Simple past

Simple past rules

In order to make the past form of verbs we must pay attention if the verb is irregular or
regular.

With regular verbs the ending "-ed" is added to With irregular verbs the form referring to the past must
the verb infinitive. be written.

Buy: bought (comprar)
Want: wanted (querer)
Cut: cut (cortar)
Talk: talked (hablar) Drive: drove (conducir)
Walk: walked (caminar)
 Use

We use the simple past for actions that start and end in the past, so we associate it
with a series of time expressions.
The duration is not relevant. The time in which the action is located can be the
recent past or a distant past.
Use Examples
Temporal frequency I sometimes walked home after
school: Yo a veces iba a casa
andando después de la escuela.
I often brought my lunch to
work: Yo a menudo compraba mi
comida para el trabajo. 
When I was a student I always woke
up at 8 o'clock: Cuando era
estudiante, me levantaba a las 8 en
punto.

A certain time I read a good book last week: Leí un

buen libro la semana pasada. 
He flew from Miami to Spain
yesterday: Él voló a Miami desde
España ayer. 
He played the piano when he was a
child: Él tocaba el piano cuando era
un niño.
 Structure

Affirmative
Subject / pronoun + verb (-ed / second column of the irregular) + rest of the sentence.

Negative
Subject / pronoun + negative auxiliary (did not / didn't) + infinitive verb + rest of the sentence.

Interrogative

Interrogative assistant (Did) + subject / pronoun + infinitive verb + remainder of sentence +

question mark (?).
 Examples
Affirmative
I was in Austria last year - Estuve en Austria el año pasado.
She did her homework yesterday - Ella hizo sus deberes ayer.
They played the guitar in the concert - Ellos tocaron la guitarra en el concierto.

Negative
We didn't have time to visit my grandparents last weekend - Nosotros no tuvimos tiempo de visitar a mis
abuelos el fin de semana pasado. 
They didn't have enough money to repair their car - Ellos no tuvieron suficiente dinero para reparar su
coche. 
She didn't go to the party of her sisters farewell  - Ella no fue a la fiesta de despedida de sus hermanas.

Interrogative
Did he come to class last week? - ¿Él vino a clase la semana pasada?
Did Jack give you my wallet? - ¿Jack te dio mi cartera?
Did you go to the cinema last night? - ¿Fuiste al cine ayer por la noche?