(a) Show that something has already happened sometime in the past.
(b) Express a past habit - use adverbs like 'always', 'often', etc.
(c) Show the passive form
'Be' verbs in the simple past are:
(a) was (singular)
(b) were (plural)
Examples:
(a) Mr. and Mrs. Chong were happy to receive a brand new car.
(b) She was an unknown in her time.
All verbs other than 'be' verbs are considered 'do' verbs.
(a) Maria visited her sister in Korea last month.
(b) She used too many colours in her artwork.
Regular Verbs
Regular verbs take on the suffix '-ed' or '-d' in the past form.
Irregular Verbs
Some irregular words change completely while some do not change at all.
Who brought the yellow box to the counter? (simple past)
When did you arrive? (infinitive form)
(a) Show an action that was in progress at a specific time in the past.
(b) Two or more actions in progress at the same time in the past.
(c) Giving background information in a story.
(d) Show the passive form.
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