simple past

Forms of Simple Past

  Positive Negative Question
All pronouns I worked I did not work Did I work?
  We spoke We did not speak Did we speak?

 

Exceptions in spelling when adding 'ed'

Exceptions in spelling when adding ed Example
after a final e only add d love - loved
final consonant* after a short, stressed vowel**
or / as final consonant after a vowel is doubled
admit - admitted
travel - travelled
final y after a consonant becomes i hurry - hurried

 

*: consonant  = medeklinker; **: vowel = klinker

The verbs 'to have' and 'to be' are highly irregular.

TO HAVE

Positive Negative Question
I had I did not have Did I have?
You had You did not have Did you have?
We had We did not have Did we have?
They had They did not have Did they have?
He had He did not have Did he have?
She had She did not have Did she have?
It had It did not have Did it have?

 

TO BE
The verb "be" is also irregular in the Simple Past.
Unlike other irregular verbs, there are two Simple Past forms: "was" and "were."
It also has different question forms and negative forms.
Always remember NOT to use the auxiliary* "did" with "to be".

Positive Negative Question
I was I was not Was I?
You were You were not Were you?
We were We were not Were we?
They were They were not Were they?
He was He was not Was he?
She was She was not Was she?
It was It was not Was it?

Uses of Simple Past

The simple past expresses an action in the past taking place once, never or several times.
It can also be used for actions taking place one after another or in the middle of another action.

Beware of Double Dutch!
One specific use of the Simple Past's use deserves your attention: Speakers of English use the Simple Past to express the idea that an action started and finished at a specific time in the past. Dutch uses the Tegenwoordig Voltooide Tijd in those cases.

EXAMPLES

English Dutch
I saw a movie yesterday. Ik heb gisteren een film bekeken.
I didn't see a play yesterday. Ik heb gisteren geen theatervoorstelling bezocht.
Last year, I travelled to Japan. Vorig jaar ben ik naar Japan gereisd.
Last year, I didn't travel to Korea. Vorig jaar ben ik niet naar Korea gereisd.
Did you have dinner last night? Heb je gisteren gedineerd?
She washed her car last week. Ze heeft haar auto vorige week gewassen.

 

Signal Words of Simple Past