Past Simple Tense
It is used to express an action that happened or completed in past,
usually a very little time before speaking, or action which is just completed.
Time of action is not specified in terms of long time ago or short ago but it
make a sense that the action has done a little time ago.
For example, a person
says, “I watched a movie”, it means the speaker of this sentence watched a
movie a little time ago or little time ago in the same day.
Rules:
2nd form of verb (past simple) is used as main verb in the positive
sentences and base form is used in negative and interrogative sentences.
Structure of sentences
Positive Sentence
• Subject + main verb (past
simple) + object
• Subject + 2nd form of
verb (past simple) + object
Examples
I killed a snake.
He ate a mango.
Negative sentences
• Subject + (auxiliary
verb + not) main verb (base form) + object
• Subject + did not + 1st
form of verb or base form + object
In negative sentence “did not” is written and the 1st form of verb
(base verb) is used instead of using 2nd form (or past simple verb).
Examples.
I did not kill a snake.
He did not eat a mango.
Interrogative sentences
• Auxiliary verb + subject +
main verb (base verb) + object
• Did + subject + 1st form
of verb (or base verb) + object
Interrogative sentence starts with “did” and the 1st form of verb (base
verb) is used instead of using 2nd form (or past simple verb).
Examples
Did I kill a snake?
Did he eat a mango?