How to use simple past properly

What is simple past

The simple past tense is a verb form used to describe actions, events, or states that were completed in the past. It often includes time markers like yesterday, last week, or in 1990. For example: "She walked to the park yesterday," or "They ate dinner at 7 PM." In these sentences, walked and ate are simple past verbs, indicating actions that occurred and concluded before the present moment.

The simple past is categorized into regular and irregular verbs. Regular verbs form the past tense by adding -ed or -d to the base form (e.g., play -> played, dance -> danced). Irregular verbs, however, change their spelling or pronunciation entirely (e.g., go -> went, sing -> sang). These categories differ in memorization difficulty: regular verbs follow predictable patterns, while irregular verbs require individual learning due to their unique forms.

Some most common uses of simple past verbs in English

Below are some most frequent used English simple past verbs.

Ran (to move quickly on foot)

Wrote (to form letters or words)

Spoke (to communicate verbally)

Built (to construct)

Broke (to separate into pieces)

Drank (to consume liquid)

Thought (to use the mind)

Bought (to purchase)

Fell (to drop downward)

Forgot (to fail to remember)

In formal contexts, simple past verbs like conducted ("The study conducted experiments") or submitted ("She submitted the report") are common. Informal usage favors contractions or slang, such as chilled ("We chilled at home") or ghosted ("He ghosted me after the date"). Regional variations exist: British English uses got ("He got a new car"), while American English sometimes uses gotten ("He's gotten a new car"), though both mean "acquired." Misunderstandings arise if regional forms are mixed unintentionally.

When to use simple past

The simple past is appropriate for describing completed actions ("I visited Paris in 2019"), past habits ("She practiced piano daily"), or historical facts ("Shakespeare wrote Hamlet"). It also expresses past emotions ("He felt lonely") or physical states ("The room smelled like flowers"). For example: "They laughed at the joke," or "The storm destroyed the crops."

Misusing the simple past can cause confusion. Saying "I did eat sushi yesterday" instead of "I ate sushi" mixes auxiliary verbs incorrectly. Using simple past for ongoing actions ("I *washed dishes when she called" should be "I *was washing dishes") misrepresents simultaneous events. Avoid simple past for current habits ("I *played tennis every Sunday" implies the habit has stopped; use present tense for ongoing actions).

How to evaluate my knowledge on simple past

English has over 200 irregular simple past verbs and thousands of regular ones. Categories range from simple (talked, jumped) to complex irregular forms with vowel changes (drink -> drank, swim -> swam). Self-assessment methods include writing past-tense narratives, converting present-tense sentences to past tense, or identifying errors in provided texts. For example, rewriting "She goes to the market" as "She went to the market" tests regular vs. irregular verb knowledge. Peer reviews or timed quizzes focusing on verb conjugation also help gauge proficiency.

One simple way to check your current knowledge level of simple past is by testing your skills. Try out to guess what are the expressions on the sentences gaps below:

1. She ______ (bake) a cake last night.

2. They ______ (watch) a movie yesterday.

3. He ______ (play) soccer after school.

4. The children ______ (hide) behind the couch.

5. She ______ (teach) French for ten years.

6. The phone ______ (ring) during the meeting.

7. He ______ (seek) advice from his mentor.

8. The ancient city ______ (sink) into the ocean.

9. They ______ (forsake) their old traditions.

Sentences from 1 to 3 uses beginner level simple past. Their answers are: 1. baked | 2. watched | 3. played. Sentences 4 to 6 are intermediate level, their answers are: 4. hid | 5. taught | 6. rang. Sentence 7 to 9 are advanced level, their answers are: 7. sought | 8. sank | 9. forsook. Check how much you guessed right on each level and you will have a clue on how much you know and which is your current knowledge level on simple past. Of course this is a very simple test and it is very high biased. You should take a longer test, using a wide range of simple past verbs to have a more accurate score.

Ways to improve my knowledge on simple past

Improvement strategies include reading past-tense narratives (novels, news articles) to observe verb usage, writing daily journals in the past tense, and creating flashcards for irregular verbs. Practicing verb conjugation aloud (e.g., "Today I speak; yesterday I spoke") reinforces memorization. Role-playing past scenarios ("What did you do last weekend?") enhances conversational skills. Grammar workbooks with exercises, group discussions focusing on past experiences, and listening to stories to identify past-tense verbs also build fluency. Regular self-testing through handwritten quizzes ensures long-term retention.

You could learn them by listening to podcasts, watching videos on youtube or reading online news focused on the audience you are looking to be part of. Focusing situations and audience will shrink the amount of common used simple past verbs you have to learn at the beginning of your learning journey. Don't be afraid on not kowing all of things you hear or read. Don't be afraid to ask or search online the meaning of new expressions. Ask natives: Clarify new words you hear in conversations. Stay curious: Note down unfamiliar words in a "expression diary." Finally, embrace mistakes: Misusing it can become a funny learning moment!"

Learninn is a great way to get in touch with English simple past. Articles and videos hosted on our platform include most common simple past, if not all existent ones. Every content consumed on our platform is recorded and used in the future for your learning.