Past Simple Tense

The memories that come to mind when I think of my dog:
That time she climbed onto the dinner table and ate an entire pizza.
When she bit me on the nose.
In a cabin, she ripped all the blinds off the window when she freaked out about a gardener.

You can tell two things from the above memories. Number one, that my dog is a psycho. And number two, the past simple tense works very well for telling stories.

Just one of twelve verb tenses, the past simple tense, also called the preterite, is the most basic form of past tense and refers to actions completed in the past. Regardless of how long the action took, and how long ago it finished, completed actions use the past simple tense.

Knowledge of the twelve verb tenses will help your writing’s clarity and complexity, so that your readers keep a clear idea of who did what, when.

How to Form the Past Simple Tense

Subject + [past participle]

If the regular verb ends with a consonant, add -ed at the end (help→helped). If the verb ends with a vowel, just add -d (complete→completed). This -d or -ed form of a verb, the most basic past form, is known as the past participle.

Common regular verb past simple conjugations

Sample verb:	to open	to ask	to play
First-person singular:	I opened.	I asked.	I played.
First-person plural:	We opened.	We asked.	We played.
Second-person singular:	You opened.	You asked.	You played.
Second-person plural:	You opened.	You asked.	You played.
Third-person singular:	She opened.	She asked.	She played.
Third-person plural:	They opened.	They asked.	They played.

However, irregular verbs (like to be) have unique conjugations.

Common irregular verb past simple conjugations

Sample verb:	to be (regular)	to have	to do
First-person singular:	I was.	I had.	I did.
First-person plural:	We were.	We had.	We did.
Second-person singular:	You were.	You had.	You did.
Second-person plural:	You were.	You had.	You did.
Third-person singular:	She was.	She had.	She did.
Third-person plural:	They were.	They had.	They did.

Some irregular verbs don’t change at all in the past simple tense.

put→put, hurt→hurt, shut→shut, cut→cut

While some irregular verbs’ conjugations seem random.

take→took buy→bought run→ran think→thought win→won eat→ate come→came go→went

Other forms of past simple:

Negative past simple tense: Subject + did not + [infinite verb without to].

Peter did not eat dinner last night.

Interrogative (question): Did + subject + [infinite verb without to] ?

Did Sandra pass her test?

Interrogative negative: Did not + subject + [infinite verb without to] ?

Didn’t you promise you would buy me a pony?

Uses of Past Simple Tense

Since the past simple tense emphasizes actions completed in the past, it often accompanies a time reference to when the event occurred:

Unclarified time in the past: no time mentioned

I went to the store.

Frequency: sometimes, a lot, often, occasionally, etc.

My grandma traveled to Bali a lot.
My mom subbed for my teachers sometimes.

A distinct point in time: yesterday, last night, an exact clock time, age, year, etc.

She and I enjoyed the burgers last night.
I set my alarm for 7:10 am.

A general point in time: previously, a few weeks ago, last year, as a kid, etc.

Last year, I climbed over seventeen peaks.
When she could make it down, my mom came too.

Phew! With all these variations, uses, irregular and regular verb conjugations, the past simple tense can feel anything but simple. However, this guide is not going anywhere — it will stay here to help you along your writing journey, serving as a tool to help you convey the complex web of actions that make up your writing and storytelling. Consult here when you feel unsure, and over time, your writing’s clarity will come into focus.

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The simple past tense is the most basic form of past tense.