Past Simple - English Grammar Exercises

The Past Simple is how we tell stories. Whether you’re talking about what you did yesterday, a trip you took last year, or something that happened a long time ago, the Past Simple brings those moments back to life. It's the key to sharing your history and experiences.

In this section, you’ll master both regular verbs (the ones that end in "-ed") and the common irregular verbs that like to break the rules. You’ll practice with 25 exercises ranging from daily tasks to memorable events.

Important Note

Unlike the Present Simple, the Past Simple verb form stays the same for all subjects (I, you, he, she, it, we, they)—except for the verb "to be". So whether it's "I walked" or "They walked", the verb doesn't change!

What You’ll Practice

Below are 25 interactive exercises to help you master the past tense. You'll focus on:

• Identifying and using irregular past forms (ate, went, won)
• Working with regular "-ed" verbs (watched, cleaned)
• Using time markers like "yesterday" and "last night"
• Correcting common mistakes like using present tense for past events

If you get stuck on a verb, try to recall its past form. If you make a mistake, read the explanation carefully—irregular verbs just take a bit of practice!

Tricky Cases

Watch out for common mistakes when using Past Simple. Pay close attention to subject-verb agreement and how different contexts can change the correct form. Some patterns might seem similar but have important differences.

Remember that context matters. The same sentence structure might work differently depending on whether you're talking about the past, present, or future, or whether you're making a statement or asking a question.

What You'll Practice

The 25 exercises give you sentences where Past Simple needs to be used correctly. You'll practice:

• Identifying the correct form based on the subject and context
• Understanding when to use different variations
• Recognizing common errors and how to fix them
• Applying the rules in various sentence structures
• Building confidence through repeated practice