Some Examples of the Past Simple
- January 16th, 2012
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The past simple is one of the easier tenses when it comes to knowing when to use it; it doesn’t have any of the problems that the future has. It can sometimes be confused with the past perfect, present perfect, and some other tenses. Please read on to find some past simple examples that will help you when it comes to knowing when to use it.
The past simple is mainly used to talk about completed actions in the past; it is used with the time expressions:
- Yesterday
- Ago (4 hours ago, three weeks ago, six years ago etc.)
- Last week
- Last month
- Last year
- In January
- In 2005
Here are some examples using these time expressions with the past simple:
- I went to the shops yesterday.
- I had dinner two hours ago.
- I sold my car two weeks ago.
- I graduated in 2005.
- I visited my family in January.
It is also used to talk about habits and facts in the past:
- I was very shy when I was in high school.
- I a lot of football when I was younger.
I hope these past simple exercises, along with the short explanation, helps you with your knowledge of this tense.