Part 2: Verbs
Past simple tense
Examples
The little dog laughed to see such fun.
And the dish ran away with the spoon.
Definition
The past simple tense is the one-word past tense in English (was, went, came, ran, worked, wrote, saw, etc.). It is not the only way to talk about the past, although many users (and sometimes the WIDA Framework) call it “the” past tense. The past simple expresses events, states, actions, beliefs, and feelings that are considered complete, remote, distant, and unconnected to the present moment.
Form
The past simple of regular verbs is formed by adding –ed to the base form of the verb. Many common verbs have irregular past simple forms (was/were, had, did, went, came, saw, ate, became, etc.). These have to be learned or acquired through repeated exposure.
Careful!
The past simple is also used in certain hypothetical conditionals, where it expresses distance in reality not time (see Conditionals).
The present perfect, not the part simple, is used when the event, state, action, or feeling is still connected to the present, notably after since and for.
Functions
The past simple is found in a wide range of texts but especially in those that Narrate, for obvious reasons. It is somewhat less common in texts that Inform or Explain, unless they draw on historical information, examples, or contrasts.
