13) Simple past
The simple past expresses an action in the past taking place once, never, several times. It can also be used for actions taking place one after another or in the middle of another action.
Form of Simple Past
| Positive | Negative | Question | |
|---|---|---|---|
| no differences | I spoke. | I did not speak. | Did I speak? |
For irregular verbs, use the past form (see list of irregular verbs, 2nd column). For regular verbs, just add “ed”.
Exceptions in Spelling when Adding ‘ed’
| Exceptions in spelling when adding ed | Example |
|---|---|
| after a final e only add d | love – loved |
| final consonant after a short, stressed vowel or l as final consonant after a vowel is doubled |
admit – admitted travel – travelled |
| final y after a consonant becomes i | hurry – hurried |
Use of Simple Past
- action in the past taking place once, never or several times
Example: He visited his parents every weekend.
- actions in the past taking place one after the other
Example: He came in, took off his coat and sat down.
- action in the past taking place in the middle of another action
Example: When I was having breakfast, the phone suddenly rang.
- if sentences type II (If I talked, …)
Example: If I had a lot of money, I would share it with you.
Structure (Estructura)
1. Affirmative Sentences (Frases afirmativas)
Sujeto + verbo principal...
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Ejemplos:
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She was a doctor. (Ella era doctora.)
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The keys were in the drawer. (Las llaves estaban en el cajón.)
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I wanted to dance. (Quería bailar.)
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He learned English. (Aprendieron inglés.)
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They believed him. (Le creímos.)
2. Negative Sentences (Frases negativas)
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To be:
Sujeto + "to be" + "not"...
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Ejemplos:
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She wasn't a doctor. (Ella no era doctora.)
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The keys weren't in the drawer. (Las llaves no estaban en el cajón.)
Nota: El verbo "to have got", que en el presente simple sigue las mismas reglas como "to be", no puede ser utilizado en el pasado. Para indicar la posesión en el pasado, usamos el verbo "to have".
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Todos los demás verbos:
Sujeto + verbo auxiliar ("to do") + "not" + verbo principal...
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Ejemplos:
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I didn't want to dance. (No quería bailar.)
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He didn't learn English. (No aprendieron inglés)
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They didn't believe him. (No le creímos.)
Nota: En frases negativas, el verbo auxiliar va en el pasado ("did") y el verbo principal se queda en el infinitivo.
3. Interrogative Sentences (Frases interrogativas)
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To be:
"To be" + sujeto...?
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Ejemplos:
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Was she a doctor? (¿Ella era doctora?)
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Were the keys in the drawer? (¿Estaban las llaves en el cajón?)
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Todos los verbos demás:
Verbo auxiliar ("to do") + sujeto + verbo principal...?
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Ejemplos:
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Did you want to dance? (¿Querías bailar?)
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Did he learn English? (¿Aprendieron ingles?)
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Did they believe him? (¿Le creíste?)
