1. Simple past
tense
The simple past
is used to talk about a completed action in a time before
now. Duration is not important. The time of the action can be
in the recent past or the distant past.
is used to talk about a completed action in a time before
now. Duration is not important. The time of the action can be
in the recent past or the distant past.
·
John Cabot sailed to America in 1498.
·
My father died last year.
·
He lived in Fiji in 1976.
·
We crossed the Channel yesterday.
You always use the simple past when you say when
something happened,
so it is associated with certain past time expressions
so it is associated with certain past time expressions
Examples:
·
frequency:often,sometimes, always;
·
a definite point in time:last
week, when I was a child, yesterday, six weeks ago.
·
an indefinite point in time:the
other day, ages ago, a long time ago etc.
Past tense often uses adverbial of time, example :
|
Yesterday
|
2 days ago
|
|
Last week
|
The other day
|
|
Last year
|
In 1982, etc
|
The formula of simple past tense :
|
Verbal sentence:
(+) = S + V2 + O
Example : he went to Bali Yesteday
(-) = S + did + not + V1 + O
Example : he did not go to Bali Yesterday
(?) = did + S + V1 + O
Example : did he go to Bali Yesterday?
Nominal sentence :
(+) = S + was/ were + complement
Example : I was successful yesterday
(-) = S+ was/ were + complement
Example : I was not successful yesterday
(?) = was/ were + S + complement
Example : was I successful yesterday?
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