THE PAST SIMPLE - FORM
Statements
     
I worked   we worked  
I was
we were
you worked   you worked  
you were
you were
she/he/it worked   they worked  
she/he/it was
they were

Spelling of regular verbs
V + ed
play
played
-e + d
smoke
smoked
consonant +y = -ied
dry
dried
one-syllable verb with vowel + consonant = double + ed
plan
planned
ending vowel +consonant stressed = double + ed
prefer
preferred

Negative Statements
   
I did not / didn't work  
we
did not / didn't work
you did not / didn't work  
you
did not / didn't work
she/he/it did not / didn't work  
they
did not / didn't work

Yes/No Questions
 
Did you
work?
Yes, I did.       
No, I did not / didn't.
Did she
work?
Yes, she did.
No, she did not / didn't.

Information Questions
   
Where
did you work?
 
In London.
 
When
did he work?
 
In the evening.
 
How
did she work?
 
Very well.
 
Information Questions (Subject)
 
Who
worked in London?
 
Peter did.
 
What
happened in the story?
 
A murder.
 

 

 



A man stormed up to the front desk of the library and said, "I have a complaint!"

"Yes, Sir?" said the librarian looking up at him.

"I borrowed a book last week and it was horrible!"

Puzzled by his complaint the librarian asked, "What was wrong with it?"

"It had way too many characters and there was no plot whatsoever!" said the man.

The librarian nodded and said, "Ahh. So you must be the person who took our phone book."



The past simple describes an event, a chain of events or a state at a definite time in the past.