Past Simple: Regular verbs - formation

Think of the Past Simple like a light switch. The action is either on (happening now) or off (finished). Regular verbs are the easiest part of this switch. You take the base verb and add a suffix. This suffix is usually ed. For example, work becomes worked. It does not matter who is doing the action. You use the same form for I, you, he, she, it, we, and they. This is great news! You do not have to memorize different endings for different people. It is much easier than the Present Simple. No more worrying about that extra s for he or she. However, there is a small catch. While the spelling is easy, the pronunciation can be tricky. Sometimes ed sounds like a t. Sometimes it sounds like a d. Sometimes it adds an extra syllable like id. Don't worry, though. Even native speakers don't think about this consciously. You will get the hang of it with practice. Just remember the goal: finished actions in the past.

1. 1Building regular past tense verbs follows four main rules. Think of these as your spelling toolkit.
2. 2The General Rule: For most verbs, just add ed.
3. 3walk + ed = walked
4. 4play + ed = played
5. 5visit + ed = visited
6. 6The 'E' Rule: If the verb already ends in e, just add d.
7. 7dance + d = danced
8. 8like + d = liked
9. 9live + d = lived
10. 10The 'Y' Rule: If the verb ends in a consonant + y, change y to i then add ed.
11. 11study -> studied
12. 12cry -> cried
13. 13try -> tried
14. 14Note: If it is a vowel + y (like play), just add ed.
15. 15The Double Consonant Rule: If a short verb ends in CVC (Consonant-Vowel-Consonant), double the last letter.
16. 16stop -> stopped
17. 17plan -> planned
18. 18hop -> hopped

You use the Past Simple for actions that are 100% finished. There is no connection to the present moment.

• Specific Times: Use it with words like yesterday, last week, or in 2010.
• Example: "I finished my report yesterday."
• Past Habits: Use it for things you did often but don't do now.
• Example: "I skated every day when I was ten."
• Sequences: Use it to tell a story in order.
• Example: "I arrived at the hotel, checked in, and walked to my room."
• Job Interviews: Use it to describe your past responsibilities.
• Example: "I managed a team of five people at my last job."

Do not use the Past Simple for things happening right now. That is for the Present Continuous. Also, avoid it for actions that started in the past but are still happening. For that, you usually need the Present Perfect.

• Ongoing Actions: Don't say "I walked right now." Say "I am walking."
• Unfinished Time: If the time period isn't over, be careful.
• Example: If it is still Monday, you usually don't say "I cleaned the house this morning" unless the cleaning is totally done and you are focusing on the finished act.
• Irregular Verbs: This is the big one. Do not add ed to verbs like go, eat, or see. They have their own special forms (went, ate, saw). Adding ed to these will make you sound like a toddler—which is cute, but maybe not at work!

Even the best students make these slips. It is part of the process!

• Over-regularizing: Adding ed to irregular verbs.
• ✗ Wrong: "I goed to the park."
• ✓ Correct: "I went to the park."
• Spelling 'Y' words: Forgetting to change the y to i.
• ✗ Wrong: "He studyed hard."
• ✓ Correct: "He studied hard."
• Double Consonants: Forgetting to double the letter in short words.
• ✗ Wrong: "The car stoped suddenly."
• ✓ Correct: "The car stopped suddenly."
• Pronunciation: Trying to pronounce the e in walked. It should sound like walkt, not walk-ed. Think of the e as a silent ghost in many words.

How does this compare to the Present Simple? In the Present Simple, we say "I work every day." This is a routine. In the Past Simple, we say "I worked yesterday." This is a finished event.

What about the Past Continuous? We use the Past Continuous for things that were in progress. "I was walking when it started to rain." The Past Simple (started) interrupts the longer action (was walking). Think of the Past Simple as a single point on a timeline. The Past Continuous is a long line.