Definition:
The Past Indefinite Tense (also known as the Simple Past Tense) is used to talk about:
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Completed actions in the past
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Events that happened at a specific time
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Past habits or repeated actions
Structure:
Affirmative Sentences (Positive statements):
Structure:
Subject + Verb (2nd form/past form) + Object
Use the past form of the verb (V2 2nd form of verb).
No need to use “did” in positive sentences.
Parts of the Sentence (SVO):
Let’s break this sentence:
Sentence: She watched a movie.
| Part | Word |
|---|---|
| Subject | She |
| Verb | watched |
| Object | a movie |
Another Example:
Sentence: I cleaned my room.
| Part | Word |
|---|---|
| Subject | I |
| Verb | cleaned |
| Object | my room |
Examples:
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I visited my grandmother.
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She watched a movie.
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They played football yesterday.
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He cooked dinner last night.
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We went to the zoo last weekend.
Negative Sentences:
Structure:
Subject + did not + Base Verb (1st form) + Object
Even though it’s past tense, the verb goes back to V1 (base form) because “did” already shows past tense.
Examples:
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I did not go to school.
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She did not eat breakfast.
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They did not finish the work.
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He did not call me.
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We did not see the movie.
Interrogative Sentences (Questions):
Structure:
Did + Subject + Base Verb (1st form) + Object + ?
Examples:
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Did you visit your friend?
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Did she complete her homework?
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Did they play cricket yesterday?
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Did he go to the market?
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Did we miss the bus?
Lesson Summary:
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Use Past Indefinite for actions completed in the past.
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Use V2 (past form) in positive sentences.
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Use did not + V1 in negative sentences.
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Use Did + subject + V1 for questions.
