Lesson Explainer: The Present Simple and the Past Simple

In this explainer, we will learn how to use the present simple and the past simple.

The present simple is used to talk about many things. We use it most often to talk about things that we do every day, for example, “I breakfast at 7 am every day.”

We also use it to talk about routines, for example, “I tennis on Saturdays.”

We use it to talk about facts, for example, “The sky blue.”

Finally, we use it to talk about things that are always true, such as opinions, for example, “We scary films.”

The past simple is used to talk about actions that have been completed in the past. We use it for single actions (things that happened once), for example, “We a film last night.”

We use it for two or more actions that happened at a similar time in the past, for example, “I to the party and I some pizza.”

Finally, we use it to talk about a routine in the past that doesn’t happen anymore, for example, “I in the ocean every day when I on holiday.”

Now that we know why we use the present simple and the past simple, let’s learn how to form them. When we say “form a tense,” we are talking about how we write it. This includes the verb itself and the order of the words. The most important part of forming a tense is the verb.

Form: Forming the Present Simple and the Past Simple

Here is how we form verbs when writing in the present simple and past simple tenses:

When we use the present simple tense, we use the verb in its base form for first, second, and third person plural pronouns (, , , ) and in -s form with the third person singular pronouns (, , ), for example, “I ; she .”

When we use the negative form of the present simple tense, we need to use the auxiliary verb . With the first, second, and third person plural pronouns (, , , ), we use don’t + base form of the verb. With the third person singular pronouns, we use doesn’t + base form of the verb, for example, “I ; she .”

When we use the past simple tense, we use the verb in its base form + -ed. However, many verbs are irregular in English, such as (present simple) (past simple). These verbs must be learnt separately as there isn’t a single rule for forming irregular verbs, for example, “I (regular past tense verb); I tea (irregular past tense verb).”

When we use the negative form of the past simple tense, we need to use the auxiliary verb . With first, second, and third person pronouns (, , , , , , ), we use didn’t + base form of the verb, for example, “I .”

Example 1: Identifying the Tense of a Sentence

Which tense is being used in this example?

My neighbour works for a local charity.

Present simple
Past simple
Present continuous
Past continuous
Future simple

Answer

This question is asking you to identify the tense of a sentence. Knowing which tense is being used will help you understand the meaning of the sentence.

The first thing you must do to identify the tense is find the verb. The verb here is . We know that when a verb has -s on the end, it is in the present form. If we replace the subject (“my neighbour”) of the sentence with a pronoun, it would be or , a third person pronoun. And we also know that when a verb has -s on the end, it is in the present form when used with third person pronouns. We now know the answer is A.

Example 2: Asking a Question with Past Simple Tense

Fill in the blank using the past simple tense:

a talk about endangered species?

Was she giving
Is she giving
Did she give
Did she gave
She gave

Answer

This question is asking you to fill in the blank. You are told to use the past simple tense. The example has a question mark, so we know it will use a question form. There is no in the example or in the choices; this means it must be a closed question (also known as a yes/no question). Let’s look at how to form a closed question using the past simple tense.

Past Simple Tense
	Auxiliary	Subject	Verb

Using the form box above, we can see that the structure used for forming a question in the past simple tense is the auxiliary verb + + .

In this question, only options C and D use the question form we looked at above: + + . D uses , which is the past simple form of , but when we look at the form box, the base form of the verb must be used here. We now know that the answer is C.

Example 3: Choosing Which Verb Form to Use in a Sentence

Fill in the blanks to create two clauses:

I about first aid before I the course.

readed, took
reads, take
read, takes
read, took
read, taked

Answer

This question is asking you to fill in the blank. It has two blanks, so you will need to choose two verbs. The question doesn’t tell you which tense to use, so you will have to decide if you need to use the present simple or the past simple.

We know this sentence is in the past because of the word . Before is often used as a conjunction with the past simple tense. As the past simple tense is being used in the second clause, it is likely that the first clause is also using the past simple tense. The two verbs being used here are to read and to take, so we need to put them in the past tense.

As mentioned above, there are certain words that are irregular in English and do not follow the normal grammar rule of adding -ed. The two verbs in this question are irregular verbs.

does not change in the past tense; only the pronunciation changes. becomes in the past tense. We now know that D is the answer.

Example 4: Choosing Which Verb Form to Use in a Sentence

Fill in the blanks using the present simple tense:

How often Dina blood at her local hospital?

does, donate
does, donates
did, donate
was, donating
do, donate

Answer

This question is asking you to fill in the blank. It is about the present simple tense. The example has a question mark, so we know it will use a question form. It also has a (“how often”); this means it is an open question. Let’s look at how to form an open question using the present simple tense.


Wh-word	Auxiliary	Subject	Verb

Using the form box above, we can see that the structure used for forming an open question in the present simple tense is + + + .

We know that in a present simple open question, the auxiliary verbs and must follow a . This means option D is wrong as it uses the verb to be () and option C is wrong because it uses the auxiliary . This is the past tense form of do, so it is also incorrect. So the answer could be A, B, or E.

To find out the answer, we need to know what the subject is. Here, the subject is . is a girl’s name, so we need the verb form that is used with “.” The table shows us that the auxiliary verb is and the verb should be in the base form of the verb (not the -s form). This means the answer is A.

We already know that the present simple tense is used to talk about many things, including things we do every day, routines, facts, and things that are always true. Let’s look at some more examples of how and why this tense is used.

Use: Uses of the Present Simple

Things We Do Every Day and Routines

For example, “I my teeth every day.”

For example, “We badminton on Thursdays.”

Routines are when an action happens very often or every day. It happens in the past, happens in the present, and will continue to happen in the future.

Facts or Things That Are True

For example, “The sea blue.”

For example, “She chocolate.”

This is used for statements that are true. They are not single or finished actions. They are true in the past, in the present, and in the future.

We know the past simple is used to talk about completed actions in the past, but let’s look at some more examples of how and why this tense is used.

Use: Uses of the Past Simple

Completed Actions

For example, “He a race last weekend.”

For example, “Nada her homework yesterday.”

A completed action is when an action is finished in the past.

Successive Actions

For example, “I the dog after it raining.”

For example, “Before I home, I up some shopping from the supermarket.”

When more than one action happens in an order, we call this a sequence. These actions can also be called successive actions.

Repeated Actions

For example, “They pasta three times last week.”

For example, “She questions in the class two times this week.”

Repeated actions are when one specific action is done many times in the past. This is not always done after another action.

Example 5: Understanding the Meaning of a Tense

Which of the following best describes this example?

Lions hunt wild animals such as antelopes and livestock such as cattle.

An action or situation that is usually or always true
A repeated action that happens regularly in the present
An action completed in the past
A regular action in the past that doesn’t happen anymore
A sequence of actions completed in the past

Answer

In this question, you have to choose a sentence that has the same meaning as the example.

In this example, the verb is . As this is a present tense verb, we know that C, D, and E are not the answer because they refer to actions happening in the past. Also, the sentence is stating a fact about lions. Since terms such as and are not being used in this sentence, we know that the sentence isn’t describing a repeated action. We now know the answer is A.

Example 6: Understanding the Meaning of a Tense

Which of the following best describes the underlined section?

I saw giraffes every day when I lived in Tanzania.

An action or situation that is usually or always true
A repeated action that happens regularly in the present
An action completed in the past
A regular action in the past that doesn’t happen anymore
A sequence of actions completed in the past

Answer

Here is another question that will help you understand the meaning of the past simple tense. This sentence is in the past simple and asks you to look at the underlined part. There are two verbs in this sentence, but you only need to look at the one that is underlined.

The question is asking about the underlined clause “I saw giraffes every day.” The verb here is . This is the irregular past tense form of the verb ; this means that the action is finished. The term means that this action happened more than once over a long period of time. We now know the answer is D.

Example 7: Understanding the Meaning of a Tense

Which of the following best describes this example?

I drank a cup of tea after I gave blood.

An action or a situation that is usually or always true
A repeated action that happens regularly in the present
An action completed in the past
A regular action in the past that doesn’t happen anymore
A sequence of actions completed in the past

Answer

There are two verbs in this sentence, meaning that two things are or were happening. The word shows us that one action happened after another. We need to check if the verbs are in the present or past tense. Both and are irregular past tense forms of the verbs and .

We know that the answer isn’t D, because the verbs are written in the past simple, which shows a completed action. We now know that the answer is E.

Verb Tables

Here are all the ways to form the present simple and the present perfect. You can use this table to help you answer all of the questions in this lesson!

The following table shows us how to form the and forms of the present simple and past simple tenses.

Present Simple Tense		Past Simple Tense
Subject	Verb	Subject	Verb

The next table shows us how to form a in the present simple tense.


Auxiliary	Subject	Verb

This table shows us how to form a in the present simple tense using the verb to be.


Verb to Be	Subject	Adjective

This table shows us how to form an in the present simple tense.


Wh-word	Auxiliary	Subject	Verb

This table shows us how to form a in the past simple tense.

Past Simple Tense
	Auxiliary	Subject	Verb

This table shows us how to form a in the past simple tense using the verb to be.


Verb to Be	Subject	Adjective

This table shows us how to form an in the past simple tense.

Past Simple Tense
	Wh-word	Auxiliary	Subject	Verb

Key Points

To form the present simple, we use the base form of the verb or the -s form.
To form the past simple, we use the -ed form of the verb or the irregular form.
To form the negative and interrogative forms, we use the auxiliary verb do.
The present simple tense is used to talk about routines, facts, states that are permanent, and things that are true.
The past simple tense is used to talk about completed actions, regular actions, and successive actions in the past.