SIMPLE PAST TENSE
Simple past tense is used to denote an ‘action’ that happened ‘at a point of time’ in the past.
Eg: Peter delivered a beautiful speech in a function yesterday.
So, we have mentioned the usage of simple past tense and, seen an example.
Now, as usual, we have to make the pattern of simple past tense, on the basis of the general pattern of sentences S + V + O.
Here, the simple past form of ‘Do’, that is ‘did’, should come as auxiliary verb ( as seen in the topic, Auxiliary verbs/ helping Verbs) .
So, when we think of the pattern of simple past tense, its order should be like what is explained below,
At first, subject, then the auxiliary verb ‘did’, the simple past form of ‘Do’, then the Main Verb and, finally, the object.
So, now we can write the pattern of simple past tense, as
S + did + V + O
Here, as there is only one auxiliary verb ‘did’, we don’t have to concern about the ‘numbers’ of the subjects. That means, though the subject is either ‘singular’ or ‘plural’, we have to use only the auxiliary verb ‘did’ with the ‘main verb’.
That is, if there is only one auxiliary verb in any tense form, we don’t have to concern about the numbers of the subject
Here, in simple past tense, when the auxiliary verb ‘did’ is used with the ‘main verb’, the main verb is changed into ‘ simple past form’ and ends with ‘d’ or ‘ed’ or ‘ied’ , as shown below,
Eg: Did + hear = heard
Did + look = looked,
Did + Study = studied.
So, let’s look at the above mentioned example ‘Peter ‘delivered’ a beautiful speech in a function yesterday’.
Here, when we use the auxiliary verb ‘did’ with the main verb ‘deliver’, the verb is changed into simple past tense form as ‘delivered’ by ending with ed, as shown below,
Did + deliver = delivered.
But, if the main verb is an ‘irregular verb’ (look at the topic, Verbs – the real sense makers / Regular and Irregular verbs), it will not end with ‘d’ or ‘ed’ or ‘ied’.
To clear it, let’s look at the following example,
Mathew ‘built’ his shopping mall two years ago.
Did + build = built
Here, when ‘did’ is used with the irregular verb ‘build’, it doesn’t end with ‘d’ or ‘ed’ or ‘ied’, but it is changed into simple past form as built.
One more example,
David ‘sang’ a beautiful song.
Here also, when ‘did’ is used with the irregular verb ‘sing’, it is changed into simple past form as’ sang’, but doesn’t end with ‘d’ or ‘ed’ or ‘ied’.
Some irregular verbs are listed below for reference,
Make, did + make = made
Go , did + go = went
Drink, did + drink = drank
These types of verbs and its V2 ( simple past form ) and V3 ( past participle form) should be learned and kept in our mind.
The timing words of simple past tense.
‘Yesterday’, ‘ago’, ‘last’, ‘previous’, etc….
If these words are found in a sentence, we can say that the sentence is in simple past tense.
Eg: I visited Merlin last week.
They called me yesterday