Physiotherapy

Simple past (English)

The simple past, sometimes called the preterite, is the past tense of Modern English. It is used to describe events in the past. It may combine with either or both of two aspects, theperfect and the progressive. When the simple past is employed in the subjunctive mood, it is called the subjunctive imperfect.

Pronunciation

If the base verb ends in /d/ or /t/, the regular past-tense ending -ed is pronounced /ɨd/; after all other unvoiced consonants it becomes /t/, and in all remaining cases (other voiced consonants and vowels) it is pronounced /d/.

Form: regular verbs

The simple past is formed by adding -ed to the end of an infinitive and then removing the to, for example:

§  to play becomes played

Verbs ending in -e add -d instead, for example:

§  to place becomes placed

Verbs ending in a consonant, containing one vowel and having one syllable add a second of the last consonant and then -ed, whilst also removing the to to form the simple past, for example:

§  to stop becomes stopped

Verbs of which the final letter is -y replace the y with an i. For example:

§  to try becomes tried

Form: irregular verbs

All the irregular verbs have different forms: to go - went, to buy - bought, to cut - cut etc.

Pronoun	Example verb
I	stole (of to steal)
I	saw (of to see)

Notes

One does not use the auxiliary verb to do with the verb to be or modal verbs.

§  Were you a student?

The auxiliary to do is not used in questions beginning with the nominative pronouns who or which.

§  Who met you? (who is the nominative pronoun)

§  Which train arrived on time? (which train is the nominative pronoun)

But: Whom did you meet? Which train did you miss? (whom and which train are the accusative pronouns) A negative question normally expresses a surprise.

§  Didn't you know ?

Use

One uses the simple past for actions or situations that one has completed in the past at a definite time.The time can be given in the sentence:
I came home at 6 o'clock.
The time is asked about:
When did they get married?
One uses the past simple for repeated actions in the past.
We walked to school every day.
The past simple is used in stories to express actions that follow each other.
Charles entered the hall, looked around, took off his coat and put it on a chair.