FluencyLab
GrammarHub
Use the past simple for completed past actions, sequences and states at a finished time.
Overview
Use the past simple for completed past actions, sequences and states at a finished time.
Form and rules
Regular verbs usually take -ed; irregular verbs have special past forms such as went, saw and had.
Use did not/didn't + base verb for negatives: We didn't go.
Use Did + subject + base verb for questions: Did you see him?
After did or didn't, use the base form, not the past form.
Finished-time expressions include yesterday, last night, in 2019 and three hours ago.
A closer look
After did or didn't, use the base form, not the past form.
Finished-time expressions include yesterday, last night, in 2019 and three hours ago.
Examples
I watched a documentary last night.
She went home early.
We didn't enjoy the meal.
Did you call your mother?
They lived in Lima for two years.
Common mistakes
Yesterday calls for the past simple.
After didn't, use the base verb.
Ready to practise?
The test combines multiple choice, gap completion, error correction, and sentence building so students have to recognise and produce the grammar, not simply reread the rule.