Level: beginner
With most verbs, the past tense is formed by adding –ed:
| called | liked | wanted | worked |
But there are a lot of irregular past tense forms in English. Here are the most common irregular verbs in English, with their past tense forms:
| Base form | Past tense |
|---|---|
| be begin break bring buy build choose come cost cut do draw drive eat feel find get give go have hear hold keep know leave lead let lie lose make mean meet pay put run say sell send set sit speak spend stand take teach tell think understand wear win write |
was/were began broke brought bought built chose came cost cut did drew drove ate felt found got gave went had heard held kept knew left led let lay lost made meant met paid put ran said sold sent set sat spoke spent stood took taught told thought understood wore won wrote |
We use the past tense to talk about:
- something that happened once in the past:
I met my wife in 1983.
We went to Spain for our holidays.
They got home very late last night.
- something that happened several times in the past:
When I was a boy, I walked a mile to school every day.
We swam a lot while we were on holiday.
They always enjoyed visiting their friends.
- something that was true for some time in the past:
I lived abroad for ten years.
He enjoyed being a student.
She played a lot of tennis when she was younger.
- we often use expressions with ago with the past simple:
I met my wife a long time ago.
- Past simple 1
- GapFillTyping_MTYzMjI=
- Past simple 2
- GapFillTyping_MTYzMjM=
Past simple questions and negatives
We use did to make questions with the past simple:
Did she play tennis when she was younger?
Did you live abroad?
When did you meet your wife?
Where did you go for your holidays?
But questions with who often don't use did:
Who discovered penicillin?
Who wrote Don Quixote?
- Past simple questions 1
- ReorderingHorizontal_MTYzMjQ=
- Past simple questions 2
- GapFillTyping_MTYzMjU=
We use didn't (did not) to make negatives with the past simple:
They didn't go to Spain this year.
We didn't get home until very late last night.
I didn't see you yesterday.
- Past simple negatives 1
- GapFillDragAndDrop_MTYzMjY=
- Past simple negatives 2
- GapFillTyping_MTYzMjc=
Level: intermediate
Past simple and hypotheses
We can also use the past simple to refer to the present or future in hypotheses (when we imagine something). See these pages:
Dear teachers,
In advanced thank you for helping us, I have an enquiry, in the question1, (What happened at school today?)
Why didn't you use did in the question? And when should I use this form of question that is without did?
Best regards
Asala Mohammed
Hi Asala Mohammed,
This is a type of question called a subject question. These questions ask about the person or thing that did the action. They use the same word order as a normal sentence (Wh- question word + verb), without an auxiliary verb. For example:
In the questions above, the wh- word is the subject of the verb. This may be easier to see if you compare it with the answer, e.g. Charles Dickens wrote that book. ("Charles Dickens" = subject). Who wrote that book? ("Who" = subject).
These are different from other questions, where the wh- word is the object of the verb. These questions need "did" (or another auxiliary verb). For example:
I hope that helps.
Jonathan
LearnEnglish team
Hello again, dear teachers and team!
Could you please help me with the following:
Which one (if any) is correct (I got the TV set yesterday and I still have it):
1. From yesterday, I have this TV set.
2. From yesterday, I have had this TV set.
It's hard to convey how grateful I am for your help and thank you for answering this comment beforehand!
Hello howtosay_,
The correct verb form here is 'have had'. You are describing a situation which began in the past and continues into the present, so the present perfect is appropriate.
'Yesterday' is a point in time rather than a period of time, so we would use 'since' rather than 'for'.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello, dear teachers and team!
Could you please help me with the following:
So, I was late and rushed to catch the bus. Right after that, when I am on the bus, I have to say:
1. I was late, that's why I rushed to catch the bus. (As that very actions are finished)
2. I've been late, that's why I have rushed to catch the bus. (Now I am on the bus)
3. I was late, that's why I have rushed to catch the bus. (Because I have rushed to catch the bus, I am on it now).
I'm so much grateful for your help and thank you for answering my question beforehand!!!
Hello howtosay_,
The most natural thing to say here is 1 because the state of being late and the action of rushing are both finished now that you are on the bus. I imagine you being out of breath but probably happy to have caught it :-).
2 is incorrect because now that you are on the bus, you aren't late; if you used the present perfect, it would suggest you are still late. I suppose it's possible that you are still running late for your final destination, but if that's the case, you should say 'I'm late' or 'I'm running late' instead of 'I was late' since it is still true.
3 is unnatural because you've already finished the rushing to catch the bus. It could perhaps be used in some very particular situation (but I can't think of one). I'd recommend you regard it as incorrect too.
Does that make sense?
All the best,
Kirk
LearnEnglish team
Hello, Kirk!
Yes, that does make sense. That's very helpful, as usual.
And yes, I was happy to catch the bus. =)
Thank you so much for your help, which is very important to me!
Hello team!
I have a question about using "when" with simple past.
Can I use "when" with simple past in the two clauses:
When I entered the room, my brother watched the movie.
Do the two clauses happened at the same time or one clause happened before the other one?
Thank you in advance
Hello AbooodKh9,
Generally, 'when' in this kind of context indicates the moment that an action begins. For example:
When we want to show that an action was in progress at the time of another event, we use when or while with the past continuous:
Thus, I would say there are two possibilities for your example:
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello
Which sentence is correct?
1- After the plane had landed, we collected our luggage.
2- After the plane landed, we collected our luggage.
Hi KH_M_K,
They are both correct! Sentence 1 uses the past perfect, but people often simplify by just using the past simple. This happens especially if the order that the actions happened is already shown in some other way. Here, the word "after" shows this, as well as the order of mentioning the actions in the sentence (the first action is mentioned first, and the second action is mentioned second).
Does that make sense?
Jonathan
LearnEnglish team
Hello everyone! I just want to ask a question about "when"
Can I use any tense after when? I know that we can use it before(present simple and past simple) but I want to know If we can use it before the other tenses.
For example:
1) When I had arrived, I met my friend. OR When I had arrived, I had met my friend.
2) When I have studied English, I found many job opportunities. OR When I have studied English, I have found many job opportunities.
And so on...
Thank you in advance.
Hello AboodKh9,
1) When I arrived is correct here. We could use the past perfect (had arrived) with 'once' or 'after', not 'when'.
2) I'm not sure what you mean here. When I studied (not have studied)... I found (not have found) is correct in this context. You could use the present perfect to talk about repeated experiences, however, with the sense 'every time' or 'whenever'.
For example: I've visited Germany many times in my life and when (whenever/every time) I've been there, I've found the people to be very kind.
You can find a useful summary here:
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/grammar/british-grammar/when
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Thank you so much for your response.
But here I am asking in general (not just about the examples I typed above) about using "when as a conjunction" before the 12 tenses in English.
For example:
When + present perfect
When + present perfect continuous
When + past perfect
When + past perfect continuous
When + simple future
...etc
I will be grateful for you
Excuse me if I didn't get it very well.
Hello AboodKh9,
There is no general rule here - it really depends on the context and what the speaker wants to say. While some forms are unusual (will after when is very unusual, for example), they are not impossible. All of these, for example, are correct:
When I've finished, I'll come and help you.
When I've been working on this, I've generally found a small team better than a large one.
She had been talking when he had been talking, and that's why hadn't understood each other.
etc.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Why here we cannot use when with past perfect?
Hi yyyyyyyy7,
Are you asking about this sentence?
Have studied is the present perfect (not the past perfect, which would be had studied). The sentence is showing two things happening together and at the same time, so they should be in the same tense as each other. The sentence above is not correct, but these two sentences are.
I hope that helps to understand it.
Jonathan
LearnEnglish team
When I arrived is correct here. We could use the past perfect (had arrived) with 'once' or 'after', not 'when'.
Why we can not use when with past perfect? And we dont use past perfect here?
Hi yyyyyyyy7,
Actually, we can use the past perfect with "when", e.g. When I'd finished studying, I went to sleep.
Peter's comment above is saying that the past perfect cannot be used here, in that particular sentence. It should be the past simple because the apparent meaning of using "when" is that the first action (arrived) leads into the second action (met my friend). In comparison, using the past perfect would make the two actions seem more separated and less connected (like finished studying and went to sleep in my example above). If the two actions really are separate, then using "once" or "after" + past perfect instead of "when" would make that meaning clearer.
I hope that helps to understand it.
Jonathan
LearnEnglish team
I have several questions be I would be very grateful if you answer.
1) does it mean that when we talk about things which are connected than we use past simple in both clauses? And does it mean that we use past perfect for things which are not connected as in your example?
2) where I can find materials to learn all these details according to tenses? I understood that using of tenses require to pay attention on these details.
Hi yyyyyyyy7,
“When” + past simple action 1 + past simple action 2 shows actions that are connected in the sense that action 1 leads smoothly into action 2. Action 2 follows very shortly after action 1. The focus of the sentence is on both actions.
“When” + past perfect action 1 + past simple action 2 emphasises the completeness of action 1 before action 2 happened. Although the two actions may also be connected in the sense of having a cause-effect relationship, using the past perfect for action 1 makes it seem further back in time from action 2 (the past simple action), and like a preliminary stage to action 2, with action 2 (the past simple action) being the main focus of the sentence. As noted above, “once” and “after” are synonyms for “when” here.
Of course, how connected actions are is subjective, so sometimes both structures are possible, depending on the speaker’s intended meaning.
I’m afraid I can’t really recommend particular learning materials to learn more about this grammar point, but I suggest having a look for advanced-level grammar books since this is quite a specific point and it may not be covered in general textbooks. Best of luck!
Jonathan
LearnEnglish team
Hello, I have one more question. Your example above about phone remind me another example. Here you have used past simple: I picked up the phone when it rang. I have come across to another example: I couldn’t answer when my phone rang as I was in the shower. Why in both sentences are used past simple instead of past continuous?
Hi yyyyyyyy7,
The past continuous (was ringing) is also possible in both sentences. Using the past continuous emphasises the duration of the activity, i.e. the fact that the ringing went on for some time. You may say this if your aim is to describe what was happening at that particular moment that you picked up the phone.
Using the past simple presents the actions in a step-by-step way: one thing happened, then another thing. You may say this if you are telling a story, for example, as it's common to use the past simple to tell the main sequence of story events.
Jonathan
LearnEnglish team
Do studying English and finding job opportunities mean that they are happening at the same time? Doesn’t mean that after he had studied English he found new job opportunities?
Hi yyyyyyyy7,
The original commenter's sentence has an unclear meaning. It may show actions happening at the same time, or one after the other. Both of these meanings make sense. Yes, it is also possible that the person studied English first, and then found new opportunities after that, as you say. But in that case, the earlier action should either be in the past simple or the past perfect. For greater clarity, I would also recommend using "Once" or "After" instead of "When", to show that the actions happen one after the other. However, the original sentence seemed to me to indicate two actions happening at the same time because of the use of the present perfect with "when", which has the meaning of "every time" or "whenever".
Jonathan
LearnEnglish team
Hello!
Could you please clarify the use of Past Simple in this sentence: 'The project was started maybe a year ago'. Is it acceptable to use Present Perfect here meaning that the project is still ongoing, or Past Simple is referred to just one completed past action -- started? Or it's better to rephrase the whole sentence -- 'It's been a year since the project has (been) started'? Is it acceptable or are there any exceptions for using 'ago' with Present Perfect? The main emphasis is that the project is not finished yet.
Thank you in advance!
Hello Gulnara_BC,
The present perfect is not correct in either of these sentences. 'a year ago' suggests a past time that isn't closely connected with the present and so the past simple is the best choice here.
There may exist some situations where it's possible to use the present perfect with 'ago', but I can't think of one off the top of my head.
The past simple does not imply that the project is finished. The action of starting is an action that we generally think of as taking a relatively short time, and then of course the project can continue for an indefinite length.
Hope this helps.
All the best,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello Team. Is there any difference between "How long ago" and "When" to ask about past events? For example, in the following question, which one is correct? Why?
- (How long ago - When) did you start studying English?
Thank you.
Hello Ahmed Imam,
'how long ago' asks for a specific kind of answer, i.e. an expression with 'ago', whereas 'when' is a bit more general.
In practice, though, the person who answers is free to answer as they wish. In other words, they could just as easily say 'when I was ten years old' or 'last summer' or 'ten years ago' in response to 'how long ago' as 'when'.
Hope this helps.
All the best,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello again Kirk.
So, I understand that they are equally-correct in my question, right?
Thank you
Hello Ahmed Imam,
Yes, that's right: both of those formulations are correct.
All the best,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
Hi Jonathan,
Thanks so much for your prompt reply.
So, in informal speaking, we could ask questions such as:
- How's the film yesterday?
- Why's he angry last night?
- What's he doing when you called him?
- When's the next train arrive?
- What's it mean?
- How's he look?
[1] Is this kind of contraction also used by educated people in daily conversations?
[2] Could we use this kind of contraction ('s) of "was" and "does" in daily communication with our coworkers or boss?
Your remarks would be highly appreciated.
Best regards,
Hi melvinthio,
[1] Yes, if they are in informal situations. I don't think the education level is relevant here.
[2] Potentially, yes, but I can't really say more than that. It depends on the expectations about formality, clarity and interpersonal communication that people in your particular workplace have.
Jonathan
The LearnEnglish Team
Hi Jonathan,
Merriam Webster's online dictionary cites that the past tense "was" can also be contracted to ('s).
E.g. : When's the last time you ate?
[1] Can we use the contraction in general or it's only used in the fixed phrase of "When's the last time......?"
The dictionary also cites that ('s) is also the contraction of "does".
E.g. : What's he want ?
[2] Can we use this contraction in general with other question words (where, why, who, how) as well ?
Hi melvinthio,
You can find these contractions in other sentences too, not just these ones. However, it's important to know that these contractions are normally used (1) in informal speaking, and (2) in questions. Because of their use in informal speaking, some people may consider them incorrect. It's also good to be aware of the potential for confusion (e.g. "What's" might be initially understood as "What is" or "What has").
I hope that helps.
Jonathan
The LearnEnglish Team
Hi
In this following sentence "I took care that he should not hear me "
Does here "he should not hear me " refer to past ?Can we use "should" in past tense?What about if we use "would not" instead of "should not" here ?
Hi Faii,
Yes, it does. (If referring to the future, "shall" can replace "should".) In this sentence, "would" and "should" have the same meaning but "should" is a bit more formal in style.
I hope that helps.
Jonathan
The LearnEnglish Team
Hi
To know about someone's food hobby we ask What's your favourite food?
if someone ask me " What was your favourite food?" , is it different from
"What is your favourite food?"
Hello Sandy,
It's the same question, but asks about the past instead of the present. Unless the other person says more -- for example, "when you were a child" or "when you studied at university", it's difficult to know which time in the past they mean.
Does that make sense?
All the best,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
Hi,
I have another question. This article states one of the uses of the simple past tense as being "something that was true for some time in the past". I have two queries concerning this.
Firstly, does "something" refer to an event (i.e. an action or state/situation)?
Secondly, may I know if this explanation of the simple past tense (i.e. "something that was true for some time in the past") means the same as "something that took place over a complete period of time in the past"?
Thirdly, some examples that I can think of that fit this explanation of "something that was true for some time in the past" include sentences as follows. May I know if my understanding is correct?
I lived in China for two years.
Tom studied German for five years.
They sat in class all day.
They stayed at the party the entire time.
We talked on the phone for fifty minutes.
Regards,
Tim
Hello Tim,
Yes, 'something' could refer to a state or an action/event.
The past simple is not limited in duration. It can describe something which happens in a microsecond or something which lasts for millions of years. However, the action is seen as a unitary block in the sense that it is not interrupted (the contrast here is with the past continuous).
All of your examples are fine.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hi, what about my second question: may I know if this explanation of the simple past tense (i.e. "something that was true for some time in the past") means the same as "something that took place over a complete period of time in the past"?
Hi again Tim,
Yes, that seems to be a reformulation of the same idea.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hi,
This article, like many others you have on your website, are about the grammar tenses of british english, correct? While I know there are some differences between british and american english, such as in terms of speeling of certain words, I wish to know whether there are any differences between british and american english in terms of the uses of the various grammar tenses (e.g. simple past - as with this article, or any of the other english tenses, for example, past continuous, simple future, present perfect simple/continuous, past perfect etc).
Regards,
Tim
Hello Tim,
Yes, our focus is on British English, though really the grammatical differences between American and British English are very few and minor. I'd suggest you have a look at our page on this topic (https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/grammar/intermediate-to-upper-i…), where you'll see, for example, one minor difference in the way the past simple and present perfect are used. There are undoubtedly others, but we believe these five are the most common ones.
While the way British speakers use English grammar may occasionally strike American ears as a little strange, it would be extremely unusual for Americans not to understand Brits because of their grammar, or vice versa. And when there is confusion, it's usually more a matter of pronunciation or vocabulary, though that's also fairly uncommon in my experience.
All the best,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
thank you. So firstly, from the article, regarding the comparison between american and british english in terms of using the present perfect simple and simple past, while present perfect simple is intended to express actions completed in the past but which have an effect on the present - and that this use is recognized and accepted as grammatical by both american and british english, american english tends to use the simple past more often. May I know if I have summarized this correctly?
Secondly, am I right to say that besides the present perfect simple tense vis-a-vis the simple past tense discussion as covered above, there are no further differences between american englisgh and british englisgh as far as the other english grammar tenses are concerned?
Hello Tim,
Yes, it sounds to me as if you've understood that difference correctly.
I'd hesitate to categorically say there are no other differences, but I would say this is to a good degree the most common and important one with respect to tense usage. More specifically, I can't think of any others off the top of my head, but this is not a topic I've done extensive research or thinking on. This is why I hesitate to make any sort of categorical statement on the matter.
Hope this helps.
All the best,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
Is had lost past simple? if not, then what is it?
And can I use it when talking about something recently lost?
Thank you
Hello sarasameer,
The form 'had lost' is an example of the past perfect. We use this to describe an action in the past before another action or time in the past. In other words, it describes 'past before past'. The two past actions should also have some connection: the earlier one causes or influences the later one in some way.
You can read more about the past perfect and practise it on these pages:
> the perfect aspect:
https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/english-grammar/perfect-aspect
> talking about the past
https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/english-grammar/talking-about-t…
> the past perfect
https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/grammar/intermediate-to-upper-i…
> the past perfect
https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/english-grammar/past-perfect
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team