Past Simple Tense – Definition, Rules, Examples & Usage in English Grammar

Welcome to the definitive guide to mastering one of the most essential tools in the English language: the Past Simple Tense. Whether you are telling a story about your last vacation, recounting a historical event, or simply sharing what you did yesterday, the Past Simple is your go-to tense. It is the language of completed actions, the foundation of narration, and a cornerstone of clear communication.

This article is designed to be a comprehensive resource for students, educators, and anyone looking to solidify their understanding of English grammar. We will deconstruct the Past Simple tense from the ground up, exploring its structure, its many uses, and how it interacts with other tenses. At the end of this article, you will not only understand the rules but also the logic behind them, empowering you to use the Past Simple with confidence and precision.

What is the Past Simple Tense?

The Past Simple Tense, also known as the Past Indefinite, is used to describe actions, events, or states that began and ended at a specific time in the past. When you use this tense, you are communicating that the action is 100% finished and has no direct connection to the present moment. Think of it as placing an event on a timeline and marking it as complete.

For example:

• Latif painted the hose. (A completed action in the distant past).
• I ate breakfast this morning. (A completed action in the recent past).
• She was happy to see him. (A completed state in the past).

Past Simple vs. Past Indefinite

You will encounter several names for this tense, which can be confusing. The terms “Past Simple,” “Simple Past,” and “Past Indefinite” all refer to the exact same grammatical structure. In more technical linguistic circles, it is also called the “Preterite: a grammatical tense for verbs that describes a completed action in the past”. While “Past Simple” is the most common term in modern English teaching, understanding the name “Past Indefinite” can offer a deeper insight into how English grammar works.

The word “indefinite” often confuses learners because this tense is frequently used with very definite time markers like “yesterday” or “last week”. This apparent contradiction is resolved when we understand that “indefinite” does not refer to the time of the action, but to its aspect. 

In grammar, aspect refers to how an action is viewed in relation to time. The “simple” or “indefinite” aspect presents an action as a single, complete fact, a whole unit without getting into whether it was ongoing or momentary.  It is “indefinite” in the sense that it doesn’t provide extra information about the action’s duration or progression, unlike the Past Continuous (“I was walking”), which specifically describes an action in progress.

So, when you say, “I walked to the park,” you are stating a complete, factual event. The tense is simple and unadorned. For clarity and consistency, this guide will primarily use the term “Past Simple.”

How to Form the Past Simple Tense

The structure of the Past Simple is remarkably consistent. The core formula for a positive statement is straightforward:

Subject + V2 (Past Tense form of the verb) 

A key feature that simplifies this tense is that, with the exception of the verb ‘to be’, the past tense form of a verb is the same for all subjects. Whether the subject is I, you, he, she, it, we, or they, the verb form does not change.

• I worked.
• She worked.
• They worked.

Verbs in English are divided into two categories for the past tense: regular and irregular.

Regular Verbs: The “-ed” Rule

Most verbs in English are regular, meaning they follow a predictable pattern to form the past tense: simply add “-ed” to the end of the base form of the verb.⁷

• talk → talked
• watch → watched

However, there are a few important spelling rules to observe when adding this ending.

Rule	Base Verb	Past Simple Form	Example Sentence
Add -ed to most verbs.	walk, play, ask	walked, played, asked	We walked in the park yesterday.
Add -d if the verb ends in -e.	live, like, create	lived, liked, created	She liked the movie we saw.
Change -y to -ied if the verb ends in consonant + y.	study, try, cry	studied, tried, cried	I studied hard for the final exam.
Double the final consonant if a one-syllable verb ends in CVC (Consonant-Vowel-Consonant).	stop, plan, admit	stopped, planned, admitted	The bus stopped suddenly at the corner.

Pronunciation of “-ed”

Mastering the pronunciation of the “-ed” ending is crucial for fluent and natural-sounding speech. The sound changes based on the final sound of the base verb before the ending is added.

Final Sound of Base Verb	“-ed” Pronunciation	Example Verb	Pronunciation
Voiceless sounds (e.g., /p/, /k/, /s/, /f/, /ʃ/, /tʃ/)	/t/	stop, ask, laugh	/stɒpt/, /ɑːskt/, /lɑːft/
Voiced sounds (e.g., /b/, /g/, /v/, /l/, /m/, /n/, /z/ and all vowel sounds)	/d/	play, live, call	/pleɪd/, /lɪvd/, /kɔːld/
Sounds /t/ or /d/	/ɪd/ or /əd/	need, want, decide	/ˈniːdɪd/, /ˈwɒntɪd/, /dɪˈsaɪdɪd/

Irregular Verbs: The Rule Breakers

A few hundred of the most common verbs in English are irregular. They do not follow the “-ed” rule and instead have unique past tense forms that must be memorized.¹ While this may seem daunting, these verbs are used so frequently that they become familiar with practice.

Irregular verbs can be grouped into a few loose patterns:

• Vowel Change: sing → sang, begin → began
• Complete Change: go → went, bring → brought
• No Change: put → put, cut → cut, hit → hit ⁴

The following table lists 100 of the most common irregular verbs. The “V2” column is the Past Simple form.

Base Form (V1)	Past Simple (V2)	Past Participle (V3)
be	was/were	been
become	became	become
begin	began	begun
break	broke	broken
bring	brought	brought
build	built	built
buy	bought	bought
catch	caught	caught
choose	chose	chosen
come	came	come
cost	cost	cost
cut	cut	cut
do	did	done
draw	drew	drawn
drink	drank	drunk
drive	drove	driven
eat	ate	eaten
fall	fell	fallen
feel	felt	felt
fight	fought	fought
find	found	found
fly	flew	flown
forget	forgot	forgotten
get	got	got/gotten
give	gave	given
go	went	gone
grow	grew	grown
have	had	had
hear	heard	heard
hide	hid	hidden
hit	hit	hit
hold	held	held
hurt	hurt	hurt
keep	kept	kept
know	knew	known
lead	led	led
leave	left	left
lend	lent	lent
let	let	let
lie	lay	lain
lose	lost	lost
make	made	made
mean	meant	meant
meet	met	met
pay	paid	paid
put	put	put
read	read	read
ride	rode	ridden
ring	rang	rung
rise	rose	risen
run	ran	run
say	said	said
see	saw	seen
sell	sold	sold
send	sent	sent
set	set	set
shake	shook	shaken
shine	shone	shone
shoot	shot	shot
show	showed	shown
shut	shut	shut
sing	sang	sung
sink	sank	sunk
sit	sat	sat
sleep	slept	slept
speak	spoke	spoken
spend	spent	spent
stand	stood	stood
steal	stole	stolen
stick	stuck	stuck
swim	swam	swum
take	took	taken
teach	taught	taught
tear	tore	torn
tell	told	told
think	thought	thought
throw	threw	thrown
understand	understood	understood
wake	woke	woken
wear	wore	worn
win	won	won
write	wrote	written

The Special Case of ‘To Be’

The verb ‘to be’ is unique in the Past Simple. It is the only verb that changes its form depending on the subject. This makes it an exception to the general rule of having one form for all subjects.

• For subjects I, he, she, it: use was

• I was at the library.
• He was a doctor.
• For subjects you, we, they: use were

• You were late.
• They were on vacation.

Constructing Sentences: Affirmative, Negative, and Questions

Once you understand how to form the past tense of verbs, you can begin building sentences. The structure changes significantly for negative statements and questions, which rely on a special “helper” verb.

Affirmative (Positive) Sentences

As established, the structure for positive statements is simple and direct.

Formula: Subject + V2 (Past Tense Verb) 

• She worked late last night. (Regular)
• They went to the cinema. (Irregular)
• We were tired after the trip. (‘be’)

The Auxiliary Verb ‘Did’

To form negative sentences and questions in the Past Simple, we introduce the auxiliary (or helper) verb did. Understanding the role of ‘did’ is the key to mastering these structures.

A very common mistake for learners is to say something like, “Did you went to the store?“. The rule is that after ‘did’, the main verb must return to its base form (the infinitive without ‘to’).

 But why does this happen?

The reason lies in how English handles tense. The auxiliary verb ‘did’ is the past tense form of ‘do’. When it appears in a sentence, it is the word that carries the past tense for the entire verb phrase. English syntax generally avoids marking the tense twice in the same verb phrase. Since ‘did’ already signals that the sentence is in the past, the main verb does not need to be in its past form. Its only job is to provide the meaning of the action.

Think of it this way: ‘did’ absorbs all the “pastness,” leaving the main verb in its simple, neutral state. This single principle explains the structure for both negative and interrogative sentences.

Negative Sentences

To make a sentence negative, we use ‘did not’ (or the contraction ‘didn’t’) before the base form of the verb.

Formula: Subject + did not (didn’t) + V1 (Base Verb) ³

• She didn’t work late last night. (NOT didn’t worked)
• They didn’t go to the cinema. (NOT didn’t went)

Exception: The Verb ‘be’

The verb ‘to be’ does not use the auxiliary ‘did’. To make it negative, simply add ‘not’ after ‘was’ or ‘were’. The contractions are ‘wasn’t’ and ‘weren’t’.

Formula: Subject + was/were + not

• We weren’t tired after the trip.
• He wasn’t at home.

Interrogative Sentences (Questions)

The auxiliary ‘did’ is also essential for forming questions.

Yes/No Questions

To ask a question that can be answered with “yes” or “no,” begin the sentence with ‘Did’.

Formula: Did + Subject + V1 (Base Verb)? 

• Did she work late last night?
• Did they go to the cinema?

Wh- Questions

To ask for more specific information (like who, what, where, when, why, how), place the Wh- word at the beginning of the sentence, followed by the ‘did’ structure.

Formula: Wh- Word + did + Subject + V1 (Base Verb)? 

• When did she work?
• Where did they go?

Questions with ‘be’

Similar to negative sentences, ‘be’ does not use ‘did’ in questions. Instead, the subject and the verb (‘was’ or ‘were’) invert their positions.

Formula: Was/Were + Subject?

• Were you tired after the trip?
• Why was he at home?

Sentence Structures Chart

This table provides a quick summary of all the sentence structures for the Past Simple tense.

Sentence Type	Verb Type	Formula	Example
Affirmative (+)	Regular/Irregular	Subject + V2	He saw the movie.
	‘be’	Subject + was/were	They were happy.
Negative (-)	Regular/Irregular	Subject + didn’t + V1	He didn’t see the movie.
	‘be’	Subject + wasn’t/weren’t	They weren’t happy.
Yes/No Question (?)	Regular/Irregular	Did + Subject + V1?	Did he see the movie?
	‘be’	Was/Were + Subject?	Were they happy?
Wh- Question (?)	Regular/Irregular	Wh- + did + Subject + V1?	What did he see?
	‘be’	Wh- + was/were + Subject?	Why were they happy?

When and Why to Use the Past Simple?

Understanding how to form the Past Simple is only half the battle. Knowing when to use it is what allows for clear and effective communication. The Past Simple has several distinct functions that cover a wide range of situations.

Use 1: Single, Completed Actions in the Past

This is the most fundamental and common use of the Past Simple. It describes a single action that happened at a specific point in the past and is now completely finished. The time can be explicitly stated or understood from the context.

• Jamal Shifted to America in 1498. 
• Salman’s father died last year. 
• I saw a new car yesterday. 

Use 2: A Series of Completed Actions (Narration)

When telling a story or recounting a sequence of events, the Past Simple is used to list actions that happened one after another. This forms the narrative backbone of historical accounts, anecdotes, and instructions.

• I finished work, walked to the beach, and found a nice place to swim. 
• He arrived from the airport at 8:00, checked into the hotel at 9:00, and met the others at 10:00. 
• She packed her suitcase, called a taxi, and left for the airport. 

Use 3: Past Habits and Routines

The Past Simple can describe actions that were done repeatedly or habitually in the past but are no longer done in the present. This use is often accompanied by adverbs of frequency (like always, often, sometimes, never) or time expressions (like every day, when I was a child).

• I visited them every day for a year. 
• When I was a boy, I walked a mile to school every day. 
• I sometimes walked home at lunchtime.

Use 4: Past Facts, States, and Generalizations

This function is used to talk about a state of being or a fact that was true for a period of time in the past but is no longer true now. This can refer to feelings, conditions, or general truths of a bygone era.

• She was shy as a child, but now she is very outgoing. 
• I lived in Japan for five years. (This implies that I do not live in Japan now).
• He didn’t like tomatoes before. 

Use 5: Actions with a Duration in the Past

Similar to describing past states, this use emphasizes the length of time an action continued. It is often marked by expressions like for two years, all day, for thirty minutes, etc. The key is that the duration both started and stopped in the past.

• Shahab studied Archaeology for five years.
• They sat at the beach all day. 
• We talked on the phone for thirty minutes. 

Use 6: Hypothetical or Unreal Situations | Conditional Sentences

In a more advanced usage, the Past Simple verb form is used in certain clauses where it does not refer to past time at all. Instead, it signals a hypothetical, unreal, or imaginary situation in the present or future.

• In Second Conditional Sentences: Used to talk about an unlikely or imaginary condition and its probable result.
• If I had more money, I would travel the world. (I don’t have more money now, so this is hypothetical).
• In Wishes about the Present: Used after the verb ‘wish’ to express a desire for a present situation to be different.

• I wish I knew what his name was. (I don’t know his name now).

A Comparative Analysis With Other Tenses

Choosing the correct tense in English is often about understanding subtle differences in meaning and perspective. The Past Simple does not exist in a vacuum; its meaning is sharpened when compared to other tenses used to talk about the past.

Past Simple vs. Present Perfect

This is one of the most challenging distinctions for English learners. The choice between these two tenses often depends on the speaker’s perspective and the time frame of the action.

The main grammatical difference  is clear:

• Past Simple is used for actions that occurred in a finished time period (e.g., yesterday, last week, in 2010). The time is over.
• Present Perfect is used for actions in an unfinished time period (e.g., today, this week, this year) or for past actions that have a direct result or relevance in the present.

Beyond this rule, the choice reflects a psychological framing of the event. Using the Past Simple psychologically “closes the file” on an event. It treats the action as a historical fact, a story about the past that is disconnected from the present moment. In contrast, using the Present Perfect creates a bridge between the past and the present. It suggests that the past action “matters now” —either because its consequences are still felt, or because it is part of a life experience that continues to the present.

Consider the difference:

• “I lost my keys yesterday.” (Past Simple) – This is a story about a past problem. The implication might be that the problem was resolved (e.g., “but I found them later”). The focus is on the past event.
• “I have lost my keys.” (Present Perfect) – This is a statement about a present problem. The result of the past action is that I cannot get into my house now. The focus is on the present consequence.

Aspect	Past Simple	Present Perfect
Time Frame	Finished. The period is completely over.	Unfinished. The period continues up to the present moment.
Example	I saw him last week.	I have seen him this week.
Connection to Present	No connection. The action is a finished story.	Strong connection or result in the present.
Example	I lived in Peshawar for five years. (I don’t live there now).	I have lived in Peshawar for five years. (I still live there now).
Signal Words	yesterday, last…,…ago, in 1999	already, yet, just, ever, never, for, since

Past Simple vs. Past Continuous

The difference here is one aspect: a completed action versus an action in progress.

• Past Simple describes a completed action, often a shorter one, that happened at a specific moment.
• Past Continuous describes a background action that was in progress over a period of time when something else happened.

The most common way these two tenses are used together is in an “interruption” pattern, where a short Past Simple action happens in the middle of a longer Past Continuous action.

• I was watching TV (long background action) when the phone rang (short, interrupting action). 
• Your mother called (short, interrupting action) while you were cooking (long background action). 

The Past Continuous sets the scene, and the Past Simple describes the main events that occurred within that scene.

Past Simple vs. Past Perfect

These two tenses are used together to clearly sequence two events that both happened in the past. The Past Perfect is used to establish a “past before the past.”

• Past Perfect (had + past participle) describes the earlier of the two past actions.
• Past Simple describes the more recent of the two past actions.

This structure is a powerful tool for non-linear storytelling, allowing a narrator to refer to an earlier event without confusing the timeline.

• When the police arrived (later action, Past Simple), the thief had already escaped (earlier action, Past Perfect). 
• By the time we got to the station (later action), the train had already left (earlier action).

Past Simple vs. ‘Used to’ and ‘Would’

For describing past habits and repeated actions, the Past Simple, ‘used to’, and ‘would’ are often interchangeable, but with subtle differences in emphasis.

• Past Simple: This is the most neutral and common choice. It simply states the past habit as a fact.
• I played tennis when I was young. 
• Used to: This construction strongly emphasizes the contrast between the past and the present, highlighting that the habit or state is definitively over. It can be used for both actions and states.

• I used to live in London. (A past state).
• He used to smoke but he gave up. (A past action).
• Would: This is often used for repeated actions in nostalgic storytelling, reminiscing about the past. It is slightly more formal than ‘used to’. Crucially, ‘would’ cannot be used for past states.

• Every Saturday, my father would take us to the park. (A repeated action).
• Incorrect: I would be shy as a child. (Correct: I used to be shy or I was shy). 

Signal Words: The Time Markers of the Past Simple

Time expressions, also known as signal words or time adverbs, are crucial clues that indicate a specific, finished time in the past. When you see these words, it is a strong sign that the Past Simple is the correct tense to use. These expressions are typically placed at the beginning or, more commonly, at the end of a sentence.

Category	Expressions	Example
Specific Past Points	yesterday, the day before yesterday, last night, last week, last month, last year, last Tuesday	I saw her yesterday.
Periods of Time	in 2015, in the 19th century, during the summer, on June 21st, at 5 PM	He lived in Fiji in 1976.
Counting Back from Now	a minute ago, two hours ago, three days ago, a long time ago	She called ten minutes ago.
Frequency (for Habits)	always, often, sometimes, never (used in a past context)	I often brought my lunch to school when I was a kid. 3
Past Events/Stages of Life	when I was a child, during my childhood, on my last birthday, in my school days	She played the piano when she was a child. 3

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Every English learner encounters stumbling blocks, and the Past Simple is no exception. Being aware of the most common errors is the first step toward correcting them and achieving greater accuracy.

Mistake 1: Using the Past Form After ‘Did’

This is perhaps the most frequent error. Learners often forget to revert the main verb to its base form in negative sentences and questions.

• Incorrect: Did you went to the party? 
• Correct: Did you go to the party?
• Reason: The auxiliary verb ‘did’ already carries the past tense marker. The main verb does not need to be conjugated.

Mistake 2: Forgetting or Misusing Irregular Verb Forms

Irregular verbs must be memorized, and it is common to either forget the correct form or mistakenly apply the regular “-ed” rule.

• Incorrect: I buyed a new phone. 
• Correct: I bought a new phone.
• Reason: ‘Buy’ is an irregular verb, and its past form is ‘bought’.

Mistake 3: Confusing Past Simple with Present Perfect

Using a finished time word (like yesterday) with the Present Perfect is a common mistake that stems from confusion about time frames.

• Incorrect: I have seen him yesterday. 
• Correct: I saw him yesterday.
• Reason: ‘Yesterday’ is a finished time expression that firmly places the action in the past, requiring the Past Simple.

Mistake 4: Using Past Continuous for Habits or Single Completed Actions

The Past Continuous should not be used for past habits or for single, completed events.

• Incorrect: I was walking to school every day.
• Correct: I walked to school every day.
• Reason: For past habits, the correct choices are the Past Simple, ‘used to’, or ‘would’. The Past Continuous implies an action was in progress, not a completed habit.

Mistake 5: Omitting the Auxiliary Verb in Questions

Except for the verb ‘be’, questions in the Past Simple must be formed with the auxiliary ‘did’.

• Incorrect: You studied for the test? (This is common in informal speech but is grammatically incorrect.) 
• Correct: Did you study for the test?
• Reason: The standard interrogative structure requires the auxiliary ‘did’ before the subject.

Practical Exercises and Dialogues

Theory is essential, but practice is where mastery is built. This section provides opportunities to apply your knowledge through conversational examples and targeted exercises.

The Past Simple in Conversation

The Past Simple is the engine of everyday storytelling. Notice how it is used in the following dialogues to discuss past events.

Dialogue 1: A Weekend Catch-Up 

• Robert: Hi Alice, what did you do last weekend?
• Alice: I did a lot of things. On Saturday, I went shopping.
• Robert: What did you buy?
• Alice: I bought some new clothes. I also played tennis with Tom.
• Robert: Did you win?
• Alice: Of course, I won! After that, I went home, took a shower, and then met my friend Jacky for dinner.
• Robert: Sounds nice. I didn’t go out. I just stayed home and studied for my test!
• Alice: Poor you!

Dialogue 2: A Busy Day 

• Manan: How was your day?
• Wadan: Terrible. I was so busy at work.
• Manan: Oh, that’s too bad. Why?
• Wadan: We were short-staffed because one person called in sick. We were so busy at lunch.
• Manan: That’s not good. How did you manage?
• Wadan: The manager came in and helped us.

Interactive Drills

Test your understanding with the following exercises. Check your answers at the end.

Exercise 1: Verb Conjugation (Fill-in-the-Blanks)

Complete the sentences with the correct Past Simple form of the verb in brackets.

1. She __________ (watch) a movie last night.
2. They __________ (visit) their grandparents yesterday.
3. I __________ (lose) my keys this morning.
4. He __________ (study) for the test all weekend.
5. We __________ (eat) at a new restaurant on Friday.
6. The baby __________ (cry) for an hour.
7. I __________ (think) the meeting __________ (be) at 10 AM.
8. She __________ (buy) a new dress and __________ (go) to the party.
9. He __________ (stop) the car and __________ (get) out.
10. They __________ (have) a great time on their vacation.

Exercise 2: Sentence Transformation

Rewrite the following sentences as negative statements and then as yes/no questions.

1. He played football.

• Negative: _________________________________
• Question: _________________________________

2. They saw the new film.

• Negative: _________________________________
• Question: _________________________________

3. She was happy with the result.

• Negative: _________________________________
• Question: _________________________________

Exercise 3: Tense Showdown (Multiple Choice)

Choose the correct verb form to complete each sentence.

1. I __________ to the cinema yesterday.
   a) have gone
   b) went
   c) was going
2. She __________ her homework yet.
   a) didn’t finish
   b) hasn’t finished
   c) wasn’t finishing
3. While I __________, my friend called.
   a) cooked
   b) have cooked
   c) was cooking
4. By the time he arrived, the movie __________.
   a) already started
   b) had already started
   c) was already starting
5. He __________ in this city for ten years, but he moved away in 2020.
   a) has lived
   b) lived
   c) had lived

Exercise 1:

1. watched
2. visited
3. lost
4. studied
5. ate
6. cried
7. thought, was
8. bought, went
9. stopped, got
10. had

Exercise 2:

1. Negative: He didn’t play football.
   Question: Did he play football?
2. Negative: They didn’t see the new film.
   Question: Did they see the new film?
3. Negative: She wasn’t happy with the result.
   Question: Was she happy with the result?

Exercise 3:

1. b) went
2. b) hasn’t finished
3. c) was cooking
4. b) had already started
5. b) lived

Your Journey with the Past Simple

You have now explored the Past Simple tense in great detail—from its fundamental structure and varied uses to its nuanced relationships with other tenses. We have demystified its terminology, highlighted common pitfalls, and provided practical tools for application.

Your Journey with the Past Simple

• The Past Simple is for finished actions in the past.
• Its structure uses V2 in positive sentences and did + V1 in negatives and questions.
• You begin by defining what the Past Simple means and what it does.
• You investigate how it forms with regular and irregular verbs.
• You know the three structures: affirmative, negative, and interrogative.
• You find its main uses: finished actions, past habits, and storytelling.
• You point out common time expressions like yesterday, ago, last week, in 2000.
• You contrast it with other tenses: Present Perfect, Past Continuous, and Past Perfect.
• You use examples and exercises to build confidence.
• You learn common mistakes and how to avoid them.
• You observe how it works in speech, writing, and exams.
• Now, you are ready to use the Past Simple naturally and correctly.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

• What’s the difference between Past Simple and Past Indefinite?

There is no difference. “Past Simple,” “Simple Past,” and “Past Indefinite” are all names for the same verb tense used to describe completed actions in the past.7 “Past Simple” is the most common term used today.

• What is the past tense of ‘read’?

The past tense of the verb ‘read’ is spelled the same: ‘read’. However, the pronunciation changes. In the present tense, it is pronounced /riːd/ (like “reed”). In the past tense, it is pronounced /rɛd/ (like the color “red”).10

• Present: “I read a book every week.” (/riːd/)
• Past: “I read a great book last month.” (/rɛd/)

• Why do we use the base verb (V1) after ‘did’?

The auxiliary verb ‘did’ is the past tense of ‘do’. When it appears in a sentence, it carries the past tense marker for the entire verb phrase. To avoid redundancy, the main verb remains in its simple, base form (V1) because the “pastness” of the sentence has already been established by ‘did’.

Can I use ‘yesterday’ with the Present Perfect?

No. The Present Perfect (‘I have done’) is used for actions in an unfinished time period or actions with a present result. ‘Yesterday’ is a finished time word. Therefore, you must use the Past Simple with ‘yesterday’.

• Incorrect: I’ve been to the museum yesterday.
• Correct: I went to the museum yesterday.

• When should I use ‘was’ and when should I use ‘were’?

‘Was’ and ‘were’ are the past tense forms of the verb ‘to be’. The choice depends on the subject :

• Use was with I, he, she, it. (e.g., She was tired.)
• Use were with you, we, they. (e.g., They were late.)

What is the difference between ‘I lived in London’ and ‘I have lived in London’?

• “I lived in London for five years.” (Past Simple) means that this action started and finished in the past. You no longer live in London.³¹
• “I have lived in London for five years.” (Present Perfect) means the action started in the past and continues to the present. You still live in London now.

• How do I pronounce ‘-ed’ at the end of a verb?

The pronunciation depends on the final sound of the base verb:

• It sounds like /t/ after voiceless sounds (e.g., stopped, asked).
• It sounds like /d/ after voiced sounds (e.g., played, called).
• It sounds like /ɪd/ after /t/ or /d/ sounds (e.g., wanted, needed).