[LEFT][VERB+ed] or [URL="http://www.englishpage.com/irregularverbs/irregularverbs.html"]irregular verbs[/URL]
Examples:
[LIST][*]You [B]called[/B] Debbie.[*][B]Did[/B] you [B]call[/B] Debbie?[*]You [B]did not call[/B] Debbie.[/LIST]
[URL="http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/simplepastforms.htm"]Complete List of Simple Past Forms[/URL] [/LEFT]
[B]USE 1 Completed Action in the Past [/B]
[LEFT][IMG]http://www.englishpage.com/images/verbs/simplepast.gif[/IMG]
Use the Simple Past to express the idea that an action started and finished at a specific time in the past. Sometimes, the speaker may not actually mention the specific time, but they do have one specific time in mind.
Examples:
[LIST][*]I [B]saw[/B] a movie yesterday.[*]I [B]didn't see[/B] a play yesterday.[*]Last year, I [B]traveled[/B] to Japan.[*]Last year, I [B]didn't travel[/B] to Korea.[*][B]Did[/B] you [B]have[/B] dinner last night?[*]She [B]washed[/B] her car.[*]He [B]didn't wash[/B] his car.[/LIST][/LEFT]
[B]USE 2 A Series of Completed Actions [/B]
[LEFT][IMG]http://www.englishpage.com/images/verbs/simplepastseries.gif[/IMG]
We use the Simple Past to list a series of completed actions in the past. These actions happen 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and so on.
Examples:
[LIST][*]I [B]finished[/B] work, [B]walked[/B] to the beach, and [B]found[/B] a nice place to swim.[*]He [B]arrived[/B] from the airport at 8:00, [B]checked[/B] into the hotel at 9:00, and [B]met[/B] the others at 10:00.[*][B]Did[/B] you [B]add[/B] flour, [B]pour[/B] in the milk, and then [B]add[/B] the eggs?[/LIST][/LEFT]
[B]USE 3 Duration in Past [/B]
[LEFT][IMG]http://www.englishpage.com/images/verbs/simplepastduration.gif[/IMG]
The Simple Past can be used with a duration which starts and stops in the past. A duration is a longer action often indicated by expressions such as: for two years, for five minutes, all day, all year, etc.
Examples:
[LIST][*]I [B]lived[/B] in Brazil for two years.[*]Shauna [B]studied[/B] Japanese for five years.[*]They [B]sat[/B] at the beach all day.[*]They [B]did not stay[/B] at the party the entire time.[*]We [B]talked[/B] on the phone for thirty minutes.[*]A: How long [B]did[/B] you [B]wait[/B] for them?
B: We [B]waited[/B] for one hour.[/LIST][/LEFT]
[B]USE 4 Habits in the Past[/B]
[LEFT][IMG]http://www.englishpage.com/images/verbs/simplepasthabit.gif[/IMG]
The Simple Past can also be used to describe a habit which stopped in the past. It can have the same meaning as "[URL="http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/usedto.html"]used to[/URL]." To make it clear that we are talking about a habit, we often add expressions such as: always, often, usually, never, when I was a child, when I was younger, etc.
Examples:
[LIST][*]I [B]studied[/B] French when I was a child.[*]He [B]played[/B] the violin.[*]He [B]didn't play[/B] the piano.[*][B]Did[/B] you [B]play[/B] a musical instrument when you were a kid?[*]She [B]worked[/B] at the movie theater after school.[*]They never [B]went[/B] to school, they always [B]skipped[/B] class.[/LIST][/LEFT]
[B]USE 5 Past Facts or Generalizations[/B]
[LEFT][IMG]http://www.englishpage.com/images/verbs/simplepastfact.gif[/IMG]
The Simple Past can also be used to describe past facts or generalizations which are no longer true. As in USE 4 above, this use of the Simple Past is quite similar to the expression "[URL="http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/usedto.html"]used to[/URL]."
Examples:
[LIST][*]She [B]was[/B] shy as a child, but now she is very outgoing.[*]He [B]didn't like[/B] tomatoes before.[*][B]Did[/B] you [B]live[/B] in Texas when you [B]were[/B] a kid?[*]People [B]paid[/B] much more to make cell phone calls in the past.[/LIST][/LEFT]
[B]IMPORTANT When-Clauses Happen First[/B]
[LEFT]Clauses are groups of words which have meaning but are often not complete sentences. Some clauses begin with the word "when" such as "when I dropped my pen..." or "when class began..." These clauses are called when-clauses, and they are very important. The examples below contain when-clauses.
Examples:
[LIST][*][B]When I paid her one dollar[/B], she answered my question.[*]She answered my question [B]when I paid her one dollar[/B].[/LIST]
When-clauses are important because they always happen first when both clauses are in the Simple Past. Both of the examples above mean the same thing: first, I paid her one dollar, and then, she answered my question. It is not important whether "when I paid her one dollar" is at the beginning of the sentence or at the end of the sentence. However, the example below has a different meaning. First, she answered my question, and then, I paid her one dollar.
Example:
[LIST][*]I paid her one dollar [B]when she answered my question[/B].[/LIST][/LEFT]
[B]ADVERB PLACEMENT[/B]
[LEFT]The examples below show the placement for grammar adverbs such as: always, only, never, ever, still, just, etc.
Examples:
[LIST][*]You [B]just[/B] called Debbie.[*]Did you [B]just[/B] call Debbie?[/LIST][/LEFT]
[B]ACTIVE / PASSIVE[/B]
[LEFT]Examples:
[LIST][*]Tom [B]repaired[/B] the car. [I]Active[/I][*]The car [B]was repaired[/B] by Tom. [I]Passive[/I][/LIST][/LEFT]