Past Simple

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USE 1 Completed Action in the Past
      
  


Use the Past Simple 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.

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USE 2 A Series of Completed Actions



We use the Past Simple to list a series of completed actions in the past. These actions happen 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th...

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USE 3 Single Duration

  

The Past Simple can be used with a duration which starts and stops in the past. A duration is a long action often used with expressions like "for two years," "for five minutes," "all day" or "all year."

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USE 4 Habit in the Past

 

The Past Simple can also be used to describe a habit which stopped in the past. It can have the same meaning as "used to". To make it clear that we are talking about a habit we often use expressions such as "always," "often," "usually," "never," "...when I was a child" or "...when I was younger" in the sentence.

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IMPORTANT "When clauses" happen first

Clauses are groups of words which have meaning but are 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."

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ACTIVE / PASSIVE Simple Past

EXAMPLES:

Tom repaired the car. ACTIVE

The car was repaired by Tom. PASSIVE

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                Past Simple Exercises

                          1. Verb Tense Exercise : Simple Past and Past Continuous
                    2. Verb Tense Exercise : Simple Past and Past Continuous
                    3. Verb Tense Exercise : Simple Past and Present Perfect
                    4. Verb Tense Exercise : Simple Past and Present Perfect
                    5. Verb Tense Exercise : Past Simple
                    6. Verb Tense Exercise : Simple Past Tense Quiz
                    7. Verb Tense Exercise : Past Simple 1
                    8. Verb Tense Exercise : Past Simple 2
                    9. Verb Tense Exercise : Past Simple 3
                  10. Verb Tense Exercise : Past 4
                  11. Verb Tense Exercise : Fill in the correct form of the past tense (simple or continuous?)
                  12. Verb Tense Exercise : Complete the sentences using the past tense simple and continuous
                  13. Verb Tense Exercise : Choose the appropriate past tense forms
                  14. Verb Tense Exercise : Past Simple Tense - "Wh" Questions
                  15. Verb Tense Exercise : Past Simple
                  16. Verb Tense Exercise : Exercise 1: affirmative
                  17. Verb Tense Exercise : Exercise 2: affirmative
                  18. Verb Tense Exercise : Exercise 3: affirmative
                  19. Verb Tense Exercise : Exercise 4: negative
                  20. Verb Tense Exercise : Exercise 5: negative
                  21. Verb Tense Exercise : Exercise 6: interrogative
                  22. Verb Tense Exercise : Exercise 7: interrogative
                  23. Verb Tense Exercise : Questions in the Simple Past - Exercise 1
                  24. Verb Tense Exercise : Questions in the Simple Past - Exercise 2
                  25. Verb Tense Exercise : Simple Past - ending -ed - Exercise 1
                  26. Verb Tense Exercise : Simple Past - ending -ed - Exercise 2
                  27. Verb Tense Exercise : Simple Past - Exercise 1
                  28. Verb Tense Exercise : Simple Past - Exercise 2
                  29. Verb Tense Exercise : Simple Past (regular verbs)
                  30. Verb Tense Exercise : Simple Past (all verbs)
                  31. Verb Tense Exercise : Simple Past (verbs in bold)
                  32. Verb Tense Exercise : Was or Were?
                  33. Verb Tense Exercise : Positive Sentences in Simple Past
                  34. Verb Tense Exercise : Answer Questions in Simple Past
                  35. Verb Tense Exercise : Negative Sentences in Simple Past
                  36. Verb Tense Exercise : Questions in Simple Past
                  37. Verb Tense Exercise : Questions with Interrogatives in Simple Past
                  38. Verb Tense Exercise : Mixed Exercise in Simple Past
                  39. Verb Tense Exercise : Goldilocks and the three bears: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3
                  40. Verb Tense Exercise : Exercise on the text “Chicago”
                  41. Verb Tense Exercise : Exercise on the text “Oxford”
                  42. Verb Tense Exercise : Irregular Verbs
                  43. Verb Tense Exercise : Simple Past and Past Continuous
                  44. Verb Tense Exercise : Simple Past and Past Continuous
                  45. Verb Tense Exercise : Simple Past and Present Perfect
                  46. Verb Tense Exercise : Simple Past and Present Perfect
                  47. Verb Tense Exercise : Simple Past and Past Perfect
                  48. Verb Tense Exercise : Simple Past, Present Perfect and Past Perfect
                  49. Verb Tense Exercise : Tenses with durations
                  50. Verb Tense Exercise : Present and Past Tenses with Non-Continuous Verbs
                  51. Verb Tense Exercise : Present and Past Tense Review
                  52. Verb Tense Exercise : Cumulative Verb Tense Review