Home   »   English Grammar   »   Simple Past Indefinite Tense- Examples, Formula,...

Simple Past Indefinite Tense- Examples, Formula, Exercise, Rules, Structure

Simple past tense : The simple past tense is a verb tense used to represent activities or states that occurred in the past and were completed. It is commonly generated in English by appending “-ed” to normal verbs.

Simple Past Tense

The simple past tense is a verb tense used to describe an action or event that occurred and was completed in the past. It is used to talk about specific past actions, habits, or states of being that are no longer ongoing. In English, the simple past tense is typically formed by adding “-ed” to the base form of regular verbs. However, irregular verbs have their own specific past tense forms that do not follow this pattern.

Here are a few examples of regular verbs in the simple past tense:

  • I walked to the park yesterday.
  • She played the piano beautifully.
  • They watched a movie last night.

And here are a few examples of irregular verbs in the simple past tense:

  • I went to the store earlier today.
  • He ate a delicious meal for dinner.
  • They slept late on the weekend.

Simple Past Indefinite Tense

The simple past (also called past simple or past indefinite) is a verb form used to indicate repetition, habit, or generalization of an earlier time. Less commonly, you can use the simple past tense to refer to actions or states that happened in the past and are finished and completed.

Read on for detailed explanations, examples, and simple present tense exercises.

Simple Past Indefinite Tense- Definition

The “simple past”, according to the Cambridge Dictionary, is defined as “the form of a verb used to describe an action that happened before the present tense and is no longer happening. It is usually made with adding -ed.

Collins dictionary defines “past simple” as “past simple tense used to indicate the past.”

Macmillan dictionary defines past simple as “past simple tense used to indicate actions, habitual behavior or situation that occurred or existed before”.

Simple Past Indefinite Tense- Formula and Structure

Affirmative (Positive), Negative, Interrogative, Negative Interrogative

The general formula of the Simple Past Tense (Indefinite Tense) is given below

Subject + past form of the verb (verb 2) + rest of the sentence.

The formation of the Simple Past Tense (Indefinite Tense) can be analyzed with reference to positive, negative, interrogative, and negative interrogative types of sentences. Have a look at the table given below for a better understanding.

Positive Negative Interrogative Negative Interrogative
Subject + past form of the verb (verb 2) + the rest of the sentence  

Subject + did + not + base form of the verb + the rest of the sentence

(or)

Subject + didn’t + base form of the verb + the rest of the sentence

Did + subject + base form of the verb + the rest of the sentence? Did + subject + not + base form of the verb + the rest of the sentence?

(or)

Didn’t+ subject + base form of the verb + the rest of the sentence?

Examples

  • He took oats for breakfast.
  • I went daily for a morning walk.
  • We ate fruits in the evening.
  • She sang songs.
Examples

  • He did not take oats for breakfast.
  • He didn’t take oats for breakfast.
  • I did not go daily for a morning walk.
  • I didn’t go daily for a morning walk.
  • We did not eat fruits in the evening.
  • We didn’t eat fruits in the evening.
  • She did not sing songs.
  • She didn’t sing songs.

 

 

Examples

  • Did he take oats for breakfast?
  • Did I go daily for a morning walk?
  • Did we eat fruits in the evening?
  • Did she sing songs?

 

Examples

  • Did he not take oats for breakfast?
  • Didn’t he take oats for breakfast?
  • Did I not go daily for a morning walk?
  • Didn’t I go daily for a morning walk?
  • Did we not eat fruits in the evening?
  • Didn’t we eat fruits in the evening?
  • Did she not sing songs?
  • Didn’t she sing songs?

Simple Past Indefinite Tense- Rule, Formula, Examples in Video Explanation

Watch the given video of simple past tense so that you can understand in a better way

Simple Past Indefinite Tense– Rules for Sentences

To use the simple past correctly and effectively, there are some rules and points to remember. This is because in positive and other forms different forms of the main verb will be used.

  1. Regular Verb Conjugation – To express the main verb of a sentence, simply add “-ed” to the end of regular verbs and “-d” to the end of regular verbs that end in “e”.

For example:- cook- cooked, reach- reached, work- worked

2. Verbs that stay the same – Some verbs have the same spelling as the base verb and remain the same in the past tense.

For example:- cut-cut, put- put, set- set

3. Verbs with different spelling patterns – Irregular verbs follow different spelling patterns, but there are no rules explaining why.

For example:- buy- bought, catch- caught, drink- drank

4. While using did in the sentence use the base form of the verb with did.

CUET 2023 Live Classes

Simple Past Indefinite Tense- Uses in Sentences

Some uses are given below for Simple Past Tense:

  1. Use the simple past tense to refer to an action or event that happened in the past.
  2. It doesn’t matter that the action happens when you speak.
  3. Describe a series of actions that occurred in succession (habitual).
  4. You can use the simple past tense to speak about something that was true for some time in past.

Simple Past Indefinite Tense- Examples

Here, we will discuss some examples of Simple Past Tense

  1. She went for a walk early in the morning.
  2. Mala went to the cafe every week.
  3. The teacher taught the coaching.
  4. Did you want to come with us?
  5. He didn’t go to school regularly.
  6. Maria never wore nice clothes.
  7. Didn’t you speak well English?
  8. My mom didn’t go to the market every day.
  9. The train arrived on time.
  10. Crickets didn’t store nuts for the winter.
  11. Rivers flowed towards the ocean.
  12. James never brushed her teeth regularly.
  13. He loved to play cricket every Sunday.
  14. Ashu and I went to the mall every Sunday.
  15. My Father didn’t work in America.
  16. Did other people also come to you?
  17. My aunty cooked delicious food.
  18. She usually ate diet food.
  19. We never went to the hill station.
  20. Did she go to school by bus?

Simple Past Tense Interrogative negative sentences Examples

POSITIVE NEGATIVE QUESTION
He met his wife 6 years ago. He didn’t meet her. Did he feel sad yesterday?
I graduated from the university. I didn’t graduate. Did they watch a movie?
They watched a movie yesterday. They didn’t watch a movie. Did he meet her?
You went to the bed early. You didn’t go to the bed early. Did she study in the library?
She studied in the library. She didn’t study in the library. Did the police find any clues?
They had dinner last night. They didn’t have dinner. Did we make a cake for you?
He felt sad yesterday. The police didn’t find any clues. Did you go to the bed early?
We made a cake for you. I didn’t become a teacher. Did they have dinner last night?
The police found some clues. He didn’t feel sad yesterday. Did I graduate?
I became a teacher two years ago. We didn’t make a cake for you. Did I become a teacher?

Simple Present Indefinite Tense- Exercise

Q.1 Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb as given in the brackets.

  1. He ______ to the office every day. (go)
  2. When ____ you go to school? (does)
  3. She _______ she is so intelligent. (think)
  4. Did he _____ in India? (lives)
  5. I ______ a letter to my father every month. (wrote)
  6. He _____ to college regularly. (go-negative)
  7. I_______ left after seeing the crowd. (take)
  8. My friend…………the bills. (pay-negative)
  9. Dogs …………………….at family members. (not bark)
  10. Tom told me that he would meet me before I _____  for Bangalore. (leave)

Answers

  1. He went to the office every day. (go)
  2. When did you go to school? (does)
  3. She thought she is so intelligent. (think)
  4. Did he live in India? (lives)
  5. wrote a letter to my father every month. (wrote)
  6. He didn’t go to college regularly. (go-negative)
  7.  I took left after seeing the crowd. (take)
  8. My friend didn’t pay the bills. (pay-negative)
  9.  Dogs didn’t bark at family members. (not bark)
  10.  Tom told me that he would meet me before I left for Bangalore. (leave)

Simple Past Indefinite Tense in Hindi

सरल अतीत (जिसे अतीत सरल या अतीत अनिश्चित भी कहा जाता है) एक क्रिया रूप है जिसका उपयोग पहले के समय की पुनरावृत्ति, आदत या सामान्यीकरण को इंगित करने के लिए किया जाता है। कम सामान्यतः, आप साधारण भूतकाल का उपयोग उन क्रियाओं या अवस्थाओं को संदर्भित करने के लिए कर सकते हैं जो अतीत में हुई थीं और समाप्त और पूर्ण हो चुकी हैं।

विस्तृत स्पष्टीकरण, उदाहरण और सरल वर्तमान काल अभ्यास के लिए पढ़ें।

सरल भूत काल (अनिश्चित काल) – परिभाषा

कैम्ब्रिज डिक्शनरी के अनुसार, “सिंपल पास्ट” को “एक क्रिया के रूप में परिभाषित किया गया है जो वर्तमान काल से पहले हुई क्रिया का वर्णन करने के लिए प्रयोग किया जाता है और अब नहीं हो रहा है। यह आमतौर पर जोड़ने के साथ बनाया जाता है।

कोलिन्स डिक्शनरी “अतीत सरल” को “अतीत को इंगित करने के लिए प्रयुक्त पिछले सरल काल” के रूप में परिभाषित करता है।

मैकमिलन डिक्शनरी पास्ट सिंपल को परिभाषित करता है “पिछले सरल काल का उपयोग क्रियाओं, अभ्यस्त व्यवहार या स्थिति को इंगित करने के लिए किया जाता है जो पहले हुआ या अस्तित्व में था”।

सरल भूत काल (अनिश्चित काल): सूत्र
सकारात्मक (सकारात्मक), नकारात्मक, पूछताछ, नकारात्मक पूछताछ

सरल भूतकाल (अनिश्चित काल) का सामान्य सूत्र नीचे दिया गया है

विषय + क्रिया का पिछला रूप (क्रिया 2) + शेष वाक्य।

सरल भूत काल (अनिश्चित काल) के गठन का विश्लेषण सकारात्मक, नकारात्मक, पूछताछ और नकारात्मक पूछताछ प्रकार के वाक्यों के संदर्भ में किया जा सकता है।

Explore more tenses

SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE PRESENT PERFECT TENSE
SIMPLE PAST TENSE PAST PERFECT TENSE
SIMPLE FUTURE TENSE FUTURE PERFECT TENSE
PRESENT CONTINUOUS TENSE PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS TENSE
PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS TENSE
FUTURE CONTINUOUS TENSE FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS TENSE

Simple Past Tense (Indefinite Tense)-FAQs

Q.1 What is Simple Past Tense with examples?

Ans. The simple past (also called past simple or past indefinite) is a verb form used to indicate repetition, habit, or generalization of an earlier time. Less commonly, you can use the simple past tense to refer to actions or states that happened in the past and are finished and completed. Examples – She took bath daily in summer., We went for a walk in the morning.

Q. 2 Why do we use Simple Past Tense?

Ans. We use the simple past tense to refer to an action or event that happened in the past.

Q.3 Which form of the verb is used in Simple Past Tense?

Ans. In Simple Past Tense, the past form and with did the base form of the verb will be used.

Q.4 What is the other name for Simple Past Tense?

Ans. The other name for Simple Past Tense is Indefinite tense.

Q.5 What are 5 examples of the simple past tense?

Ans.  He went to school every morning.

She understood other languages.

It mixed the salt and the water.

He sang the melodious song.

She enjoyed playing the guitar.

Sharing is caring!

FAQs

Q.1 What is Simple Past Tense with examples?

The simple past (also called past simple or past indefinite) is a verb form used to indicate repetition, habit, or generalization of an earlier time. Less commonly, you can use the simple past tense to refer to actions or states that happened in the past and are finished and completed. Examples - She took bath daily in summer., We went for a walk in the morning.

Q. 2 Why do we use Simple Past Tense?

We use the simple past tense to refer to an action or event that happened in the past

Q.3 Which form of the verb is used in Simple Past Tense?

In Simple Past Tense, the past form and with did the base form of the verb will be used.

Q.4 What is the other name for Simple Past Tense?

The other name for Simple Past Tense is Indefinite tense.

Q.5 What are 5 examples of the simple past tense?

He went to school every morning.

She understood other languages.

It mixed the salt and the water.

He sang the melodious song.

She enjoyed playing the guitar.

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *