B1 - 01 Simple Past Tense Grammar
B1 - 01 Simple Past Tense Grammar
B1 - 01 Simple Past Tense Grammar
Examples:
I watched a movie yesterday.
I did not (didn't) see a play yesterday.
Last year, I traveled to Japan.
Did you have dinner last night?
We use the Simple Past to list a series of completed actions in the past.
Examples:
I finished work, walked to the beach, and found a nice place to swim.
He arrived from the airport at 8:00, checked into the hotel at 9:00, and met
the others at 10:00.
Did you add flour, pour in the milk, and then add the eggs?
3. Duration in Past
The Simple Past can be used with a duration which starts and stops in the past.
A duration is a longer action often indicated by expressions such as: for two years, for
five minutes, all day, all year, etc.
Examples:
I lived in Brazil for two years.
Shauna studied Japanese for five years.
They sat at the beach all day.
They did not stay at the party the entire time.
The Simple Past can also be used to describe a habit which stopped in the past. It
can have the same meaning as "used to." To make it clear that we are talking about a
habit, we often add expressions such as: always, often, usually, never, when I was a
child, when I was younger, etc.
2
Examples:
I studied French when I was a child.
He played the violin.
He didn't play the piano.
Did you play a musical instrument when you were a kid?
The Simple Past can also be used to describe past facts or generalizations which
are no longer true. As in USE 4 above, this use of the Simple Past is quite similar to
the expression "used to."
Examples:
She was shy as a child, but now she is very outgoing.
He didn't like tomatoes before.
Did you live in Texas when you were a kid?
People paid much more to make cell phone calls in the past.
TIME EXPRESSIONS
The examples below show the placement for grammar adverbs such as:
Once Ago
In those days Last week
On Monday Yesterday
Examples:
You went to the beach once.
I worked in Mexico two years ago.
We ate tamales on Saturday.
They were in love in those days.
ADVERB PLACEMENT
The examples below show the placement for grammar adverbs such as: always, never,
ever, still, just, etc.
Examples:
You just called Debbie.
I never called Debbie.
We still paid our tuition.
They always went to the beach.
3
Examples:
I talked in class. Yo hablaba en clase.
He ate every day. Él comió todos los días.
They learnt English. Ellos aprendieron inglés.
2. Negative Sentences
3. Interrogative Sentences
As subject
Examples:
o Who talked? ¿Quién habló?
o Who ate pizza? ¿Quién comió pizza?
As object
Examples:
o Who did you meet? ¿A quién encontraste tú?
o Who did he call? ¿A quién llamó él?