Past Indefinite Tense - Learn English
Understand and practice the past tense in English with clear examples and easy-to-understand explanations.
What is the Past Indefinite Tense?
The Past Indefinite Tense (also known as the Simple Past Tense) is used to describe actions that happened at a specific time in the past. It is one of the most commonly used tenses in English.
Structure of the Past Indefinite Tense
The structure for affirmative sentences is:
- Subject + Verb (in past form) + Object
For negative sentences, we use "did not" (or "didn't") + the base form of the verb:
- Subject + did not (didn't) + Verb (base form) + Object
For questions, we use "Did" at the beginning of the sentence:
- Did + Subject + Verb (base form) + Object?
Examples of Past Indefinite Tense
Affirmative Sentences:
- I visited the museum yesterday.
- She played tennis last weekend.
- They studied for the exam last night.
Negative Sentences:
- I did not go to the party.
- He didn’t finish his homework.
- We didn’t watch that movie.
Questions:
- Did you enjoy the concert?
- Did she call you?
- Did they arrive on time?
When to Use the Past Indefinite Tense
You use the Past Indefinite Tense when:
- Something happened at a specific time in the past.
- Action is complete or finished.
- You want to talk about a routine or habit in the past.