The simple past tense is used to describe a completed activity that happened in the past. In other words, it started in the past and ended in the past.
Uses of the Simple Past Tense
Here are some examples of the simple past tense (shaded):
- The Martians landed near the aqueduct.
- The burglar considered using the fire escape.
Of course, you can also have the negative version, which is formed "did not" + "[verb in base form]":
- The Martians did not land near the aqueduct.
(We could have used didn't instead of did not.)
- The burglar did not consider using the fire escape.
And, the question versions:
- Did the Martians land near the aqueduct?
- Why didn't the burglar consider using the fire escape?
Forming the Simple Past Tense
Here is an infographic explaining the simple past tense:
The Simple Past Tense with Time Expressions
The simple past tense is often seen with a time expression explaining when the activity took place or how long it lasted.
Examples of "when an activity took place":
- On Tuesday last week, the Martians landed near the aqueduct.
("On Tuesday last week" tells you when it happened. It's called an adverbial phrase of time. Other examples are: "Yesterday," "Last year," "Before breakfast,". They are really common. When any adverb appears at the front of a sentence, it is usual to follow it with a comma. A comma is not usually used when the adverbial phrase appears at the back of a sentence. NB: This is not a strict rule. Use a comma if it helps your reader.)
Read more about commas with adverbial phrases.
- The Martians landed near the aqueduct on Tuesday last week.
(Note: No comma)
- Just before he was caught, the burglar considered using the fire escape.
("Just before he was caught" tells you when the activity took place.)
Examples of "how long an activity took":
- Last week, the council inspected the drains.
("Last week" tells you when it happened and for how long.)
- Her daughter hid under the bed for three hours.
(Using "for" is a common way of describing how long an activity lasted.)
The Other Past Tenses
The simple past tense is one of four past tenses. They are:
|
0 komentar:
Posting Komentar