Verb Tense: The Simple Past Created by Kathryn Reilly

Verb Tense Background Verbs change their form to allow writers to accurately describe events. Verbs alert the reader if the action is in the past, present or future. Within these three main time frames, actions can be further broken down.

The Simple Past The simple past tense indicates an action that has happened. The simple past may refer to an event that occurred yesterday or 400 years ago. The simple past is often used to show the action in stories. Regular verb forms in the simple past end in –ed. Negative sentences using the simple past will need an auxiliary verb.

The Simple Past Examples Positive Sentence Examples (no auxiliary verb): I lived in Maryland. Dana owned a dog. The dog barked often. We sung holiday songs. Negative Sentence Examples (auxiliary verb): I did not live in Maryland. The dog did not bark often.

Be Aware… …when using the simple past, some verb forms will change their spelling instead of ending in –ed. I sung in choir last week. (not singed) Mary ate pizza yesterday. (not eated) The baby stood for the first time. (not standed)