## Introduction
The **Simple Past Tense** is one of the most important tenses in English grammar. We use it to talk about actions, events, situations, and experiences that **started and finished in the past**.
For example:
* I **visited** Hyderabad yesterday.
* She **completed** her homework last night.
* They **played** cricket on Sunday.
* He **bought** a new phone last week.
* We **went** to the cinema two days ago.
In each sentence, the action happened in the past and is finished.
Learning the Simple Past Tense is essential because we use it frequently when talking about our **past activities, childhood, education, jobs, holidays, experiences, historical events, and daily activities that happened previously**.
This guide explains the Simple Past Tense in detail, including its **rules, sentence structures, regular and irregular verbs, negative sentences, questions, WH-questions, common mistakes, examples, and practice exercises**.
—
# 1. What Is the Simple Past Tense?
The **Simple Past Tense** describes an action or situation that happened at a definite or understood time in the past.
### Basic idea:
**Past action → started in the past → finished in the past**
Examples:
* I **watched** a movie yesterday.
* She **visited** her grandmother last week.
* Rahul **played** football yesterday.
* We **went** to Delhi in 2024.
* They **finished** the project two days ago.
The actions—watched, visited, played, went, and finished—are all completed.
—
# 2. Simple Past Tense Formula
The structure depends on whether the sentence is **affirmative, negative, interrogative, or a WH-question**.
## A. Affirmative Sentences
### Formula:
**Subject + past form of verb + object**
Examples:
* I **played** cricket.
* She **visited** her friend.
* He **bought** a car.
* We **watched** television.
* They **completed** the work.
For regular verbs, we generally use **-ed**.
For irregular verbs, the verb changes differently.
Examples:
| Present | Past |
| ——- | ——- |
| play | played |
| work | worked |
| walk | walked |
| visit | visited |
| go | went |
| eat | ate |
| see | saw |
| buy | bought |
| come | came |
| write | wrote |
—
# 3. Negative Sentences in Simple Past
To make a negative sentence, use:
### Formula:
**Subject + did not + base form of verb + object**
The short form of **did not** is **didn’t**.
Examples:
* I **did not play** cricket.
* She **did not visit** her friend.
* He **did not buy** a car.
* We **did not watch** television.
* They **did not complete** the work.
### Important Rule
After **did not/didn’t**, always use the **base form (V1)** of the verb.
❌ I did not went there.
✅ I did not go there.
❌ She didn’t visited me.
✅ She didn’t visit me.
❌ He did not ate dinner.
✅ He did not eat dinner.
This is one of the most common mistakes made by English learners.
—
# 4. Interrogative Sentences
To ask a **Yes/No question** in the Simple Past Tense, use:
### Formula:
**Did + subject + base form of verb + object?**
Examples:
* **Did** you **visit** Hyderabad?
* **Did** she **call** you?
* **Did** he **finish** the work?
* **Did** they **play** cricket?
* **Did** you **watch** the movie?
Notice that the main verb is always in its **base form** after **did**.
❌ Did you went there?
✅ Did you go there?
❌ Did she visited Hyderabad?
✅ Did she visit Hyderabad?
❌ Did he bought a car?
✅ Did he buy a car?
—
# 5. Short Answers
We can answer Simple Past questions using **did** or **didn’t**.
### Question:
**Did you watch the movie?**
Positive:
**Yes, I did.**
Negative:
**No, I didn’t.**
More examples:
**Did she call you?**
Yes, she did.
**Did they come yesterday?**
No, they didn’t.
**Did he finish his homework?**
Yes, he did.
**Did you see Rahul?**
No, I didn’t.
—
# 6. WH-Questions in Simple Past
WH-questions begin with words such as:
* What
* Where
* When
* Why
* Who
* Which
* How
### General formula:
**WH-word + did + subject + base verb + object?**
Examples:
* What **did** you **eat**?
* Where **did** you **go**?
* When **did** she **arrive**?
* Why **did** he **leave**?
* How **did** they **solve** the problem?
* Which book **did** you **buy**?
### Examples with answers
**Where did you go yesterday?**
I went to the market.
**What did she buy?**
She bought a new dress.
**When did they arrive?**
They arrived at 8 p.m.
**Why did he leave early?**
He left early because he was tired.
—
# 7. Simple Past with “Be” Verbs
The verb **be** is different.
The past forms of **be** are:
* **was**
* **were**
We do **not** use “did” with was/were in ordinary affirmative or negative sentences.
### Was
Use **was** with:
* I
* He
* She
* It
* singular nouns
Examples:
* I **was** tired.
* He **was** happy.
* She **was** at home.
* Rahul **was** busy.
* The car **was** expensive.
### Were
Use **were** with:
* You
* We
* They
* plural nouns
Examples:
* You **were** late.
* We **were** happy.
* They **were** at school.
* The children **were** tired.
* Rahul and Ravi **were** friends.
—
# 8. Negative Sentences with Was and Were
Use:
**was not = wasn’t**
**were not = weren’t**
Examples:
* I **wasn’t** tired.
* He **wasn’t** at home.
* She **wasn’t** angry.
* We **weren’t** late.
* They **weren’t** ready.
### Formula
**Subject + was/were + not + complement**
Examples:
* She was not happy.
* They were not ready.
* I was not busy.
* He wasn’t sick.
* We weren’t late.
—
# 9. Questions with Was and Were
For questions, put **was/were** before the subject.
### Formula:
**Was/Were + subject + complement?**
Examples:
* **Was** he happy?
* **Was** she at home?
* **Were** they ready?
* **Were** you tired?
* **Was** the movie interesting?
Short answers:
**Was he angry?**
Yes, he was.
**Was she at home?**
No, she wasn’t.
**Were they busy?**
Yes, they were.
**Were you tired?**
No, I wasn’t.
—
# 10. When Do We Use the Simple Past Tense?
There are several important situations where we use the Simple Past Tense.
## Rule 1: Completed Actions in the Past
We use the Simple Past for actions that were completed in the past.
Examples:
* I **finished** my homework.
* She **cleaned** the room.
* He **opened** the door.
* They **played** football.
* We **visited** the museum.
The action is finished.
—
# 11. Actions at a Specific Time in the Past
We often use the Simple Past when the exact or specific past time is mentioned.
Common time expressions include:
* yesterday
* last night
* last week
* last month
* last year
* two days ago
* three years ago
* in 2020
* in 1995
* this morning, when the morning is finished
* an hour ago
* a long time ago
Examples:
* I met him **yesterday**.
* She called me **last night**.
* We moved to Hyderabad **in 2020**.
* He bought his first car **three years ago**.
* They visited Goa **last summer**.
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# 12. Past Habits
We can use the Simple Past to talk about habits or repeated activities that happened regularly in the past.
Examples:
* I **played** cricket every evening when I was a child.
* She **walked** to school every day.
* We **visited** our grandparents every summer.
* He **read** newspapers every morning.
* They **played** together after school.
The activity was repeated in the past.
We can also use expressions such as:
* every day
* every week
* often
* usually
* sometimes
* always
Examples:
* My father **walked** to work every day.
* I **often visited** my uncle.
* She **usually studied** at night.
—
# 13. A Series of Completed Past Actions
We use the Simple Past when several actions happened one after another in the past.
Example:
> I **woke up**, **brushed** my teeth, **took** a shower, **had** breakfast, and **went** to work.
All these actions happened in the past.
Another example:
> He **opened** the door, **entered** the room, **sat** down, and **started** working.
The Simple Past is very useful for telling stories.
—
# 14. Past Events in Stories
The Simple Past is one of the most common tenses used when telling stories.
Example:
> Once, a farmer **lived** in a small village. One day, he **went** to the forest. He **saw** a strange animal. The animal **ran** toward him, but the farmer **climbed** a tree and **escaped**.
Notice how the story uses past-tense verbs:
* lived
* went
* saw
* ran
* climbed
* escaped
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# 15. Historical Events
The Simple Past is used to describe historical events.
Examples:
* India **became** independent in 1947.
* The First World War **ended** in 1918.
* The Roman Empire **fell** centuries ago.
* Scientists **discovered** many new facts during the twentieth century.
* The company **started** operations in 1995.
Historical events are completed, so the Simple Past is appropriate.
—
# 16. Past States
The Simple Past can describe a state or condition that existed in the past.
Examples:
* I **was** very shy when I was young.
* She **lived** in Mumbai in 2010.
* He **knew** the answer.
* They **believed** the story.
* We **liked** that restaurant.
—
# 17. Regular Verbs
Regular verbs usually form their past tense by adding **-ed**.
Examples:
| Base Verb | Simple Past |
| ——— | ———– |
| work | worked |
| play | played |
| walk | walked |
| talk | talked |
| clean | cleaned |
| open | opened |
| close | closed |
| watch | watched |
| help | helped |
| visit | visited |
Examples:
* I **worked** yesterday.
* She **cleaned** her room.
* They **visited** us last week.
* He **opened** the window.
* We **watched** a movie.
—
# 18. Spelling Rules for Regular Verbs
## Rule A: Most verbs → add -ed
Examples:
* work → worked
* play → played
* clean → cleaned
* watch → watched
—
## Rule B: Verbs ending in “e” → add -d
Examples:
* live → lived
* love → loved
* move → moved
* dance → danced
* close → closed
❌ liveed
✅ lived
—
## Rule C: Consonant + y → change y to i and add -ed
Examples:
* study → studied
* carry → carried
* try → tried
* cry → cried
* worry → worried
Example:
* I **studied** English yesterday.
* She **tried** to help me.
* He **carried** the bag.
—
## Rule D: Vowel + y → simply add -ed
Examples:
* play → played
* enjoy → enjoyed
* stay → stayed
Do not change the “y.”
❌ plaied
✅ played
—
# 19. Doubling the Final Consonant
Some short verbs ending in a consonant follow a doubling rule before adding **-ed**.
Examples:
* stop → stopped
* plan → planned
* rob → robbed
* shop → shopped
Examples:
* We **stopped** the car.
* She **planned** the trip.
* He **shopped** yesterday.
—
# 20. Irregular Verbs
Irregular verbs do not normally form the past by simply adding **-ed**.
You need to learn their past forms.
Some important irregular verbs are:
| Base | Past |
| —— | ——- |
| go | went |
| come | came |
| eat | ate |
| drink | drank |
| see | saw |
| take | took |
| give | gave |
| get | got |
| make | made |
| do | did |
| have | had |
| buy | bought |
| bring | brought |
| think | thought |
| teach | taught |
| catch | caught |
| write | wrote |
| read | read |
| speak | spoke |
| drive | drove |
| run | ran |
| begin | began |
| break | broke |
| choose | chose |
| find | found |
| know | knew |
| leave | left |
| meet | met |
| sleep | slept |
| tell | told |
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# 21. Examples of Irregular Verbs
### Go → Went
* I **went** to school yesterday.
* She **went** to Hyderabad last week.
* They **went** home early.
### Eat → Ate
* I **ate** breakfast at 8 a.m.
* He **ate** an apple.
* We **ate** dinner together.
### See → Saw
* I **saw** him yesterday.
* She **saw** a beautiful bird.
* They **saw** the movie last night.
### Buy → Bought
* I **bought** a new phone.
* She **bought** some vegetables.
* He **bought** a car last month.
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# 22. The Most Important “Did” Rule
Remember this rule:
### If “did” is present, use V1.
Examples:
✅ Did you **go** there?
❌ Did you **went** there?
✅ Did she **eat** lunch?
❌ Did she **ate** lunch?
✅ Did he **buy** the book?
❌ Did he **bought** the book?
✅ I didn’t **see** him.
❌ I didn’t **saw** him.
✅ They didn’t **come** yesterday.
❌ They didn’t **came** yesterday.
This rule is extremely important.
—
# 23. Simple Past vs Present Perfect
Learners sometimes confuse the Simple Past with the Present Perfect.
### Simple Past
Used for a completed past action, especially when the time is specified.
* I **visited** Delhi **last year**.
* She **finished** the work **yesterday**.
* He **bought** the phone **two days ago**.
### Present Perfect
Often used for past actions connected to the present, especially when the specific finished time is not given.
* I **have visited** Delhi.
* She **has finished** the work.
* He **has bought** a new phone.
Compare:
**I visited Hyderabad in 2024.**
Specific past time → Simple Past.
**I have visited Hyderabad several times.**
Experience → Present Perfect.
—
# 24. Time Expressions Commonly Used with Simple Past
Some common expressions are:
### Yesterday
* I met him **yesterday**.
### Last
* She called me **last night**.
* We travelled **last month**.
* He left **last year**.
### Ago
* I saw her two days **ago**.
* He arrived an hour **ago**.
* They moved here five years **ago**.
### In + past year
* She graduated **in 2018**.
* India became independent **in 1947**.
### When
* I was young **when** I lived in the village.
* He called me **when** he arrived home.
—
# 25. Simple Past with “Ago”
“Ago” means a period of time before now.
Examples:
* five minutes ago
* two hours ago
* three days ago
* six months ago
* ten years ago
Examples:
* I called him **ten minutes ago**.
* She left **two hours ago**.
* We met **three years ago**.
* He moved to Hyderabad **five years ago**.
Incorrect:
❌ I have met him two years ago.
Correct:
✅ I met him two years ago.
—
# 26. Simple Past with “Yesterday”
“Yesterday” refers to the day before today.
Examples:
* I **went** to the office yesterday.
* She **called** me yesterday.
* He **didn’t come** yesterday.
* Did you **see** him yesterday?
* We **finished** the work yesterday.
—
# 27. Simple Past in Everyday Conversation
The Simple Past is extremely common in conversations.
### Example conversation
**A:** What did you do yesterday?
**B:** I went to the market.
**A:** What did you buy?
**B:** I bought some vegetables and fruits.
**A:** Did you meet your friend?
**B:** Yes, I did. I met him near the supermarket.
**A:** What did you talk about?
**B:** We talked about our jobs.
This conversation contains many Simple Past structures.
—
# 28. Simple Past for Personal Experiences
We often use the Simple Past when describing something that happened during a particular past period.
Example:
> Last year, I visited Goa. I stayed there for five days. I travelled with my friends. We visited several beaches and tried different foods. We took many photographs and returned home on Sunday.
This is a complete past experience.
—
# 29. Simple Past in Biographies
Biographies often use the Simple Past to describe completed events.
Example:
> A famous writer was born in a small village. He studied at a local school and later moved to the city. He worked as a teacher before becoming a full-time writer. He published several books and received many awards.
The events happened during the person’s past life.
—
# 30. Simple Past in News Reports
The Simple Past is often used to report completed events.
Examples:
* The police **arrested** two people yesterday.
* The team **won** the match.
* The government **announced** the decision.
* Heavy rain **caused** flooding in several areas.
* The company **opened** a new office last month.
—
# 31. Simple Past in Conditional Sentences
The Simple Past can also appear in certain hypothetical conditional structures.
Example:
* If I **had** more time, I would learn another language.
* If she **knew** the answer, she would tell us.
* If he **were** here, he would help us.
Here, the Simple Past does not necessarily refer to a real past event. It can indicate an unreal or hypothetical present situation.
However, this is a more advanced use.
—
# 32. Common Mistakes
## Mistake 1: Using V2 after “did”
❌ Did you went to school?
✅ Did you go to school?
—
## Mistake 2: Using V2 after “didn’t”
❌ I didn’t went there.
✅ I didn’t go there.
—
## Mistake 3: Using “did” with was/were
❌ Did you were tired?
✅ Were you tired?
❌ Did she was at home?
✅ Was she at home?
—
## Mistake 4: Forgetting the past form
❌ I go to Hyderabad yesterday.
✅ I went to Hyderabad yesterday.
—
## Mistake 5: Incorrect regular verb spelling
❌ She studyed English.
✅ She studied English.
—
# 33. Simple Past Sentence Patterns
Here are the most important patterns to remember.
### Positive
**Subject + V2 + object**
> She visited Hyderabad.
### Negative
**Subject + did not + V1 + object**
> She did not visit Hyderabad.
### Question
**Did + subject + V1 + object?**
> Did she visit Hyderabad?
### WH-question
**WH-word + did + subject + V1?**
> Where did she go?
### Be verb positive
**Subject + was/were + complement**
> She was happy.
### Be verb negative
**Subject + was/were + not + complement**
> She wasn’t happy.
### Be verb question
**Was/Were + subject + complement?**
> Was she happy?
—
# 34. 50 Simple Past Examples
1. I **visited** my uncle yesterday.
2. She **cooked** dinner last night.
3. He **bought** a new bicycle.
4. We **watched** a movie.
5. They **played** cricket.
6. I **finished** my homework.
7. She **called** her mother.
8. He **opened** the door.
9. We **cleaned** the house.
10. They **visited** the museum.
11. I **went** to the market.
12. She **ate** breakfast early.
13. He **drank** some water.
14. We **saw** a beautiful bird.
15. They **came** home late.
16. I **wrote** a letter.
17. She **read** a book.
18. He **drove** to work.
19. We **met** our friends.
20. They **left** early.
21. I **didn’t watch** television.
22. She **didn’t call** me.
23. He **didn’t come** to school.
24. We **didn’t buy** anything.
25. They **didn’t finish** the work.
26. I **didn’t see** him.
27. She **didn’t understand** the question.
28. He **didn’t take** the bus.
29. We **didn’t go** outside.
30. They **didn’t play** yesterday.
31. **Did** you **visit** Delhi?
32. **Did** she **call** you?
33. **Did** he **finish** the work?
34. **Did** they **come** yesterday?
35. **Did** you **buy** this phone?
36. **Did** she **eat** lunch?
37. **Did** he **see** the movie?
38. **Did** they **play** cricket?
39. **Did** you **write** the letter?
40. **Did** she **understand** the lesson?
41. I **was** tired yesterday.
42. She **was** happy.
43. He **was** at home.
44. We **were** busy.
45. They **were** late.
46. I **wasn’t** angry.
47. She **wasn’t** at school.
48. We **weren’t** ready.
49. **Was** he sick?
50. **Were** they happy?
—
# 35. Simple Past: Positive, Negative, and Question Comparison
Let’s compare the three main structures.
### Positive
**She visited Hyderabad.**
### Negative
**She did not visit Hyderabad.**
### Question
**Did she visit Hyderabad?**
Notice:
**visited → positive**
**did not + visit → negative**
**did + visit → question**
The verb changes back to V1 whenever **did** or **didn’t** is used.
—
# 36. More Examples with “Go”
### Positive
* I **went** to school.
* She **went** to the market.
* They **went** to Hyderabad.
### Negative
* I **didn’t go** to school.
* She **didn’t go** to the market.
* They **didn’t go** to Hyderabad.
### Questions
* **Did** you **go** to school?
* **Did** she **go** to the market?
* **Did** they **go** to Hyderabad?
—
# 37. More Examples with “Eat”
### Positive
* I **ate** breakfast.
* She **ate** lunch.
* He **ate** dinner.
### Negative
* I **didn’t eat** breakfast.
* She **didn’t eat** lunch.
* He **didn’t eat** dinner.
### Questions
* **Did** you **eat** breakfast?
* **Did** she **eat** lunch?
* **Did** he **eat** dinner?
—
# 38. Simple Past vs Past Continuous
These two tenses are different.
### Simple Past
Used for a completed action:
> I **watched** television.
### Past Continuous
Used for an action that was in progress at a particular time:
> I **was watching** television at 8 p.m.
Another example:
**Simple Past:**
He **called** me.
**Past Continuous:**
He **was calling** me when I entered the room.
—
# 39. Simple Past in Questions About Yesterday
Here are useful questions for daily English practice:
* What did you do yesterday?
* Where did you go?
* What did you eat?
* Who did you meet?
* What time did you wake up?
* Did you go to work?
* Did you watch television?
* Did you study English?
* Did you talk to your friend?
* When did you come home?
* Why did you leave early?
* How did you travel?
These questions are excellent for practicing spoken English.
—
# 40. A Short Story Using the Simple Past
> **A Visit to the Village**
>
> Last weekend, I **visited** my village with my family. We **left** home early in the morning. We **travelled** by car and **reached** the village at around 10 a.m. My grandparents **welcomed** us warmly. My mother **prepared** lunch while my father **talked** to my grandfather.
>
> After lunch, I **walked** around the village. I **met** some old friends and **played** cricket with them. Later, we **visited** a nearby temple. We **took** several photographs and **returned** home in the evening.
>
> We **enjoyed** the trip very much. It **was** a memorable day.
This paragraph demonstrates how naturally the Simple Past is used to describe completed events.
—
# 41. Simple Past Practice Exercise
Fill in the blanks with the correct Simple Past form.
1. I _______ (visit) my friend yesterday.
2. She _______ (go) to school early.
3. They _______ (play) cricket last Sunday.
4. He _______ (buy) a new phone.
5. We _______ (watch) a movie.
6. I _______ (eat) breakfast at 8 a.m.
7. She _______ (write) a letter.
8. He _______ (come) home late.
9. They _______ (finish) the project.
10. We _______ (see) a beautiful place.
### Answers
1. visited
2. went
3. played
4. bought
5. watched
6. ate
7. wrote
8. came
9. finished
10. saw
—
# 42. Negative Exercise
Change these sentences into negative sentences.
1. I visited Hyderabad.
2. She bought a dress.
3. He went to school.
4. They played cricket.
5. We watched television.
### Answers
1. I **did not visit** Hyderabad.
2. She **did not buy** a dress.
3. He **did not go** to school.
4. They **did not play** cricket.
5. We **did not watch** television.
Remember: the main verb returns to V1.
—
# 43. Question Exercise
Change these sentences into questions.
1. You visited Delhi.
2. She bought a book.
3. He went to the market.
4. They watched the movie.
5. You completed the work.
### Answers
1. **Did you visit Delhi?**
2. **Did she buy a book?**
3. **Did he go to the market?**
4. **Did they watch the movie?**
5. **Did you complete the work?**
—
# 44. WH-Question Exercise
Complete the questions.
1. Where ______ you go yesterday?
2. What ______ she buy?
3. When ______ they arrive?
4. Why ______ he leave?
5. How ______ you solve the problem?
### Answers
1. Where **did** you go yesterday?
2. What **did** she buy?
3. When **did** they arrive?
4. Why **did** he leave?
5. How **did** you solve the problem?
—
# 45. Important Rules to Remember
Here are the most important Simple Past Tense rules in a quick format.
### Rule 1
Use **V2** in positive sentences.
> I **went** home.
### Rule 2
Use **did not + V1** in negative sentences.
> I **did not go** home.
### Rule 3
Use **Did + subject + V1** for questions.
> Did you **go** home?
### Rule 4
Do not use V2 after **did**.
❌ Did you went?
✅ Did you go?
### Rule 5
Do not use V2 after **didn’t**.
❌ I didn’t went.
✅ I didn’t go.
### Rule 6
Use **was** with I, he, she, it and singular nouns.
> She **was** happy.
### Rule 7
Use **were** with you, we, they and plural nouns.
> They **were** happy.
### Rule 8
Use Simple Past for completed actions in the past.
> I **finished** my work yesterday.
### Rule 9
Use past-time expressions such as **yesterday, last week, ago, and in 2020** when appropriate.
### Rule 10
Learn common irregular verbs separately.
> go → went
> eat → ate
> see → saw
> buy → bought
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# 46. Simple Past Tense Cheat Sheet
| Sentence Type | Formula | Example |
| ————- | ———————— | —————– |
| Positive | Subject + V2 | I went home. |
| Negative | Subject + did not + V1 | I didn’t go home. |
| Question | Did + subject + V1? | Did you go home? |
| WH-question | WH + did + subject + V1? | Where did you go? |
| Be positive | Subject + was/were | She was happy. |
| Be negative | Subject + was/were + not | She wasn’t happy. |
| Be question | Was/Were + subject? | Was she happy? |
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# 47. Final Summary
The **Simple Past Tense** is mainly used to describe **actions, events, habits, situations, and experiences that happened in the past and are completed**.
The most important structure is:
### Positive
**Subject + V2**
> I **visited** Hyderabad.
### Negative
**Subject + did not + V1**
> I **did not visit** Hyderabad.
### Question
**Did + subject + V1?**
> **Did** you **visit** Hyderabad?
### WH-question
**WH-word + did + subject + V1?**
> Where **did** you **visit**?
The most important rule is:
> **After DID or DIDN’T, always use the base form (V1) of the verb.**
For example:
* went → **go**
* ate → **eat**
* saw → **see**
* bought → **buy**
* came → **come**
* wrote → **write**
So:
❌ Did you went?
✅ Did you go?
❌ She didn’t ate.
✅ She didn’t eat.
For **be**, use **was/were**:
* I **was** happy.
* He **was** tired.
* She **was** at home.
* You **were** late.
* We **were** ready.
* They **were** busy.
If you master **V2 for positive sentences, did + V1 for questions, did not + V1 for negatives, and was/were for the verb “be,”** you will understand the core rules of the Simple Past Tense and be able to use it confidently in both written and spoken English.