UNIVERSITY OF MACHALA

ACADEMIC UNIT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

CARRER CIVIL ENGINEERING
ENGLISH III

Name: Cristhofer A. Salinas

Class: 3 B

Date: Twentieth May - 2016

Teacher: Lic. Klever Sarmiento

Topic: Simple Past
USES SIMPLE PAST

The simple past is used to talk about a concrete action that began and
ended in the past. In this case equivalent to the Spanish preterite.

Generally, we use it with adverbs of time as: last year, yesterday, last
night
Examples:
Tom stayed at home last night. (Tom se qued en casa anoche.)
Kate worked last Saturday. (Kate trabaj el sbado pasado.)
I didnt go to the party yesterday. (No fui a la fiesta ayer.)
Did they walk to school this morning? (Han andado a la escuela
esta maana?)

The simple past is used for a series of actions in the past.

Examples:
I received the good news and immediately called my husband. (Recib la buena
noticia y llam de inmediato a mi marido.)
He studied for an hour in the morning, worked all afternoon and didnt return
home until 10 at night. (Estudi durante una hora por la maana, trabaj toda la
tarde y no regres a casa hasta las 10 de la noche.)

We also use it for repeated or habitual actions in the past, as used the
Spanish past

Examples:

We always traveled to Cancun for vacation when we were young. (Siempre

viajbamos a Cancun durante las vacaciones cuando ramos jvenes.)
He walked 5 kilometers every day to work. (Caminaba 5 kilmetros hasta el
trabajo cada da.)
Formation of the simple past

To form the past simple regular verbs, we use the infinitive and add the
ending "-ed". The form is the same for everyone (I, you, he, she, it, we,
They).

Examples:

want wanted
learn learned
stay stayed
walk walked
show showed

For verbs that end in "e", we only add "-d".

Examples:
change changed
believe believed

If the verb ends in a short vowel and a consonant (except "and" or "w"),
double the final consonant.

Examples:
stop stopped
commit committed

With verbs ending in a consonant and a "and" changed the "y" with an "i".
Examples:
study studied
try tried

Structure
1. Affirmative Sentences (Frases afirmativas)
Subject + main verb
Examples:
She was a doctor. (Era doctora.)
The keys were in the drawer. (Las llaves estaban en el cajn.)
I wanted to dance. (Quera bailar.)
They learned English. (Aprendieron ingls.)
We believed him. (Le cremos.)
I bought a blue car. (Compr un coche azul.)
2. Negative Sentences (Frases negativas)
To be:
Subject + to be + not
Examples:
She wasnt a doctor. (Ella no era doctora.)
The keys werent in the drawer. (Las llaves no estaban en el cajn.)
Note: The verb "to have got", which in the present simple follow the same rules
as the verb "to be" can not be used in the past. To indicate possession in the
past, we use the verb "to have".
All other verbs:
Subject + auxiliary verb (to do) + "not" + main verb (infinitive)
Examples:
I didnt want to dance. (No quera bailar.)
They didnt learn English. (No aprendieron ingls)
We didnt believe him. (No le cremos.)
I didnt buy a blue car. (No compr un coche azul.)

Note: In negative sentences, the auxiliary verb is in the past ( "did") and the
main verb is the infinitive.
3. Interrogative Sentences (Frases interrogativas)
To be:
To be + sujeto?
To be + subject
Ejemplos:
Examples:
Was she a doctor? (Era doctora?)
Were the keys in the drawer? (Estaban las llaves en el cajn?)
Conclusions:

The various verb conjugations are learned in the past simple.

The various forms of the past simple in affirmation, negation and

interrogation was known.

It was easy to understand the use of the past simple applying well rules.
The good use of the past simple structure allows us to make proper use

when writing in English.

In formulating a question in English only put one question mark and the
verb is first followed by the subject and then the plug and end the sign.

References: