Simple Past Indefinite Tense | English Grammar Advanced - Class 10 PDF Download

Understanding the Simple Past Tense

The  simple past tense  is used to describe actions that were completed in the past, before the present time. This tense is the fundamental way to express past actions in English.

Simple Past Indefinite Tense Formula for First Person Singular

The formula for Simple Past Tense when the First Person is Singular is that the sentence starts with ‘I’ , then a verb in its 3rd form, followed by an object which is optional.

So, we can say that the formula for Simple Past Tense for First Person Singular is as follows: ‘I’ + verb(3rd form)+ object (optional).

Let us see some example sentences with formula for Simple Past Tense when the First Person is Singular:
1) I studied hard for exams.
मैंने परीक्षा के लिए कड़ी मेहनत की।

2) I went to work every day.
मैं हर दिन काम पर गया।

Negative Sentences
For converting these sentences into negative sentences the formula is that you add ‘did not’ before the root form of the verb and the rest of the rule remains the same.

‘I’ + did not + verb (root form) + object (optional)

Let us see some examples of negative sentences with the formula for Simple Past Tense when the First Person is Singular:
1) I did not study hard for exams.
मैंने परीक्षा के लिए कठिन अध्ययन नहीं किया।

2) I did not go to work everyday.
मैं रोज काम पर नहीं जाता था।

Interrogative Sentences
For converting these sentences into interrogative sentences the formula is that you add ‘did’ at the start of the sentence followed by ‘I’ and the rest of the rule remains the same. The sentence ends with a question mark ‘?’.

did + [subject] + verb (root form) + object(optional)?

Let us see some examples of interrogative sentences with the formula for Simple Past Tense when the Person is Singular:

1) Did I study hard for exams?
क्या मैंने परीक्षा के लिए कठिन अध्ययन किया?

2) Did I go to work everyday?
क्या मैं रोज़ काम पर जाता था?

Negative Interrogative Sentences
For converting these sentences into negative interrogative sentences the formula is that you add ‘did’ at the start of the sentence, then the subject and then ‘not’ and the rest of the rule remains the same. The sentence ends with a question mark ‘?’.

did + [subject] + not + verb (root form) + object(optional)?

Let us see some examples of interrogative sentences with the formula for Simple Past Tense when the Person is Singular:

1) Did I not study hard for exams?
क्या मैंने परीक्षा के लिए कठिन अध्ययन नहीं किया?

2) Did I not go to work everyday?
क्या मैं रोज़ काम पर नहीं जाता था?

Simple Past Tense Formula for First Person Plural

The formula for Simple Past Tense when the First Person is Plural are that the sentence starts with ‘We’, then a verb in its 3rd form  followed by an object which is optional.

So, we can say that the formula for Simple Past Tense for First Person Plural is as follows:

‘We’+ verb (3rd form) + object (optional)

Let us see some example sentences with formula for Simple Past Tense when the First Person is Plural:

1) We studied hard for exams.
हमने परीक्षा के लिए कड़ी मेहनत की।

2) We went to work every day.
हम हर दिन काम पर गए।

Negative Sentences
For converting these sentences into negative sentences the formula is that you add ‘not’ before the verb and the rest of the rule remains the same.

‘We’ + did not + verb (root form) + object (optional).
Let us see some examples of negative sentences with the formula for Simple Past Tense when the First Person is Plural:

1) We did not study hard for exams.
हमने परीक्षा के लिए कठिन अध्ययन नहीं किया।

2) We did not go to work everyday.
हम रोज़ काम पर नहीं जाते थे।

Interrogative Sentences
For converting these sentences into interrogative sentences the formula is that you add ‘did’  at the start of the sentence followed by ‘we’ and the rest of the rule remains the same. The sentence ends with a question mark ‘?’.

did + [subject] + verb (root form) + object(optional)?

Let us see some examples of interrogative sentences with the formula for Simple Past Tense when the Third Person is Plural:

1) Did we study hard for exams?
क्या हमने परीक्षा के लिए कठिन अध्ययन किया?

2) Did we go to work everyday?
क्या हम रोज़ काम पर जाते थे?

Negative Interrogative Sentences
For converting these sentences into negative interrogative sentences the formula is that you add ’did’ at the start of the sentence, then the subject and then ‘not’ and the rest of the rule remains the same. The sentence ends with a question mark ‘?’.

Did + [subject] + not + verb (root form) + object(optional)?

Let us see some examples of interrogative sentences with the formula for Simple Past Tense when the Third Person is Plural:

1) Did we not study hard for exams?
क्या हमने परीक्षा के लिए कठिन अध्ययन नहीं किया?

2) Did we not go to work everyday?
क्या हम रोज़ काम पर नहीं जाते थे?

Simple Past Tense Formula for Second Person

The formula for Simple Past Tense when there is a Second Person involved are that the sentence starts with ‘you’, then a verb in its 3rd form, followed by an object which is optional.

So, we can say that the formula for Simple Past Tense when a Second Person is involved is as follows: ‘you’+ verb(3rd form)+ object (optional)

Let us see some example sentences with formula for Simple Past Tense when a Second Person is involved:

1) You studied hard for exams.
आपने परीक्षा के लिए कठिन अध्ययन किया।

2) You went to work every day.
आप हर दिन काम पर गए।

Negative Sentences
For converting these sentences into negative sentences the formula is that you add ‘did not’ before the verb and the rest of the rule remains the same.

‘You’ + did not + verb (root form) + object (optional)

Let us see some examples of negative sentences with the formula for Simple Past Tense when there is a second person:

1) You did not study hard for exams
आपने परीक्षा के लिए कठिन अध्ययन नहीं किया।

2) You did not go to work everyday.
आप रोज काम पर नहीं जाते थे।

3) You did not sleep late on Saturdays.
आप शनिवार को देर से नहीं सोते थे ।

Interrogative Sentences
For converting these sentences into interrogative sentences the formula is that you add did  at the start of the sentence followed by ‘you’ and the rest of the rule remains the same. The sentence ends with a question mark “?”.

Did + [subject] + verb (root form) + object(optional)?

Let us see some examples of interrogative sentences with the formula for Simple Past Tense when there is a Second Person Involved:

1) Did you study hard for exams?
क्या आपने परीक्षा के लिए कठिन अध्ययन किया?

2) Did you go to work everyday?
क्या आप रोज़ काम पर जाते थे?

Negative Interrogative Sentences
For converting these sentences into negative interrogative sentences the formula is that you add ‘Did’ at the start of the sentence, then the subject and then ‘not’ and the rest of the rule remains the same. The sentence ends with a question mark “?”.

Did + [subject] + not + verb (root form) + object(optional)?

Let us see some examples of interrogative sentences with the formula for Simple Past Tense when there is a second person involved:

1) Did you not study hard for exams?
क्या आपने परीक्षा के लिए कठिन अध्ययन नहीं किया?

 2) Did you not go to work everyday?
क्या आप रोज़ काम पर नहीं जाते थे?

Simple Past Tense Formula for Third Person Singular

The formula for Simple Past Tense when the Third Person is Singular  is that the sentence starts with He, She, Common noun or proper noun, then a verb in its 3rd form followed by an object which is optional.

So, we can say that the formula for Simple Past Tense for Third Person Singular is as follows: He/ She/ Common Nouns/ Proper Nouns + verb(3rd form)+ object (optional)

Let us see some example sentences with formula for Simple Past Tense when the Third Person is Singular:

1) He  studied hard for exams.
उन्होंने परीक्षा के लिए कड़ी मेहनत की।

2) Father went to work every day.
पिता रोज काम पर जाते थे।

3) Ram slept late on Saturdays.
राम शनिवार की देर रात को सोया था।

Interrogative Sentences
For converting these sentences into interrogative sentences the formula is that you add did  at the start of the sentence followed by He/ She/ Common Nouns/ Proper Nouns and the rest of the rule remains the same. The sentence ends with a question mark ‘?’.

Did + subject( He/ She/ Common Nouns/ Proper Nouns) + verb (root form) + object(optional)?

Let us see some examples of interrogative sentences with the formula for Simple Past Tense when the Third Person is Singular:

1) Did he study hard for exams?
क्या उसने परीक्षा के लिए कठिन अध्ययन किया?

2) Did father go to work everyday?
क्या पिता रोज काम पर जाते थे?

Negative Interrogative Sentences
For converting these sentences into negative interrogative sentences the formula is that you add ‘did’ at the start of the sentence, then the subject and then ‘not’ and the rest of the rule remains the same.

Did + [subject] + not + verb (root form) + object (optional)?

Let us see some examples of interrogative sentences with the formula for Simple Past Tense when the Third Person is Singular:

1) Did he not study hard for exams?
क्या उसने परीक्षा के लिए कठिन अध्ययन नहीं किया था?

2) Did  father not go to work everyday?
क्या पिता रोज काम पर नहीं जाते थे?

Simple Past Tense Formula for Third Person Plural

The formula for Simple Past Tense when the Third Person is Plural are that the sentence starts with ‘They’ or common nouns and ‘are’, then a verb in its 3rd  form followed by an object which is optional

So, we can say that the formula for Simple Past Tense for Third Person Plural is as follows: They/ Common Nouns + verb(3rd form)+ object (optional)

Let us see some example sentences with formula for Simple Past Tense when the Third Person is Plural:

1) They Studied hard for exams.
उन्होंने परीक्षा के लिए कठिन अध्ययन किया।

2) Boys went to work every day.
लड़के रोज काम पर जाते थे।

Negative Sentences
For converting these sentences into negative sentences the formula is that you add ‘did not’ before the verb and the rest of the rule remains the same.

They/ Common nouns + did not + verb (root form) + object (optional)

Let us see some examples of negative sentences with the formula for Simple Past Tense when the Third Person is Plural:

1) They did not study hard for exams
उन्होंने परीक्षा के लिए कठिन अध्ययन नहीं किया।

2) They did not go to work everyday.
वे रोज काम पर नहीं जाते थे।

Interrogative Sentences
For converting these sentences into interrogative sentences the formula is that you add ‘did’ at the start of the sentence followed by ‘They/ Common nouns’ and the rest of the rule remains the same.

did + [subject] + verb (root form) + object(optional)

Let us see some examples of interrogative sentences with the formula for Simple Past Tense when the Third Person is Plural:

1) Did they study hard for exams?

क्या उन्होंने परीक्षा के लिए कठिन अध्ययन किया?

2) Did they go to work everyday?
क्या वे रोज़ काम पर जाते थे?

Negative Interrogative Sentences
For converting these sentences into negative interrogative sentences the formula is that you add ‘did’ at the start of the sentence, then the subject and then ‘not’ and the rest of the rule remains the same.

did + [subject] + not + verb (root form) + object(optional)?

Let us see some examples of interrogative sentences with the formula for Simple Past Tense when the Third Person is Plural:

1) Did they not study hard for exams?
क्या उन्होंने परीक्षा के लिए कठिन अध्ययन नहीं किया था?

2) Did they not go to work everyday?
क्या वे रोज़ काम पर नहीं जाते थे?

Q. Translate the following sentences in simple past tense and check the answers that follow. 
1. मैंने बचपन में चॉक्लेट खाई।

2. राम डेली गया।

3. माँ ने बच्चे को प्यार किया ।

4. हम क्रिकेट खेलते थे।

5. हम ने सवाल हल किये।

 Answers:

1. I ate chocolate in my childhood.

2. Ram went to Delhi.

3. Mother loved the child.

4. We played cricket.

5. We solved the sums.