English Mastery
Module 1 · Verb Tenses

Simple Past

Beginner–Intermediate50 min25 questions8 sections
Step 1

Quick Look

The Simple Past describes actions that started and finished at a specific time in the past. In Hindi, this is the ‘thā / gayā / kiyā’ zone. The formation trap: once ‘did’ enters the sentence, the main verb must return to its base form.
Sentence TypeStructure + Example
Affirmative
Subject+past form (V2)
She sold the flat last month.
Negative
Subject+did+not+base verb
She did not sell the flat.
Question
Did+subject+base verb?
Did she sell the flat?

The golden rule: only ONE word in the sentence carries the past. In affirmatives it is the verb (sold). In negatives and questions, ‘did’ carries the past — so the main verb goes back to base form (sell). ‘Did you went’ is double past = always wrong.

One sentence, one past marker
AFFIRMATIVEShesoldPASTthe flatNEGATIVEShedidPASTnotsellBASEthe flatQUESTIONDidPASTshesellBASEthe flat?WRONGDidPASTshesoldPASTthe flat? double pastdid + sold
The past is marked exactly once: on the verb (sold) — or on did, which sends the verb back to its base form.
Step 2

When to Use It

yesterdayNOWPASTFUTURE
Use 1

Completed action at a specific past time

The action is finished, and we know (or can guess) when.
  • I met the buyer yesterday evening.
  • They shifted to Indirapuram in 2019.
  • She called me an hour ago.
123in orderNOWPASTFUTURE
Use 2

A series of completed actions

One action after another — telling a story.
  • He entered the office, switched on the AC, and checked his emails.
  • We visited the site, took photos, and sent the report the same day.
not any moreNOWPASTFUTURE
Use 3

Past habits and repeated past actions

Something you did regularly in the past, but not anymore. (Often with ‘used to’ — full chapter later.)
  • As a child, I played gully cricket every evening.
  • He smoked heavily in his twenties.
for ten yearsNOWPASTFUTURE
Use 4

Completed duration in the past

An action that lasted for a period — and that period is over.
  • I worked in a call centre for ten years.
  • They lived in Dubai for five years before returning to India.
was / had / knewNOWPASTFUTURE
Use 5

Past facts and states

How things were, with state verbs like be, have, know.
  • This area was empty farmland twenty years ago.
  • He had a scooter before he bought the car.
  • I knew him in college.
Extra

Regular vs. Irregular Verbs

Regular verbs simply add -ed. Irregular verbs change completely — they must be memorised (full 200-verb master list comes in Module 6).
Spelling rule (regular verbs)Examples
Most verbs: add -edwork worked, call called, visit visited
Ends in -e: add only -dlive lived, move moved, close closed
Consonant + y: change y to -iedstudy studied, try tried, carry carried
Short verb, one vowel + consonant: double itstop stopped, plan planned, drop dropped
The 15 irregular verbs you will use most:
Base PastBase Past
go wentget got
come camegive gave
see sawtake took
say saidmake made
tell toldknow knew
think thoughtbuy bought
eat atedo did
have had
Step 4

Hindi Concept Note

अHindi Concept Noteहिंदी में समझिए
Simple Past वो tense है जो बीते हुए, पूरे हो चुके काम को बताता है — ख़ासकर जब समय पता हो (कल, पिछले साल, दो दिन पहले)।
मैंने कल उसे फ़ोन किया।
I called him yesterday.
वह 2015 में दिल्ली आया।
He came to Delhi in 2015.
सबसे बड़ी ग़लती: sawaal और negative में ‘did’ आते ही verb की second form हटाकर first form लगानी है।
क्या तुमने खाना खाया?
Did you eat? (NOT: Did you ate?)
Step 5

Common Mistakes Hindi Speakers Make

Wrong
Right
Why
Did you went to the site?
Did you go to the site?
‘Did’ already carries the past. Main verb returns to base form.
I didn’t knew about the meeting.
I didn’t know about the meeting.
Same rule: did/didn’t + base verb, always.
He telled me the price.
He told me the price.
‘Tell’ is irregular: tell told, not ‘telled’.
She buyed a new phone.
She bought a new phone.
‘Buy’ is irregular: buy bought.
I have seen him yesterday.
I saw him yesterday.
A specific past time (yesterday) forces Simple Past, not Present Perfect.
They was at home last night.
They were at home last night.
Plural subject takes ‘were’. Was = I/he/she/it.
Step 6

Signal Words

If you see these words, Simple Past is almost always correct:
yesterdaylast nightlast weeklast monthlast year
ago (two days ago, years ago), in 2010, on Monday (past context)
when I was a childat that timeonceearlierthen
Step 7

Practice

Set A

Fill in the blanks

0 / 10
  1. 1
    We (finalise) the deal last Friday.
  2. 2
    She (not/come) to office yesterday.
  3. 3
    you (watch) the match last night?
  4. 4
    He (buy) this plot ten years ago.
  5. 5
    I (know) nothing about it at that time.
  6. 6
    They (build) this society in 2012.
  7. 7
    Why he (leave) the job?
  8. 8
    The meeting (start) late and (end) at 8 p.m.
  9. 9
    My grandfather (tell) us stories every night.
  10. 10
    I (not/see) your message till morning.
Set B

Correct the mistake

0 / 8
  1. 11
    Did she called you back?
  2. 12
    I goed to Agra last weekend.
  3. 13
    He didn’t came to the wedding.
  4. 14
    We seen that movie already last month.
  5. 15
    They eated dinner at a dhaba.
  6. 16
    Where did you bought this?
  7. 17
    She studyed in this school.
  8. 18
    I was knew the answer.
Set C

Translate into English

0 / 7
  1. 19
    मैंने पिछले हफ़्ते अपनी गाड़ी बेच दी।
  2. 20
    वह कल स्कूल नहीं गया।
  3. 21
    क्या तुमने मेरा message पढ़ा?
  4. 22
    हमने 2020 में यह घर ख़रीदा।
  5. 23
    उसने मुझे सारी बात बताई।
  6. 24
    बारिश रात भर होती रही, फिर सुबह रुक गई।
  7. 25
    तुम कल कहाँ थे?
Step 8

Answer Key

Show answersHide answers
Answers · Set A
1
finalised
2
did not (didn’t) come
3
Did ... watch
4
bought
5
knew
6
built
7
did ... leave
8
started ... ended
9
told
10
did not (didn’t) see
Answers · Set B
11
Did she call you back? (Base verb after ‘did’.)
12
I went to Agra last weekend. (Go went, irregular.)
13
He didn’t come to the wedding. (Base verb after ‘didn’t’.)
14
We saw that movie last month. (Specific past time saw, not ‘seen’. ‘Seen’ needs have/has/had.)
15
They ate dinner at a dhaba. (Eat ate, irregular.)
16
Where did you buy this? (Base verb after ‘did’.)
17
She studied in this school. (Consonant + y -ied.)
18
I knew the answer. (No ‘was’ — ‘knew’ is already past.)
Answers · Set C
19
I sold my car last week.
20
He did not (didn’t) go to school yesterday.
21
Did you read my message?
22
We bought this house in 2020.
23
He told me everything. / She told me the whole thing.
24
It rained all night, then it stopped in the morning.
25
Where were you yesterday?

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Next up · Chapter 5Past Continuous

‘kar rahā thā’ — the tense of interrupted actions: I was sleeping WHEN the phone rang.