we add -ed to regular verbs to form the past simple: work - worked, walked - walked, play - played.
Notice the spelling rules for other regular verbs:
- for verbs ending in -e, we add -d: die - died
- for verbs ending in -y, we change the -y to i and add - ed: try - tried, cry - cried, study - studied
- for verbs ending in vowel + consonant (not -w,-x or -y), we double the consonant: stop - stopped
Some verb have an irregular affirmative form in the past simple:
be - was / were, do - did, go - went, drive - drove, know - knew, take - took
We use the auxiliary verb did / didn't to form negatives and questions.
Kirsten didn't go on the adventure.
Did you live in Peru?
We also use did / didn't to form short answers.
Did you live in Peru? Yes,I did.
Did Kirsten go on the adventure? No, she didn't.
Use
We use the past simple to talk about completed actions and events in the past. We often use a time phrase (yesterday, last week, ten years ago) with the past simple.
I visited Paris in January.
They didn't see his new film last night.