What Is the Simple Past Tense?

English (and language in general) uses tense to indicate the timing of a verb’s action in the present, the past, or the future.

The simple past tense in English communicates that an action occurred at an earlier time. The action has been completed, and it is not continuing in the present or into the future.

Examples

John walked to the hardware store.

Fyodor opened a checking account.

Cara threw a penny into the well.

Simple Past Tense: Regular Verbs

To form the simple past tense with regular verbs, we add -ed to the verb root or -d if the verb ends in e.

Verb Root	Suffix	Simple Past Tense		Verb Root	Suffix	Simple Past Tense
call	-ed	called		live	-d	lived
fix	-ed	fixed		move	-d	moved
mow	-ed	mowed		produce	-d	produced
wash	-ed	washed		revise	-d	revised

The simple past tense for regular verbs is the same for the first, second, and third persons.

Examples
I called	you (plural) called
you called	we called
he/she/it called	they called

If a regular verb of one syllable ends with a sequence of consonant-vowel-consonant, we double the final consonant and add -ed: bat > batted, plop > plopped. The exception is when the final consonant is a w, x, or y: mix > mixed, spray > sprayed.

If a longer verb’s last syllable is stressed and it ends with consonant-vowel-consonant, we double the last consonant and add -ed: demur > demurred, refer > referred.

If a longer verb’s first syllable is stressed and it ends with consonant-vowel-consonant, we add just -ed: borrow > borrowed, center > centered.

If a regular verb ends in consonant + y, change the y to an i and add -ed: marry > married, study > studied.

Simple Past Tense: Irregular Verbs

English includes hundreds of irregular verbs, which are verbs that do not form their simple past tense and past participle with the standard endings used for regular verbs.

Because irregular verbs have no set format for conjugation, accurately forming the simple past tense for them requires getting familiar with them.

The following table includes examples of irregular verbs in the simple past tense.

Verb Root	Simple Past Tense		Verb Root	Simple Past Tense
be	was, were		fall	fell
catch	caught		give	gave
cost	cost		hang	hung
drive	drove		hit	hit

As with regular verbs, the simple past tense of irregular verbs is the same for the first, second, and third persons.

Examples
I fell	you (plural) fell
you fell	we fell
he/she/it fell	they fell

Simple Past Tense: Forming the Negative

To form the negative of the simple past tense, we use the past tense of the irregular verb do (did), the word not, and the root of the verb, i.e., did + not + verb.

Examples

Robert did not fix the broken doorknob.

The sales team did not produce the targeted numbers this quarter.

Amanda did not catch as many fish as she would have liked.

Terry did not hang the picture on the wall yesterday.

The negative form of the simple past tense also can be contracted.

Examples

Robert didn’t fix the broken doorknob.

Amanda didn’t catch as many fish as she would have liked.

An exception to these guidelines is the verb be. Be does not include did to form the negative in the simple past tense. The verb also comes before the negative, i.e., simple past tense of be + not.

Examples

I was not a participant in the shuffleboard tournament.

You were not available when I tried to call.

They were not qualified to fix the leak in the pipe.

Related Topics

What Is a Past Participle?
Past Perfect Tense
English Verb Conjugation

Pop Quiz

Change each verb in parentheses to the simple past tense.

1. The Bransons (drive) 600 miles without stopping to get there on time.

2. I remember you (live) two floors down from mine in the dorm.

3. Bobby (hit) 24 home runs last season.

4. Do you recall when your father (give) you that?

5. The manufacturer (produce) eight million units of the new music-streaming device.

 

Pop Quiz Answers

1. The Bransons drove 600 miles without stopping to get there on time.

2. I remember you lived two floors down from mine in the dorm.

3. Bobby hit 24 home runs last season.

4. Do you recall when your father gave you that?

5. The manufacturer produced eight million units of the new music-streaming device.

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