arrive
»
arrive
d
(we only add
-d
if the verb ends in
-e
)
try
»
tr
ied
(a final
-y
changes to -
i-
after a consonant)
stop
»
stop
ped
(we double the final consonant if the verb ends in consonant-vowel-consonant)
A number of verbs have irregular past forms. A few examples are:
buy
»
bought
fly
»
flew
hit
»
hit
shine
»
shone
swim
»
swam
See the Appendix for a list of the most common irregular verbs in English.
Negative
In the negative, we use the auxiliary did + not followed by the bare infinitive:
Subject
Auxiliary
not
Verb (bare infinitive)
I
did
not
arrive
in time.
You
He/She/It
We
You
They
The contracted form didn't is often used instead of did not in spoken and in informal written language.
Interrogative
In the interrogative, we use the auxiliary did followed by the subject and the bare infinitive:
(Question word)
Auxiliary
Subject
Verb (bare infinitive)
(When)
did
I
arrive?
you
he/she/it
we
you
they
The verb BE in the past simple
The verb be has irregular past tense forms. In the past simple, the auxiliary did is not used in the negative or interrogative if the main verb is be:
Affirmative
Negative
Interrogative
I
was
at home.
I
was not
at home.
Was
I at home?
You
were
at home.
You
were not
at home.
Were
you at home?
He/She/It
was
at home.
He/She/It
was not
at home.
Was
he/she/it at home?
We
were
at home.
We
were not
at home.
Were
we at home?
You
were
at home.
You
were not
at home.
Were
you at home?
They
were
at home.
They
were not
at home.
Were
they at home?
The contracted forms wasn't and weren't are often used instead of was not and were not in spoken and in informal written language.
Related topics:
Subject-auxiliary inversion in questions
The auxiliary DID for emphasis
Appendix: irregular verb forms
Past simple for completed actions in the past
The past simple tense is used for actions which were completed at a definite point in time in the past. This point can be implied or expressed with a time expression or a clause:
I
bought
a motorbike last week.
She
was born
in 1990.
Columbus
discovered
America.
(i.e. in 1492)
How
did
it
happen
?
(i.e. when it happened)
When I got home, I
went
to bed straight away.
Examples of time expressions that refer to a definite time in the past:
a year/two months/a few weeks/three days/etc. ago
at 5 o'clock
yesterday
earlier today/this week/this month
last week/month/year
Quotes:
Millions saw the apple fall, but Newton asked why. - Bernard Baruch
I had been told that the training procedure with cats was difficult. It's not. Mine had me trained in two days. - Bill Dana
What you have become is the price you paid to get what you used to want. - Mignon McLaughlin
Past simple for past habits and states
The past simple is used to express habits and states that existed during a period of time in the past. This period can be implied or expressed with a time expression or a clause: