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Uses of Simple Past Tense    

 

   

  • Simple Past Tense is used to express past habits.

Examples-

           She always visited that site.

           He meditated many hours every day.

 

  • Simple Past Tense is used to express the action of a definite time when actual time is not mentioned; as,

 

The bus was thirty minutes late.

How did you solve this example?

I bought this book in vacation.

 

  • Simple Past Tense is used to ask the time about; as,

When did he pay you?

 

  • Simple Past Tense is used to describe a past action when the time is given; as,

I got it yesterday.

 

  • a)Simple Past Tense is used to explain about the action whose period is given but time is not given; as,

He served in that school for five years. (But he does not serve there now)

She lived in Europe for a long time.

  • b)Simple Past Tense is used to explain the action occurred at a moment in a period of time; as,

Once I met (with) Obama.

 

  • In negative sentence the words ‘did not’ is used with basic form of the verb.

 

Did + subject + basic form of verb or question word + did + subject + basic form of verb or question word + did +subject + basic form of verb.   

 

We will see pattern of affirmative, negative and interrogative sentences in tabular form.