The past simple tense - Easy Learning Grammar
- I met her.
- She met him.
- I went there.
- She went there.
- ask a question,
- Did I meet him?
- Did she meet him?
- Did I go there?
- Did it go there?
- make a negative statement using not,
- I did not meet her.
- He did not meet her.
- I did not go there.
- He did not go there.
- or make a response.
- Did you see Jenny yesterday? – No, I didn’t.
- Did Penny phone you? – Yes, she did.
- single actions in the past.
- He locked the door and left the house.
- I went out and brought the cat back in again.
- habitual actions in the past, often with always, never, or often.
- In those days I always went to Juliano’s for lunch.
- I cycled in every day and that soon made me fit.
- I often visited Glasgow on business when I was in publishing.
- past actions where a definite time is mentioned. It is often used with a time expression such as ago or last month, when the action is seen as finished.
- Some time ago now, I went to America for a month.
- Once upon a time there was a king in a faraway land.
- I saw Roger a little while back.
- I bought the microwave a year ago.
- points where the main action is broken. The rest of the sentence uses the past continuous tense to describe the past activity or action.
- I was clearing out the garage when a car came down the drive.
- We were leaving the house when the phone rang.