Past Simple Tense
English
Past Simple Tense in English:
Past Simple Tense
The tense for completed actions in the past - Learn how to talk about finished events and historical facts
When Do We Use Past Simple?
Completed Actions in the Past
- I visited Paris last summer.
- She finished her homework an hour ago.
- They watched a movie yesterday.
Sequences of Past Actions
- I woke up, brushed my teeth, and went to work.
- She opened the door, entered the room, and sat down.
- We arrived at the airport, checked in, and boarded the plane.
Past Habits or States
- I played tennis when I was younger.
- He lived in London for five years. (but doesn't live there now)
- She always carried an umbrella when she lived in England.
Historical Facts or Events
- World War II ended in 1945.
- Shakespeare wrote many famous plays.
- The Titanic sank on its maiden voyage.
How to Form Past Simple
Subject Affirmative (+) Negative (-) Questions (?) I/You/He/She/It/We/They I worked I did not work Did I work? Regular vs. Irregular Verbs:
Regular Verbs
Add -ed to the base form:
- work → worked
- play → played
- study → studied (y changes to i)
Irregular Verbs
Completely change form:
- go → went
- eat → ate
- see → saw
- buy → bought
Note: The same form is used for all subjects (I, you, he, she, it, we, they)
Signal Words
Yesterday Last night/week/year Ago In 1990/2005 When Then At that time The day before yesterday In the pastExamples:
- I saw her yesterday.
- They visited London last year.
- She finished school three years ago.
- World War II ended in 1945.
Real-Life Examples
Storytelling
"Yesterday, I went to the park. I met my friend there and we played basketball for an hour. After that, we had lunch at a nearby café. It was a great day!"
Historical Narrative
"The ancient Egyptians built the pyramids thousands of years ago. They used advanced engineering techniques that still amaze scientists today. Many workers labored for years to complete these magnificent structures."
Common Mistakes & Tips
Mistake: "I
didn't wentto school yesterday." (incorrect negative form)Correct: "I didn't go to school yesterday." (use base verb after did/didn't)
Mistake: "
Didshecalledyou?" (extra -ed in questions)Correct: "Did she call you?"
Mistake: "I
have seenhim yesterday." (wrong tense)Correct: "I saw him yesterday." (use Past Simple with specific past time)
Essential Tip:
Use did/didn't + base verb for negatives and questions:
- Negative: "She didn't eat breakfast."
- Question: "Did you finish your work?"
Quick Practice
1. I __________ (go) to the cinema yesterday.
went
2. She __________ (not finish) her homework last night.
didn't finish
3. __________ they __________ (visit) Paris last summer?
Did, visit
4. We __________ (watch) a great movie two days ago.
watched
Past Simple vs. Present Perfect
Past Simple Present Perfect I visited Rome last year. (specific time) I have visited Rome. (unspecified time) She lived in London for 5 years. (not living there now) She has lived in London for 5 years. (still living there) We saw that movie yesterday. We have seen that movie. (experience in life) He finished his work at 5 PM. He has just finished his work. (recently completed) Time Expressions:
- Past Simple: yesterday, last week, in 2010, ago, when I was young
- Present Perfect: ever, never, just, already, yet, since, for, recently
Common Irregular Verbs
Base Form Past Simple Past Participle be was/were been begin began begun break broke broken bring brought brought buy bought bought come came come do did done drink drank drunk eat ate eaten go went gone Tip: Irregular verbs must be memorized as they don't follow standard patterns.
Polish
Czas Past Simple w języku angielskim:
Czas Past Simple
Czas ukończonych czynności w przeszłości - Naucz się mówić o zakończonych wydarzeniach i faktach historycznych
Kiedy używamy czasu Past Simple?
Zakończone czynności w przeszłości
- I visited Paris last summer.
- She finished her homework an hour ago.
- They watched a movie yesterday.
Sekwencje czynności w przeszłości
- I woke up, brushed my teeth, and went to work.
- She opened the door, entered the room, and sat down.
- We arrived at the airport, checked in, and boarded the plane.
Przeszłe nawyki lub stany
- I played tennis when I was younger.
- He lived in London for five years. (but doesn't live there now)
- She always carried an umbrella when she lived in England.
Fakty lub wydarzenia historyczne
- World War II ended in 1945.
- Shakespeare wrote many famous plays.
- The Titanic sank on its maiden voyage.
Jak tworzyć czas Past Simple
Podmiot Twierdzenie (+) Przeczenie (-) Pytania (?) I/You/He/She/It/We/They I worked I did not work Did I work? Czasowniki regularne a nieregularne:
Czasowniki regularne
Dodajemy -ed do formy podstawowej:
- work → worked
- play → played
- study → studied (y zmienia się na i)
Czasowniki nieregularne
Całkowicie zmieniają formę:
- go → went
- eat → ate
- see → saw
- buy → bought
Uwaga: Ta sama forma jest używana dla wszystkich podmiotów (I, you, he, she, it, we, they)
Słowa sygnalizujące
Yesterday Last night/week/year Ago In 1990/2005 When Then At that time The day before yesterday In the pastPrzykłady:
- I saw her yesterday.
- They visited London last year.
- She finished school three years ago.
- World War II ended in 1945.
Przykłady z życia wzięte
Opowiadanie historii
"Yesterday, I went to the park. I met my friend there and we played basketball for an hour. After that, we had lunch at a nearby café. It was a great day!"
Opis historyczny
"The ancient Egyptians built the pyramids thousands of years ago. They used advanced engineering techniques that still amaze scientists today. Many workers labored for years to complete these magnificent structures."
Typowe błędy i wskazówki
Błąd: "I
didn't wentto school yesterday." (niepoprawna forma przecząca)Poprawnie: "I didn't go to school yesterday." (użyj podstawowej formy czasownika po did/didn't)
Błąd: "
Didshecalledyou?" (zbędne -ed w pytaniach)Poprawnie: "Did she call you?"
Błąd: "I
have seenhim yesterday." (zły czas)Poprawnie: "I saw him yesterday." (używaj Past Simple z konkretnym czasem przeszłym)
Podstawowa wskazówka:
Używaj did/didn't + podstawowej formy czasownika w przeczeniach i pytaniach:
- Przeczenie: "She didn't eat breakfast."
- Pytanie: "Did you finish your work?"
Szybkie ćwiczenia
1. I __________ (go) to the cinema yesterday.
went
2. She __________ (not finish) her homework last night.
didn't finish
3. __________ they __________ (visit) Paris last summer?
Did, visit
4. We __________ (watch) a great movie two days ago.
watched
Past Simple a Present Perfect
Past Simple Present Perfect I visited Rome last year. (konkretny czas) I have visited Rome. (nieokreślony czas) She lived in London for 5 years. (już tam nie mieszka) She has lived in London for 5 years. (nadal tam mieszka) We saw that movie yesterday. We have seen that movie. (doświadczenie życiowe) He finished his work at 5 PM. He has just finished his work. (ostatnio ukończone) Wyrażenia czasowe:
- Past Simple: yesterday, last week, in 2010, ago, when I was young
- Present Perfect: ever, never, just, already, yet, since, for, recently
Częste czasowniki nieregularne
Base Form Past Simple Past Participle be was/were been begin began begun break broke broken bring brought brought buy bought bought come came come do did done drink drank drunk eat ate eaten go went gone Wskazówka: Czasowniki nieregularne należy zapamiętać, ponieważ nie mają regularnych końcówek.
