Past Simple Tense

PAST SIMPLE

http://blog.educastur.es/bloggeoing/2013/03/11/2%C2%BA-nb-unit-8-past-simple-ii/

FORM 

To form the simple past regular verbs, add the ending "ed" to the verb. 

The form is the same for all persons (I, you, he, she, it, we, they)

want - wanted

learn - learned

stay -stayed

walk - walked

show - showed

Exceptions

For verbs that end in an "e", just add "-d"

change - changed

believe - believed

If the verb ends in a short vowel and a consonant (except 'and' or 'w'), double the final consonant.

Stop -stopped 

commit - committed

With verbs that end in a consonant and one "and" changes "and" by an "i".

study - studied

try - tried

STRUCTURE

Affirmative sentences

Subject+ main verb (past) 

She was at the doctor

I wanted to dance

He learned english

Negative sentences 

Subject + to be  (past) + not

I wasn't with you last week 

They weren't at the party

Subject + auxiliary verb (to do, past) + not + main verb

I didn't pay the bill

She didn't cook the meat

Interrogative Sentences 

To be (past) + Subject

Were they at the soccer match?

Was he in your house last night?

Auxiliary verb (to do, past) + Subject + main verb

Did they go to the cinema yesterday?

Did you play tennis at high school?

USES 

The simple past is used to talk about a concrete action that began and ended in the past. In this case it is equivalent to the indefinite preterit Spanish. 

1.Generally, we use it with adverbs of time as 'last year', 'yesterday',

 'last night'...

Kate worked last Saturday

2.The simple past for a series of actions used in the past

I received the good news and immediately called my husband

3.We also use it for repeated or habitual action in the past, 

the preterit imperfect Spanish can be used.

We always traveled to Cancun for vacation when we were young

4.We use it to stories or actions in periods of long in the past, such as the preterit

 imperfect Spanish.

 I worked for many years in a museum

5.Used to talk about general information or facts of the past.

The Aztec lived in Mexico

http://blog.educastur.es/bloggeoing/2013/03/11/2%C2%BA-nb-unit-8-past-simple-ii/