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Past Simple

Active

V2

She wrote the letter.

Passive

was/were + V3

The letter was written.

How to build it

  • Affirmative: the past form (second form) of the verb, the same for every person: She wrote the letter. I wrote, they wrote.
  • Negative: did not (didn’t) + base form: She didn’t write the letter.
  • Question: Did + subject + base form: Did she write the letter? Where did you go?
  • Regular verbs add -ed (work → worked, stop → stopped, study → studied); irregular verbs have their own forms (go → went, see → saw, buy → bought).
  • be has two forms and needs no did: I/he/she/it was, you/we/they were. Was it cold? It wasn’t cold.

When to use it

  • Completed actions at a definite time in the past, often with yesterday, last year, ago, in 2015, when…: We moved to Odesa in 2018.
  • A sequence of events in a story: She opened the door, turned on the light and screamed.
  • Past habits and states: As a child, I walked to school every day. (used to is also common here.)
  • Finished periods and people who are no longer alive: Shevchenko wrote “Kobzar”.

Examples

  • I saw Olena at the station yesterday.
  • They didn’t come to the party.
  • Did you sleep well?
  • He lived in Canada for five years (he doesn’t live there now).
  • We met three years ago.
  • The concert started late, so we left early.

Common mistakes

  • Past form after did: Did you saw it? / I didn’t went → Did you see it? / I didn’t go. The past is marked once, on did.
  • Present Perfect with finished time: I have been there last summer → I was there last summer.
  • Past Simple for unfinished periods: I lived here for ten years means you no longer live here. If you still do: I’ve lived here for ten years.
  • Regular endings on irregular verbs: buyed, goed, teached → bought, went, taught.
  • Missing did in questions: Where you went? → Where did you go? — except when who/what is the subject: Who called you?

The passive

was/were + V3: The letter was written. Common in history, news and descriptions of processes: The church was built in the 11th century. My bike was stolen last night. Was anyone hurt? Use by to name the doer when it matters: The song was written by Ivasyuk.