How do we construct the simple past?
Verb + ed / irregular verbs
- I went to the cinema yesterday.
- He shopped at Wal-Mart.
- She phoned her mum.
- They stopped at the petrol station.
Negative form of simple past
Did not / didn’t
- Last year, I didn’t go to India.
- I didn't stay for the dance.
Forming questions with simple past
- Did you go to the cinema yesterday?
We can use the simple past for a series of actions that happened in the past.
- He woke up, went to the kitchen and had breakfast.
We can also use it with a duration in the past. (10 minutes, all day, years)
- I lived in Seville for 2 years.