English as an Additional Language/Simple past tense

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The past tense signifies actions that were done in the past. Conjugating verbs to show the past tense is very easy in English, almost as easy as conjugating the present tense.

Past Tense[edit | edit source]

Regular verbs take the ending '-d' or 'ed' in the affirmative. The negative and interrogative are formed using did (past of the auxiliary verb do) together with the infinitive of the verb. The verb work is conjugated as follows:

Affirmative
I worked
you worked
he worked
she worked
it worked
we worked
you worked
they worked
Negative
I did not work  or   I didn't work
you did not work  or   you didn't work
he did not work  or   he didn't work
she did not work  or   she didn't work
it did not work  or   it didn't work
we did not work  or   we didn't work
you did not work  or   you didn't work
they did not work  or   they didn't work
Interrogative
did I work
did you work
did he work
did she work
did it work
did we work
did you work
did they work
Negative Interrogative
did I not work  or   didn't I work
did you not work  or   didn't you work
did he not work  or   didn't he work
did she not work  or   didn't she work
did it not work  or   didn't it work
did we not work  or   didn't we work
did you not work  or   didn't you work
did they not work  or   didn't they work

Irregular verbs change their form in the past tense affirmative in a variety of ways. The past of go, for example, is went, of buy, bought, of keep, kept. As with the regular verbs, the negative and interrogative are formed using did together with the infinitive of the verb. The verb go is conjugated in the past tense as follows:

Affirmative
I went
you went
he went
she went
it went
we went
you went
they went
Negative
I did not go  or   I didn't go
you did not go  or   you didn't go
he did not go  or   he didn't go
she did not go  or   she didn't go
it did not go  or   it didn't go
we did not go  or   we didn't go
you did not go  or   you didn't go
they did not go  or   they didn't go
Interrogative
did I go
did you go
did he go
did she go
did it go
did we go
did you go
did they go
Negative Interrogative
did I not go  or   didn't I go
did you not go  or   didn't you go
did he not go  or   didn't he go
did she not go  or   didn't she go
did it not go  or   didn't it go
did we not go  or   didn't we go
did you not go  or   didn't you go
did they not go  or   didn't they go

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