The document discusses the past indefinite tense in English, including its formation, uses, and examples. It explains that the past indefinite tense uses the second form of the verb (V2) in affirmative sentences. It also covers the formation of negative sentences using "did not" and V1, and interrogative sentences using question words and "did." Some common uses of the past indefinite tense are to talk about past habits, completed past actions, and unreal past situations. Examples are provided to illustrate each use. Formation and exercises are also included to help readers practice using the past indefinite tense properly.
1. Past Indefinite Tense
Hello everybody, today we are going to learn the past indefinite tense which is one
of the most daily using tenses. As it is a human nature that we either prefer talking
about our past memories or make plans and discuss them in the future tense.
The past indefinite tense has a unique recognition and extremely significance in the
English language just like the present indefinite tense as per academic as well as
competitive exam’s point of views. Let’s learn it with examples, formation, uses in
a detailed.
Past Indefinite Tense
Formation it is very important to know how to form correct sentences with the
grammatical formations then you can use it in your daily life to make sentences.
Affirmative: All the subjects + V2 + according to sentence.
We always use second form of verb (V2) with all the subjects in the past indefinite
tense affirmative sentence whether it is a singular subject or a plural subject.
Everybody played games during school days.
2. Here is a table given below with the different forms of the verbs. You will be
surprised to know the names of verbs in the English grammar. The second form of
the verbs is known as the past form in the grammar hence always used in the past
tense.
Present
V1
Past
V2
Past Participle
V3
Go Went Gone
Study Studied Studied
Explicate Explicated Explicated
Buy Brought Brought
Proliferate Proliferated Proliferated
You must have a doubt why we always use the V2 in the past indefinite tense, here
is the answer to match with your expectations and is enough satisfactory to eradicate
your queries. Past form of verb that we usually call V2 but when its name is past
hence it is used in the past tense only.
Negative : All the subjects + Did not + V1 + according to sentence.
In the negative sentences we use a past indefinite tense helping verb which is
‘DID’ and add not after it. After the combination of Did + Not we always use first
form of the verbs because Did itself is the second form the verb hence after it we
always use V1 only.
I did not like waking up early in the morning.
Interrogative : W.H.F word+ Did + Subject + according to sentence?
When it comes to asking questions about the past events, you need to form questions
but the interrogative sentences are quite different from others hence it differ from
other’s formations too.
Simple interrogative sentences
3. [ Did + Subject + V1 + According to sentences +? ]
This type of questions are generally asked to know the answer in either No or Yes
when there is no need for the explanations.
Question: Did you watch End Game movie?
Answer : Yes or No.
Advanced Interrogative sentences
[W.H.F. word + did + Subject + V1 + according to sentence+?]
Why did the people want to deceive their dear ones just for money?
Identities of past indefinite tense
Past habitual actions
When you talk about your past habits you use past indefinite tense to represent it.
Examples
1. I went to school.
2. We played football at morning in the childhood.
3. My father dropped me at the school entrance.
4. She did not cheat in the exams ever.
5. Rahul often missed the class.
Past actions
In this use you can describe the past historical actions that took place long ago but
were inscribed in. Golden words. I have shared a few examples from there.
1) India celebrated the Independence Day for the very first time on 15th August in
1947.
4. 2) The people of India elected Narendra Modi as the prime minister of India in 2014
with a huge majority in the election.
3) The SLV -3 launch headed by A.P.J. Abdul Kalam took place in 1983
successfully.
Past Tense: indicate an action that completed in the past long before.
You may use some adverbs in the sentences only for the past tense.
These include any past dates 2017/1999/2014,
Days yesterday and day before yesterday,
Adverbs ago, before, last time/ year/ week/ month / night, the other day, the other
morning
1. All the students performed very well in the last test.
2. Mr. Batra with his family members visited Singapore in 2017.
3. Mrs. Oberoi hung out with his husband in the Japanese park yesterday.
4. I met my old students long ago.
5. My classmates and I enjoyed our lives during college days.
To indicate a past completed action:
1. I completed my content writing course from the University of Leeds last
month.
2. My brother returned from the USA yesterday.
3. They applied for an education loan for their son 2 days before.
Without adverb of time
We sometimes use the facts that don’t need adverbs of time they themselves imply
the time.
1. Lord Rama killed the Ravana in the Ramleela.
2. Mrs. Indira Gandha was brutally assassinated.
3. The Mahabharta battle killed a great number of people.
5. Unreal Past
1. She denied as if she knew her father’s decision.
2. They spoke to about the universe as if they had been there.
3. He showed his possession as if I were his son.
Exercise
1. I ____ ( visit ) the India gate and the Red fort last Sunday.
2. They did not _____ (complete) h.w. timely.
3. She _____ (leave) school long ago.
4. The Dehli Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) _______ (announce) the
major decisions for upcoming festivals Diwali and Chhat puja.
5. People _____ (live) without marks freely before Coronavirus.
These were some uses of this tense I hope that the past indefinite tense examples
helped you understand it better if still there is any bout left, please let us know in the
comment box. I assure you of replying to your queries.
Original Source: https://www.englishphobia.com/2021/10/past-indefinite-
tense.html
