Aim: This exercise will help you how and when to use past simple tense. Written by: Leticia Avila Herrera

How do we use the Simple Past Tense?

We use the simple past tense to talk about an action or a situation - an event - in the past. The event can be short or long.

Here are some short events with the simple past tense:

The car exploded at 9.30am yesterday. She went to the door.

We did not hear the telephone. Did you see that car?

past present future

The action is in the past.

Here are some long events with the simple past tense:

I lived in Bangkok for 10 years. The Jurassic period lasted about 62 million years.

We did not sing at the concert. Did you watch TV last night?

past present future

The action is in the past.

Notice that it does not matter how long ago the event is: it can be a few minutes or seconds in the past, or millions of years in the past. Also it does not matter how long the event is. It can be a few milliseconds (car explosion) or millions of years (Jurassic period). We use the simple past tense when:

the event is in the past the event is completely finished we say (or understand) the time and/or place of the event

In general, if we say the time or place of the event, we must use the simple past tense; we cannot use the present perfect.

Here are some more examples:

Aim: This exercise will help you how and when to use past simple tense. Written by: Leticia Avila Herrera

I lived in that house when I was young. He didn't like the movie. What did you eat for dinner? John drove to London on Monday. Mary did not go to work yesterday. Did you play tennis last week? I was at work yesterday. We were not late (for the train). Were you angry?

Note that when we tell a story, we usually use the simple past tense. We may use the past continuous tense to "set the scene", but we almost always use the simple past tense for the action. Look at this example of the beginning of a story:

"The wind was howling around the hotel and the rain was pouring down. It was cold. The door opened and James Bond entered. He took off his coat, which was very wet, and ordered a drink at the bar. He sat down in the corner of the lounge and quietly drank his..."

http://www.englishclub.com/grammar/verb-tenses_past_u.htm

Exercise

Aim: This exercise will help you how and when to use past simple tense. Written by: Leticia Avila Herrera

Read the whole text and write the past form of the verbs in brackets.

The Canterville Ghost

There 1._______(to be) a horrible storm that night, but apart from that nothing scary 2._____________(happen). The next morning, however, when the family 3.__________(come) down to breakfast, they 4._________(find) the terrible stain of blood once again on the floor. Washington 5._________(clean) it a second time, but the second morning it 6.___________(appear) again. The third morning it 7.____(to be) there, too, although the library had been locked up at night by Mr. Otis himself.

The following night, all doubts about the existence of the ghost 8._______(to be) finally removed forever. At eleven o'clock the family 9._______(go) to bed and some time after, Mr. Otis was awakened by a strange noise in the corridor, outside his room. It 10.__________(sound) like the clank of metal, and it came nearer every moment. Mr. Otis 11._______(get) up and 12._________(look) at the time. It was exactly one o'clock. So Mr. Otis put on his slippers, went to the door and 13.________(open) it. There, right in front of him, stood the ghost - his eyes 14._______(to be) as red as burning coals; long grey hair fell over his shoulders and from his wrists and ankles hung heavy chains.

“My dear Sir,” 15._______(say) Mr. Otis, “you must oil those chains. It's impossible to sleep with such a noise going on outside the bedrooms. I have therefore brought you this bottle of lubricator, and I will be happy to supply you with more if you require it.” With these words Mr Otis laid the bottle down, 16.__________(close) his door and 17._______(go) back to bed.

Shocked, the Canterville ghost stood quite motionless for a moment, but then he 18.__________(growl) angrily. Just at this moment, the twins 19.__________(appear) on the corridor and threw a large pillow at him! The ghost hastily 20.__________(escape) through the wall, and the house 21.___________(become) quiet again.

When the ghost 22._________(reach) his small secret chamber, he 23.________(take) a deep breath. No ghosts in history had ever been treated in this manner!

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