GRAMMAR SIMPLE PAST TENSE

1. The simple past is a verb tense that is used to talk about things that happened or existed before now.

2. How to Ask a Question

2.1. The formula for asking a question in the simple past tense is did + [subject] + [root form of verb]. Examples: • Did Wolfgang win the gold medal or the silver medal? • Did they live in France?

2.2. When asking a question with the verb to be, you don’t need the auxiliary did. The formula is was/were + [subject]. Example: • Were people taking many pictures?

3. How to Make the Simple Past Affirmative

3.1. The main rule is that for every verb in English, there is only one form of it in the past tense. (The exception is the Past tense of To Be, which has two forms: was and were)

3.2. Example: • You didn't need a mechanic.

4. How to Make the Simple Past Negative

4.1. Fortunately, there is a formula for making simple past verbs negative, and it’s the same for both regular and irregular verbs (except for the verb to be). The formula is did not + [root form of verb]. You can also use the contraction did not instead of did not.

4.2. For the verb to be, you don’t need the auxiliary did. When the subject of the sentence is singular, use was not or wasn’t. When the subject is plural, use were not or weren’t. Examples: • The fourth-place winner wasn’t happy at all.