Grammar · Verb tenses · A1 · Beginner

Past simple

Last updated 21 July 2026

In short

The past simple describes completed actions and states at a specific, finished time in the past: 'I visited Prague in 2019.' Regular verbs add -ed; irregular verbs change form entirely (go → went). It pairs with finished-time words like yesterday, last week, and ago, and is the backbone tense for telling stories and reporting past events.

How to form the past simple

Form	Structure	Example
Positive (regular verbs)	subject + verb + -ed	We watched the sunset from the rooftop.
Positive (irregular verbs)	subject + irregular past form	They went to the market early.
Negative	subject + didn't + base verb	She didn't answer the phone.
Question	Did + subject + base verb?	Did you finish the report on time?

When do you use the past simple?

Use the past simple for actions and states that began and ended at a specific point in the past. The time may be stated directly (yesterday, in 2015, three years ago) or clear from context, but it must be finished — not connected to now.

This is the default storytelling tense in English: once a time frame is set, events are usually told in the order they happened using the past simple.

I graduated from university in 2020.(finished action, stated time)
The company opened its first branch in Karachi.
I have graduated from university in 2020.(a stated finished date blocks the present perfect → I graduated)

Regular and irregular verbs

Regular verbs form the past simple by adding -ed (or just -d after a silent e): work → worked, arrive → arrived. Spelling changes apply for verbs ending in a single stressed vowel + consonant (stop → stopped) and consonant + y (study → studied).

Irregular verbs change form completely and must be memorised individually — go/went, see/saw, buy/bought. There is no shortcut for these; frequent reading and speaking practice is the fastest way to make them automatic.

She studied medicine for six years before qualifying.(consonant + y → -ied)
He stopped the car outside the station.(doubled consonant before -ed)
He goed to the shop before it closed.('go' is irregular → went)

Making negatives and questions

Negatives and questions use the auxiliary 'did', which carries the past tense for you — so the main verb returns to its base form in both. This is true for regular and irregular verbs alike.

The verb 'be' does not use 'did'; it forms negatives and questions by inverting was/were directly with the subject.

I didn't hear the announcement over the noise.(didn't + base verb, not the past form)
Did she pass her driving test on the first attempt?
Did she passed her driving test?(→ Did she pass)

Typical time expressions with the past simple

The past simple pairs naturally with expressions that fix an action in finished time: yesterday, last night, last year, in 2018, two days ago, when I was a child, at that time. These same words block the present perfect, which is one of the clearest tests for choosing between the two tenses.

We moved into this flat two years ago.('ago' → past simple)
When I was ten, my family lived in a small village near Kigali.
Last night I have watched a documentary about coral reefs.(→ Last night I watched)

Telling a story in the past simple

In narratives, the past simple usually carries the main events in the order they happened, while the past continuous (covered on its own page) sets the scene or background. Getting this rhythm right — main events in past simple, background in past continuous — is central to natural storytelling in IELTS Speaking Part 2.

I opened the door, stepped outside and immediately regretted forgetting my umbrella.(a sequence of main events)
We arrived at the venue, found our seats and waited for the show to start.

Common mistakes with past simple

Real learner errors, corrected and explained — the fastest way to stop repeating them.

I go to Istanbul last summer.

I went to Istanbul last summer.

A stated finished time (last summer) requires the past simple; 'go' must change to its irregular past form 'went'.

She didn't wanted to leave early.

She didn't want to leave early.

Once 'didn't' carries the past tense, the main verb returns to its base form: want, not wanted.

Did you saw the notice on the board?

Did you see the notice on the board?

After 'did' in a question, the main verb must be in its base form: see, not saw.

I have visited my cousin last weekend.

I visited my cousin last weekend.

'Last weekend' is a finished-time expression, so the present perfect is impossible here — use the past simple.

He studyed abroad for two years.

He studied abroad for two years.

Consonant + y changes to -ied in the past simple; study becomes studied, not studyed.

The meeting were cancelled at short notice.

The meeting was cancelled at short notice.

The singular subject 'the meeting' needs 'was', not 'were', in the past simple of 'be'.

When I was child, I lived near the coast.

When I was a child, I lived near the coast.

The singular countable noun 'child' needs the article 'a' — an article slip that appears constantly inside past-tense storytelling.

Past simple in IELTS

Grammatical Range and Accuracy is 25% of your Speaking and Writing scores — here is where this structure earns marks.

Speaking

Part 2 stories almost always run on the past simple as their main tense — practise irregular verbs (went, saw, took, felt, met) until they come out instantly, since hesitation on basic past forms costs fluency marks as well as accuracy marks.
Part 1 questions about your past (schooling, childhood, first job) expect the past simple with a finished time word: 'I studied at a school in Chennai until I was sixteen.'

Writing

Task 1 charts covering a completed historical period (e.g. 1990 to 2010) should stay in the past simple throughout — switching to the present perfect mid-description is a common accuracy error.
Task 2 essays that cite a historical example benefit from the past simple for precision: 'Many governments introduced smoking bans in the early 2000s, and public health outcomes improved as a result.'

Practise past simple now

Five quick questions with instant feedback — every answer explained. No sign-up needed.

Question 1 of 5

She ___ (buy) a new laptop for university last month.

Want the full set? All 12 past simple exercises →

Check this rule in your own writing

Reading a rule is step one; seeing it in your own sentences is what changes your band score.

Paste a paragraph into the free IELTS Grammar Checker — it flags every past simple mistake, explains the rule, and estimates your Grammatical Range & Accuracy band.

Frequently asked questions

When do you use the past simple instead of the present perfect?

Use the past simple whenever the action happened at a specific, finished time — stated or implied by context: 'I called her yesterday.' The present perfect is reserved for unfinished time periods or unstated, ongoing relevance. If you can add 'yesterday' or a year naturally, the past simple is correct.

How do you form negatives in the past simple?

Add didn't (did not) before the base form of the main verb, for every subject: 'I didn't go', 'She didn't go', 'They didn't go.' The main verb never changes form after didn't — only 'did' carries the past tense.

What is the difference between regular and irregular past simple verbs?

Regular verbs add -ed to the base form (walk → walked), with minor spelling adjustments. Irregular verbs change completely and follow no fixed pattern (go → went, buy → bought), so they must be learned individually rather than by rule.

Which time words signal the past simple?

Yesterday, last night/week/year, in [a past year], [a period] ago, and when I was [age] are the clearest signals. All of them name or imply a finished time, which is exactly what the past simple requires and the present perfect forbids.

Is 'was' or 'were' correct after 'I'?

'Was' is correct after I, he, she, and it: 'I was tired.' 'Were' is correct after you, we, and they: 'We were tired.' The one common exception is the unreal conditional and wishes, where 'were' is used for all subjects: 'If I were you…'.

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