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:
Comments
Can we say 'We learn at school' or 'We learn in school'?
Please explain the difference.
Thanks
Hello Sad,
In the UK, at school can mean either of these:
In school generally only has the second meaning.
When you want to ask about, for example, what was done during the day, then either can be used:
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Does it make sense?
'We write at school'?
Gives a meaning that we write the word 'at school'!
'At school, we learn to write words'
Isn't it a correct structure?
Regards
Hello Sad,
There is nothing grammatically wrong with either sentence. I think the most likely way to phrase it would be 'We learn to write at school', but it really depends on the context and to what question the person is responding, if any.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Thank you.
It doesn't make sense to me if it's written ' We write at school.', I don't know why?
However, the other 2 make sense, but which is stronger, 'At school, we learn to write.' Or
'We learn to write at school.'
I mean, as a strong correct sentence structure!
Regards
Hello Sad,
Both of these are fine:
There is no difference in meaning or strength.
The sentence 'We write at school' is, as I said, grammatically correct. I think it's very unlikely anyone would say it in conversation but it's possible to think of a context in which it would make sense:
The teacher doesn't give us writing homework. Usually, we have lists of words to learn at home. We write at school.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
why i cannot mention a specific time with present perfect tense or why the time is not important
Hello fdrewaserera,
I'm not sure there is a 'why' to explain this. It's simply a feature of how the verb system words in English. The present perfect has a retrospective meaning: it looks back on the past from now and thus requires an open time reference. It is never used with a completed time reference.
I can say
However, if I add a completed time reference then I need to use a past form:
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Thanks
why we use just with present perfect tesns
because the action is effect to the present or what
Hello fdrewaserera
Could you please give a specific example of what you're asking about?
Thanks.
All the best
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
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