see
380:
If one action interrupts another, then it is usual for the interrupted (ongoing) action to be expressed with the past progressive, and the action that interrupted it to be in the simple past:
69:
construction whose basic form uses the plain past tense alone, from other past tense constructions which use auxiliaries in combination with participles, such as the
694:. Cambridge textbooks in linguistics (8. pr. 2004 transferred to digital printing 2006 ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 41–43.
864:
832:
777:
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50:. It is used principally to describe events in the past, although it also has some other uses. Regular English verbs form the simple past in
879:
855:
Biber, Douglas; Quirk, Randolph, eds. (2012). "Chapter 6: Variations in the verb phrase: tense aspect, voice, and modal use.".
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The simple past is used for a single event (or sequence of such events) in the past, and also for past habitual actions:
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571:
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329:
772:. Cambridge textbooks in linguistics (Transferred to digital print ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge Univ. Press.
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The simple past form also has some uses in which it does not refer to a past time. These are generally in
823:
Biber, Douglas; Quirk, Randolph, eds. (2012). "Chapter 10: Verb and adjective complement clauses".
502:
145:
19:
This article is about an
English tense form. For the comparable tense form in other languages, see
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148:. This is the only case in modern English where a distinction in form is made between
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referring to hypothetical circumstances, as well as certain expressions of wish:
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For use of the simple past (and other past tense forms) in indirect speech, see
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747:. Oxford paperback reference (2. ed., ed.). Oxford: Oxford Univ. Press.
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165:
43:
743:
Aarts, Bas; Chalker, Sylvia; Weiner, Edmund S. C.; Weiner, E. S. C. (2014).
645:
39:
20:
770:
Aspect: an introduction to the study of verbal aspect and related problems
355:
However, with verbs of sensing, it is common in such circumstances to use
332:– and in these cases the simple past is used even for a temporary state:
492:
373:
105:
Most verbs have a single form of the simple past, independent of the
66:
144:
in conditional clauses and the like; for information on this, see
98:
double the final consonant (e.g. stop – stopped). For details see
171:. A full list of forms is given below, using the (regular) verb
599:
The regular verbs ending with -ed are pronounced as follows:
316:
For actions that were ongoing at the time referred to, the
160:, and emphatic forms of the simple past use the auxiliary
612:
Regular verb endings with unvoiced consonants+/t/, e.g.
482:
Various compound constructions exist for denoting past
603:
Regular verb endings with voiced consonants+/d/, e.g.
467:
These examples can be contrasted with those given at
324:). The same can apply to states, if temporary (e.g.
621:Regular verb endings with /t/ or /d/ + /ɪd/, e.g.
488:When I was young, I played football every Saturday
572:Uses of English verb forms § Indirect speech
469:Uses of English verb forms § Present perfect
400:The simple past is often close in meaning to the
567:in the article on uses of English verb forms.
265:Negative (-) S + did not ( didn't) + verb + C
132:for the first and third persons singular, and
16:Basic form of the past tense in Modern English
857:Longman grammar of spoken and written English
825:Longman grammar of spoken and written English
330:Uses of English verb forms § Progressive
8:
859:(10. impression ed.). Harlow: Longman.
827:(10. impression ed.). Harlow: Longman.
745:The Oxford dictionary of English grammar
117:for the third person singular as in the
113:of the subject (there is no addition of
677:
471:. Also, for past actions that occurred
89:Regular verbs form the simple past end
801:Learn English Teens - British Council
555:For more details see the sections on
490:might alternatively be phrased using
164:. For details of this mechanism, see
7:
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880:Past Simple Uses & Explanations
300:It can also refer to a past state:
54:; however, there are a few hundred
531:faster, he would get home earlier.
475:the relevant past time frame, the
326:the ball was lying on the sidewalk
262:Affirmative (+) S + verb(ed) + c
93:; however there are a few hundred
14:
190:Expanded (emphatic) simple past:
320:is generally used instead (e.g.
100:English verbs § Past tense
38:, in English equivalent to the
723:LearnEnglish - British Council
1:
797:"Past simple – regular verbs"
421:the oven off two minutes ago.
371:, etc. For more on this, see
310:how to fight even as a child.
140:can also be used in place of
136:in other instances. The form
65:" is used to distinguish the
878:iStudyEnglishOnline (2015).
42:, is the basic form of the
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641:Uses of English verb forms
294:them every day for a year.
128:has two past tense forms:
18:
453:the letter on the table,
446:two letters this morning.
768:Comrie, Bernard (2001).
690:Comrie, Bernard (2006).
249:I/you/he/she/it/we/they
241:I/you/he/she/it/we/they
219:I/you/he/she/it/we/they
207:I/you/he/she/it/we/they
193:I/you/he/she/it/we/they
182:I/you/he/she/it/we/they
498:... I used to play ...
58:with different forms.
486:action. The sentence
595:Pronunciation of -ed
886:on August 14, 2015.
588:to go on the slide.
565:expressions of wish
545:I would rather she
508:... I would play...
235:Negative question:
179:Basic simple past:
146:English subjunctive
900:Grammatical tenses
428:home at 6 o'clock.
882:. Archived from
866:978-0-582-23725-4
834:978-0-582-23725-4
779:978-0-521-29045-6
754:978-0-19-965823-7
701:978-0-521-28138-6
561:dependent clauses
519:dependent clauses
515:condition clauses
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318:past progressive
121:). However, the
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666:Present perfect
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549:a longer dress.
517:and some other
402:present perfect
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201:Question form:
175:as an example:
95:irregular verbs
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71:present perfect
56:irregular verbs
36:past indefinite
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884:the original
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727:. Retrieved
725:. 2010-03-18
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557:conditionals
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477:past perfect
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392:were cooking
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386:Your mother
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367:in place of
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75:past perfect
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500:) or using
123:copula verb
67:syntactical
32:past simple
28:simple past
806:2024-01-04
729:2024-01-04
672:References
651:Past tense
461:the house.
390:while you
365:could hear
259:Base form
216:Negative:
61:The term "
44:past tense
646:Preterite
625:/niːdɪd/.
534:I wish I
479:is used.
357:could see
154:negations
150:inversion
85:Formation
40:preterite
21:Preterite
894:Category
630:See also
616:/stɒpt/.
484:habitual
439:married?
338:The dog
243:not help
195:did help
169:-support
614:stopped
607:/hʌɡd/.
493:used to
374:can see
292:visited
221:did not
863:
831:
776:
751:
698:
623:needed
605:hugged
586:wanted
529:walked
527:If he
473:before
457:, and
455:sighed
451:placed
419:turned
388:called
247:Didn't
225:didn't
184:helped
111:number
107:person
77:, and
63:simple
692:Tense
503:would
444:wrote
435:they
431:When
369:heard
349:cold.
269:Usage
156:with
34:, or
861:ISBN
829:ISBN
774:ISBN
749:ISBN
696:ISBN
582:said
563:and
547:wore
536:knew
459:left
449:She
426:came
347:felt
308:knew
281:took
251:help
245:? /
229:help
209:help
173:help
138:were
134:were
26:The
584:he
580:He
540:was
510:).
442:We
437:get
433:did
417:We
412:was
361:saw
340:was
285:ran
279:He
239:Did
205:Did
162:did
158:not
142:was
130:was
109:or
91:-ed
52:-ed
46:in
896::
843:^
815:^
799:.
788:^
721:.
710:^
680:^
559:,
424:I
410:I
377:.
363:,
345:I
306:I
290:I
227:)
167:do
152:,
126:be
115:-s
102:.
81:.
73:,
30:,
869:.
837:.
809:.
782:.
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506:(
496:(
394:.
287:.
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223:(
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23:.
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