The Past Simple form (the second form: go → went) describes finished actions at a specific past time, usually with markers like yesterday, last week, in 2010, ago. Regular verbs add -ed (worked, stopped, studied); the core everyday verbs are irregular and must be memorised. In questions and negatives the auxiliary did takes over the past and the main verb returns to its base form: Did you go? I didn’t go.
When to use it
Finished action + past time marker
We went to Rome last summer.
We went to Rome last summer.
A chain of past events
She came home, made dinner and called her mom.
She came home, made dinner and called her mom.
NOT after did
Did you see him? I did not see him.
After did/didn’t the verb goes back to its base form.
Regular endings
| + -ed | work → worked |
| -e → -d | live → lived |
| consonant + y → -ied | study → studied |
| doubling | stop → stopped |
Irregular verbs
Completely irregular
No change
-ought / -aught
i → a
Short vowel + -t/-d
Vowel change
Frequently asked
The Past Simple form (the second form: go → went) describes finished actions at a specific past time, usually with markers like yesterday, last week, in 2010, ago. Regular verbs add -ed (worked, stopped, studied); the core everyday verbs are irregular and must be memorised. In questions and negatives the auxiliary did takes over the past and the main verb returns to its base form: Did you go? I didn’t go. The main cases are finished action + past time marker, a chain of past events and not after did. For example: We went to Rome last summer. — We went to Rome last summer..
Regular verbs take: + -ed → worked; -e → -d → lived; consonant + y → -ied → studied; doubling → stopped.
The most common ones are be, have, do, say, go, get, make and know. Each has its own conjugation table with the full set of forms.
The past simple sits at A2 — Elementary, and Verboteca practice is free at A1. The rule, the tables and the examples on this page stay readable without a subscription or an account.
Every verb form becomes a card that comes back right before you would forget it.
