Past Simple
The tense we use for completed actions, past habits, and stories.
If it happened and it's over — Past Simple is your go-to.
What is Past Simple?
Past Simple describes actions and states that started and finished at a specific time in the past. Unlike Present Perfect, it has no connection to the present moment — the event is done, the time is known (or clearly implied), and we are simply reporting what happened.
How to Form It
+ Subject + V2 (past form) → I worked. / She went.
− Subject + did + not + V1 → I didn't work. / She didn't go.
? Did + subject + V1? → Did you work? / Did she go?
V1 — base form (infinitive): work, go, beV2 — past simple form: worked, went, was
When to Use It
Completed Past Action
A single action that happened at a specific, known time in the past+ I called her yesterday.
+ We visited Paris in 2019.
− He didn't finish the report last night.
? Did you see the news this morning?
Past State or Habit
A state or repeated action in the past that is no longer true+ She lived in Tokyo for five years.
+ We walked to school every day as children.
− He didn't like vegetables when he was a kid.
? Did they always argue like that?
Sequence of Events
A chain of actions narrated in chronological order+ She woke up, brushed her teeth, and left the house.
+ The door opened, a man walked in, and everyone turned around.
− He didn't stop — he grabbed his bag and ran out.
? Did you first check the map and then take the turn?
Passive Voice in Past Simple
We use the passive when what happened matters more than who did it, or when the doer is unknown.
+ Subject + was/were + V3 → The letter was sent.
− Subject + was/were + not + V3 → The letter wasn't sent.
? Was/Were + subject + V3? → Was the letter sent?
V3 — past participle: worked, gone, been
Passive: Completed Past Action
Something that was done at a known time in the past+ The building was constructed in 1965.
− The email wasn't delivered to the right address.
? Was the contract signed last week?
Passive: Sequence / Process
A series of steps that were carried out+ The samples were collected, tested, and sent to the lab.
− The instructions weren't followed properly.
? Were the results published in the report?