How to Change Verbs to the Past Simple Tense

Changing verbs to the past simple tense is easier than it sounds! Here’s a simple guide to help you.

1. Regular Verbs

Most verbs just need an -ed added to change to past tense. For example:

• Present: I walk, you walk, he/she/it walks.
• Past: I walked, you walked, he/she/it walked.

2. Irregular Verbs

Some verbs are a bit trickier because they change completely. Here are a few:

• Go becomes went
• Eat becomes ate
• See becomes saw

3. Subject-Verb Agreement

It’s important that the subject (who we are talking about) and the verb match.

• He walks in the present.
• He walked in the past.

4. Forming Questions

When you want to ask questions in the past tense, use "Did":

• What did you do last weekend?
• Where did he go?

5. Negation

For negative sentences, say "did not" or shorten it to "didn't":

• I did not play football.
• She didn't like the movie.

6. Use of Conjunctions

You can join ideas using words like "and" or "because":

• I played basketball and I watched a movie.
• I didn’t go to the party because I was tired.

7. Contractions

In casual speaking, you can use contractions:

• I’m going to the store.
• He’s finished his homework.

8. Future Tense with "Going to"

To talk about the future, use "going to":

• I am going to play soccer tomorrow.

By understanding these simple rules, you can easily change verbs to the past simple tense. This will also help you in your everyday conversations!