2. The past simple, 1 also known as the simple past, is the verb tense used in the English
language to narrate events that occurred at a specific moment in the past. It corresponds
in its meaning to the simple past perfect tense in Spanish.
The past simple generally has temporary expressions that refer to the past, such as,
yesterday, last night / week / month / year / Tuesday, then, When ?, How long ago ...?,
Aug, in 1997, etc.
Definition past simple
3. Characteristic
-Indicates the action performed at a
specific moment in the past.
-The main verb of the sentence is always in
the past tense.
-It has a simple composition of "subject and
predicate verb".
-It is the only grammatical tense that uses
verbs in the past tense.
-In the predicate expressions that determine
the time of the sentence can be used,
although it will always be the verb that
indicates whether or not the sentence is in
the past tense.
NEXT!
4. Applications
1. When we want to talk about an
action that happened in the past
and ended in the past and we
indicate the time when the action
occurred ("last night" and
"yesterday"). Look at the following
examples:
Last night I played soccer (Last
night I played soccer)
I wrote a letter yesterday
2. When we speak of an action
that was habitual in the past; like
when we talk about our childhood:
I played soccer all day long when I
was a child (I played soccer all day
as a child)
3. To talk about events connected
in a chronological sequence of
time in the past.
Last night I arrived home, cooked
dinner and went directly to bed.
(Last night I got home, cooked
dinner and went straight to bed)
4. We also use the simple past to
talk about actions that occurred
and ended the past over a long
period of time:
I studied at Pedagogical University
for 5 years. (I studied at the
pedagogical university for 5
years)
5. Examples
You worked very hard last week.
They learned how to swim two years ago.
He always walked to school.
Did you work very hard last week? Yes, I did.
Did you work very hard last week? Yes, I
worked very hard last week.
Did you work very hard last week? No, I
didn’t.
Did you work very hard last week? No, I
didn’t work very hard last week.