Past Tenses 1 – Past Simple

Grammar for IELTS 2. Past Tenses 1 Past Tenses 1 – Past Simple

Textual Material

Form:
- Affirmative Form: verb + -ed (or -d)
- Negative Form: did not + verb
- Question Form: did … + verb?
Examples:
- He worked for the police.
- She didn’t work for the police.
- Did they work for the police?
The past simple tense is used:
- To discuss single past completed actions with a specific time:
  - Example: A woman called a few weeks ago to report a robbery.
- When time reference is unnecessary because it’s already known:
  - Example: How did the burglar break in without anybody hearing him?
- To present a series of actions in chronological order:
  - Example: The burglar came in, picked up the woman’s handbag, emptied it, and stole her purse.
  - With words like “next,” “then,” to indicate sequence:
  - Then, the burglar went into the front room, opened cupboards, and took CDs.
- To describe past repeated actions:
  - Example: When her son got older, he often visited friends after school.
- For describing long-term past situations that are no longer true:
  - Example: Explorers believed the world was flat.