What is past tense?
Past tense is the form of a verb that shows something already happened. We use it to talk about actions or events that occurred before now.
- I walked to school yesterday.
- She played with her dog.
- They visited the park last week.
Past tense tells us about something that already happened. Look for clue words like yesterday, last week, or ago.
Regular past tense verbs
Most verbs are regular. To make them past tense, simply add -ed at the end of the word.
- walk → walked
- jump → jumped
- clean → cleaned
Be careful with spelling! Some verbs need changes before adding -ed (for example: try → tried).
Irregular past tense verbs
Some verbs are irregular. They do not follow the -ed rule. Their past tense form is different and must be memorized.
- go → went
- eat → ate
- see → saw
Irregular verbs are tricky. Practice them often so you remember their past tense forms.
Using past tense in sentences
We use past tense verbs in sentences to describe what already happened. This makes our writing clear and accurate.
- “We watched a movie last night.”
- “He went to the store.”
- “I ate lunch an hour ago.”
Always check: does the verb show something that already happened? If yes, use past tense.
Clue words for past tense
Certain words often tell us that we need to use past tense verbs. These words signal that the action already happened.
- yesterday
- last week
- a year ago
- earlier
When you see clue words, make sure your verbs match by being in past tense.