Simple and Continuous: Form

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Let's continue by reviewing how to form the simple past tense and the past continuous tense in Standard English. Next, we will look at when to use each to correctly express our thoughts in a sentence.

Past Tense Form: Simple and Continuous Aspects

In this part of Unit 1, we look at how we form and use the past. The simple past tense is also one of the most common tenses in English. As we did in the previous lesson, keeping in mind parts of speech, sentence structure, and verb mood can help you form and use tenses correctly.

 

Forming the Simple Past Tense

Again, we want to remember from ESL001 that each sentence in English has a subject and predicate. Also, subject pronouns will help us conjugate the verbs or change their form. Finally, it is also helpful to keep in mind regular and irregular verb types when forming the simple past.

  1. Simple Past Tense - Affirmative

For most verbs (regular), the simple past is conjugated by adding -ed or -d. The basic pattern is Subject + verb(-ed/-d). For irregular verbs, we must learn the changed form of the verb that shows the past. Here are the rules with examples using the regular verb "cook" and irregular verb "sing".

Subject

Verb Conjugation/Form

Sentence Examples

(first person singular)

regular verb+ -ed (or -d)

irregular verb = past form

I cooked pasta yesterday.

I sang alone last night.

you

(second person singular)

regular verb+ -ed (or -d)

irregular verb = past form

You cooked pasta yesterday.

You sang alone last night.

he/she/it

(third person singular)

regular verb+ -ed (or -d)

irregular verb = past form

He cooked pasta yesterday.

She sang alone last night.

we

(first person plural)

regular verb+ -ed (or -d)

irregular verb = past form

We cooked pasta yesterday.

We sang alone last night.

you

(second person plural)

regular verb+ -ed (or -d)

irregular verb = past form

You cooked pasta yesterday.

You sang alone last night.

they

(third person plural)

regular verb+ -ed (or -d)

irregular verb = past form

They cooked pasta yesterday.

They sang alone last night.

 

As you can see, the form of the verb is the same for all subjects. Past simple conjugation is easy because we do not have to remember different endings for each person. However, we must remember the past simple form of irregular verbs. Here is a list of the most commonly used irregular verbs.

 

Simple Present Past
be was, were
become became
begin began
blow blew
break broke
bring bought
build built
burst burst
buy bought
catch caught
choose chose
come came
cut cut
dive dove (dived)
do did
draw drew
drink drank
drive drove
eat ate
find found
fly flew
forget forgot
forgive forgave
freeze froze
get got
give gave
go went
grow  grew
have had
hear heard
hide hid
hold held
hurt hurt
lose lost
make made
mean meant
meet met
pay paid
put put
quit quit
read read
ride rode
ring rang
rise rose
run run
say said
see saw
seek sought
sell sold
send sent
set set
shake shook
sleep slept
speak spoke
spend spent
spring sprang
stand stood
steal stole
strike struck
swim swam
swing swung
take took
teach taught
tear tore
tell told
think thought

 

  1. Simple Past Tense - Negative

The helping verb "did" is needed to form negative statements in the past simple. It’s very important to note that the verb no longer ends with -ed (for regular types) or uses the past simple form (for irregular types) in the negative. The basic pattern is Subject + did + not + verb. Here are the rules with examples using the regular verb "cook" and irregular verb "sing".

Subject

Verb Conjugation/Form

Sentence Examples

(first person singular)

helping verb (DID) + not + verb

I did not cook pasta yesterday.

I did not sing alone last night.

you

(second person singular)

helping verb (DID) + not + verb

You did not cook pasta yesterday.

You did not sing alone last night.

he/she/it

(third person singular)

helping verb (DID) + not + verb

He did not cook pasta yesterday.

She did not sing alone last night.

we

(first person plural)

helping verb (DID) + not + verb

We did not cook pasta yesterday.

We did not sing alone last night.

you

(second person plural)

helping verb (DID) + not + verb

You did not cook pasta yesterday.

You did not sing alone last night.

they

(third person plural)

helping verb (DID) + not + verb

They did not cook pasta yesterday.

They did not sing alone last night.

 

As you can see again, the form of the verb is the same for all subjects for both regular and irregular verbs.

  1. Simple Past Tense - Interrogative

The helping verb "did" is also needed to form questions in the past simple. It’s very important to note that the helping verb changes places with the subject. Also, the main verb again no longer ends with -ed or -d or uses the past simple form (for irregular types) in the interrogative. The basic pattern is Did + subject + verb?. Here are the rules with examples using the regular verb "bake" and the irregular verb "read".

Helping Verb

Subject

Verb Conjugation/Form

Sentence Examples

DID

(first person singular)

verb

Did I bake a pumpkin pie yesterday?

Did I read my lessons last week?

DID

you

(second person singular)

verb

Did you bake a pumpkin pie yesterday?

Did you read your lessons last week?

DID

he/she/it

(third person singular)

verb

Did he bake a pumpkin pie yesterday?

Did she read her lessons last week?

DID

we

(first person plural)

verb

Did we bake a pumpkin pie yesterday?

Did we read our lessons last week?

DID

you

(second person plural)

verb

Did you bake a pumpkin pie yesterday?

Did you read your lessons last week?

DID

they

(third person plural)

verb

Did they bake a pumpkin pie yesterday?

Did they read your lessons last week?

 

Once again, we can see that the form of the verb is the same for all subjects for both regular and irregular verbs.

However, one verb does not follow the patterns explained above. You may have guessed already that the verb "be" is different. The chart below shows the rules for conjugating "be" in the past simple.

 

Subject

Be - Past Simple Affirmative

Be - Past Simple Negative

Be - Past Simple Interrogative

I/he/she/it

(first & third person singular)

was

I was alone.

It was hungry.

was not

I was not alone.

It was not hungry.

Was + pronoun?

Was I alone?

Was it hungry?

you/we/they

(second person singular & plural + third person plural)

were

You were at home.

They were at school.

were not

You were not at home.

They were not at school.

Were + pronoun?

Were you at home?

Were they at school?

 

The video below explains how to form affirmative, negative, and interrogative sentences in the past simple.


Source: Adapted from Barbara Hall and Elizabeth Wallace, https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/collegeeslwritermills/chapter/overview-of-verb-forms/
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