Past Simple Tense: Rules, Examples & Real Conversations | English Podcast

[00:00:00]Making [music] English easy for everyone.

[00:00:02]>> Speak English with Jay and May.

[00:00:05]>> Hey English learners, welcome back to Speak English with Jay and May. Your cozy little place to build your English confidence. I'm May.

[00:00:16]>> Hello May and hello everyone. I'm Jay.

[00:00:20]How are you today, May?

[00:00:21]>> I'm great, Jay. Actually, I'm feeling a little nostalgic today.

[00:00:27]>> Nostalgic? You mean like thinking about old memories?

[00:00:32]>> Exactly. This morning, I looked at some old photos from my childhood and that got me thinking about today's topic.

[00:00:41]>> Ooh, what is it?

[00:00:43]>> Today, we're talking about the past simple tense.

[00:00:47]>> Oh, the tense we use for the past?

[00:00:50]>> Yes, Jay. Simple as that. We use it when we talk about finished actions. Things that happened and finished already.

[00:01:00]>> Like, I ate breakfast or she called me?

[00:01:04]>> Perfect examples. See, you already know more than you think.

[00:01:09]>> I love when you say that.

[00:01:11]>> Okay, before we go deep, let's do something real quick.

[00:01:15]>> What's that?

[00:01:17]>> If this podcast helps you understand English better, please subscribe, hit that like button, and turn on notifications. It really helps us keep making these episodes for you.

[00:01:29]>> Yes, we make a new episode every single day, so don't miss out.

[00:01:35]>> Exactly. Okay, now let's dive in.

[00:01:39]>> I'm ready.

[00:01:40]>> So, Jay, tell me, what did you do yesterday?

[00:01:44]>> Um yesterday, I woke up late, I drank coffee, and I watched a movie.

[00:01:52]>> Perfect. You just used past simple three times without even trying.

[00:01:59]>> Wait, really? I didn't even think about grammar.

[00:02:02]>> That's the beautiful thing. Past simple is probably the tense you already use the most, even if you don't notice it.

[00:02:12]>> Okay, but how do we actually make it?

[00:02:14]Like the rule.

[00:02:16]>> Good question. For regular verbs, you just add ed to the end. Walk becomes walked, play becomes played, clean becomes cleaned.

[00:02:28]>> Oh, that sounds easy.

[00:02:30]>> It is easy, but um here's the twist.

[00:02:34]English also has irregular verbs. Verbs that don't follow this ed rule at all.

[00:02:41]>> Ugh, I knew there was a catch.

[00:02:45]>> [laughter] >> I know, I know. But don't worry. We learn them naturally through use. For example, go becomes went, not goed.

[00:02:56]>> Wait, that's so random. Why went?

[00:02:59]>> Honestly, English history is messy. Old English had many different verb patterns and some verbs kept their old unusual forms.

[00:03:09]>> So, it's like old habits that never changed.

[00:03:13]>> That's actually a really good way to think about it. Some verbs are like grandparents who still do things the old way.

[00:03:21]>> [laughter] >> I love that comparison.

[00:03:24]>> Other examples, eat becomes ate, see becomes saw, buy becomes bought.

[00:03:32]>> Okay, so there's no shortcut. We just have to remember them.

[00:03:36]>> Yes, but here's the good news. You already know many of them. You use went, saw, ate all the time in daily conversation. Your brain remembers them through repetition, not through memorizing lists.

[00:03:52]>> That actually makes me feel better.

[00:03:54]>> It should, because grammar isn't something you memorize like a math formula. It's something you absorb like music.

[00:04:03]>> Oh, I like that. Like music?

[00:04:06]>> Yes. Think about your favorite song. You didn't memorize the lyrics on purpose, right? You just heard it enough times and now you know it.

[00:04:16]>> True. I know all the words to songs I didn't even try to learn.

[00:04:20]>> Exactly the same with grammar patterns.

[00:04:23]The more you hear went, saw, did, the more natural they become.

[00:04:29]>> Okay, now here's a question. What about negative sentences? Like if I didn't do something.

[00:04:35]>> Great question. For negatives, we use did not or the short form didn't plus the base verb.

[00:04:44]>> The base verb? You mean like the original form?

[00:04:48]>> Exactly. So, instead of saying I didn't ate, we say I didn't eat.

[00:04:56]>> Oh, so the verb goes back to normal.

[00:04:59]>> Yes, because did already shows the past.

[00:05:03]You don't need to show it twice.

[00:05:05]>> That makes sense actually.

[00:05:07]>> Same thing with questions. Did you eat breakfast? Not did you ate breakfast.

[00:05:14]>> Got it. Did carries the past, so the verb stays simple.

[00:05:18]>> Exactly, Jay. You're getting this so fast today.

[00:05:22]>> Thank you, May.

[00:05:23]>> Now, let's talk about something fun.

[00:05:26]Real-life situations where past simple shines.

[00:05:31]>> Ooh, tell me.

[00:05:32]>> Imagine you're telling a friend a story about your weekend.

[00:05:36]>> Okay, imagining it.

[00:05:38]>> You'd say something like, "I went to the beach, I swam in the ocean, and I met some really interesting people."

[00:05:46]>> That's basically how everyone tells stories, right?

[00:05:49]>> Exactly. Storytelling is where past simple truly lives. It moves the story forward, action by action.

[00:05:57]>> Wait, here's a question. What if two things happened at the same time in the past?

[00:06:02]>> Oh, good one. Actually, that's usually where we use another tense called past continuous. But for now, let's stay focused on past simple because that's your foundation.

[00:06:14]>> Okay, deal.

[00:06:16]>> To be honest, most beginners overcomplicate grammar. They try to learn every tense before mastering the basics.

[00:06:24]>> I've done that before. I got confused with like five tenses at once.

[00:06:29]>> Exactly why we're taking it slow. Master past simple first. It's your storytelling tense. Once you're confident here, everything else becomes easier.

[00:06:40]>> That's actually really comforting.

[00:06:41]>> I mean it. Confidence comes from mastering the basics, not memorizing everything at once.

[00:06:48]>> Okay, can we do a fun example like imagine a scenario?

[00:06:52]>> Sure. Let's imagine this. You wake up one morning and you don't have your phone.

[00:06:58]>> Oh, no, my nightmare.

[00:07:00]>> [laughter] >> Right? So, how would you tell your friend the story?

[00:07:04]>> Um I'd say I woke up, I looked everywhere, I checked under my bed, and I finally found it in the kitchen.

[00:07:12]>> Perfect. You just told a full story using past simple naturally.

[00:07:17]>> Wow, I didn't even realize how natural that felt.

[00:07:20]>> That's the goal. Once you understand the pattern, using it becomes automatic.

[00:07:26]>> You mentioned irregular verbs earlier.

[00:07:28]Are there many of them?

[00:07:30]>> Actually, yes. There are around 200 common irregular verbs in English.

[00:07:36]>> 200? That's a lot.

[00:07:38]>> I know it sounds scary, but here's the secret. You don't need to memorize all 200 at once.

[00:07:45]>> Phew, okay.

[00:07:46]>> Just focus on the most common ones first. Go, see, eat, do, have, make, take, say, get, come.

[00:07:58]>> Those are words I use every day.

[00:08:00]>> Exactly. Learn the ones you use often and slowly add more over time.

[00:08:06]>> That feels way less overwhelming.

[00:08:08]>> Grammar should never feel like climbing a mountain in one step. It's more like taking small, steady steps every single day.

[00:08:17]>> I like that image.

[00:08:18]>> Now, here's something interesting. Have you ever noticed how past simple often uses specific time words?

[00:08:26]>> Time words? You mean like yesterday?

[00:08:29]>> Exactly. Words like yesterday, last week, last year, in 2020, 2 days ago.

[00:08:36]These words often show us we're in the past.

[00:08:39]>> Oh, so they're like signals.

[00:08:41]>> Yes, exactly like signals. When you hear these words, your brain should immediately think past simple time.

[00:08:50]>> That's such a helpful trick.

[00:08:52]>> For example, last week I traveled to a new city. Or, 2 years ago I graduated from school.

[00:09:00]>> Wait, here's the interesting part I want to ask. What if there's no time word at all?

[00:09:06]>> Good question. Sometimes context tells us. Like, if you're already talking about a story from the past, you don't need to repeat yesterday every single sentence.

[00:09:18]>> Oh, that makes sense. Like once we know we're in story mode, we stay there?

[00:09:24]>> Exactly, Jay. Once the context is set, the listener understands you're still in the past.

[00:09:31]>> This is where things start clicking for me.

[00:09:34]>> I'm so happy to hear that, because that's real understanding, not memorization.

[00:09:40]>> Okay, another question. What about pronunciation? Does -ed always sound the same?

[00:09:46]>> Oh, great question. Actually, no. The -ed sound changes depending on the last letter of the verb.

[00:09:55]>> Wait, really? Give me an example.

[00:09:57]>> Sure. Walked sounds like walked with a "t" sound, but played sounds like played with a "d" sound.

[00:10:07]>> Hmm, so it depends on the sound before it?

[00:10:11]>> Exactly. And sometimes -ed sounds like a full extra syllable, like in wanted, which sounds like want-ed.

[00:10:21]>> Whoa, that's actually pretty tricky.

[00:10:23]>> It takes practice, but your ear will slowly catch these patterns the more you listen to native speakers.

[00:10:30]>> I'll start paying more attention to that.

[00:10:32]>> Good idea. Listening is honestly one of the best ways to absorb these small details naturally.

[00:10:39]>> You know, I actually love how you explain grammar like it's a normal conversation, not a boring lecture.

[00:10:46]>> That's the whole point. Grammar shouldn't feel like homework. It should feel like understanding how people naturally speak.

[00:10:54]>> Okay, one more question. Can past simple be used for habits, too? Like something we used to do?

[00:11:01]>> Oh, interesting. Actually, yes, sometimes. For example, I played football every weekend when I was a kid.

[00:11:10]>> Oh, so it's like a repeated action, but still finished now?

[00:11:15]>> Exactly, because you don't play every weekend anymore, right? It's finished, even though it repeated many times in the past.

[00:11:25]>> That's such a clear way to think about it.

[00:11:28]>> To be honest, most learners get confused because they think grammar is about rigid rules, but really it's about the relationship between time and action.

[00:11:39]>> Time and action. I like that.

[00:11:42]>> Exactly.

[00:11:43]Past simple asks one simple question.

[00:11:47]Did this happen and is it finished?

[00:11:50]>> If yes to both, past simple.

[00:11:52]>> You got it, Jay.

[00:11:54]>> Okay, let's imagine one more scenario.

[00:11:57]What if I'm telling my friend about a bad day at work?

[00:12:01]>> Perfect example. Go ahead, try it.

[00:12:04]>> Um I woke up late, I missed my bus, I forgot my lunch, and then it started raining.

[00:12:12]>> [laughter] >> Oh no, what a day.

[00:12:16]>> But look, I used past simple the whole time without even thinking.

[00:12:20]>> See? This is exactly what I mean. Once you understand the logic, it becomes automatic, like breathing.

[00:12:28]>> I actually feel a lot more confident now.

[00:12:31]>> I'm so glad, Jay, because confidence in speaking comes from familiarity, not perfection.

[00:12:38]>> That's such an important reminder.

[00:12:41]>> Absolutely. Nobody speaks perfectly all the time, not even native speakers.

[00:12:47]>> Wait, really? Even you make mistakes?

[00:12:50]>> Of course. Everyone does sometimes. What matters is communication, not perfection.

[00:12:56]>> That's honestly really comforting to hear.

[00:12:59]>> I want every listener to remember that.

[00:13:02]Mistakes are part of learning, not something to fear.

[00:13:05]>> You know, I just thought of something.

[00:13:07]What about really short answers, like when someone asks a yes or no question?

[00:13:13]>> Ooh, good one. Actually, we have a nice shortcut for that, too. If someone asks, "Did you finish your homework?" you don't have to repeat the whole sentence.

[00:13:23]>> So, what do we say instead?

[00:13:26]>> You just say, "Yes, I did or no, I didn't.

[00:13:30]>> Oh, that's so much easier than saying the full sentence again.

[00:13:34]>> Exactly. English speakers love shortcuts like this in daily conversation. It sounds much more natural.

[00:13:42]>> Can you give me one more example?

[00:13:44]>> Sure. If someone asks, did she call you last night? You simply answer, yes, she did or no, she didn't.

[00:13:52]>> That's such a small thing, but it makes a huge difference in sounding natural.

[00:13:57]>> It really does. Little details like this are what separate textbook English from real everyday English.

[00:14:05]>> I want to sound like a real speaker, not a textbook.

[00:14:09]>> [laughter] >> Then just keep practicing these short answers. They'll become automatic very quickly.

[00:14:16]>> Okay, one more thing. What if I want to add emotion to my story? Like showing surprise or excitement.

[00:14:23]>> Great question. You can still use past simple just with extra expressive words.

[00:14:30]For example, I suddenly saw my old friend at the market.

[00:14:34]>> Oh, so the word suddenly adds the surprise.

[00:14:39]>> Exactly. Words like suddenly, finally or luckily add feeling to your past simple stories.

[00:14:47]>> That's such a simple trick to make stories more interesting.

[00:14:51]>> It really is. Grammar and emotion actually work together beautifully once you know how to combine them.

[00:14:58]>> This episode is honestly packed with so many useful tips today.

[00:15:03]>> I'm really glad you feel that way, Jay.

[00:15:05]That's exactly our goal here.

[00:15:07]>> Okay, before we finish, can you give listeners one final tip?

[00:15:12]>> Sure.

[00:15:13]>> [music] >> My tip is this. Practice by telling small stories about your day using past simple. Just three or four sentences.

[00:15:22]>> [music] >> That's it.

[00:15:23]>> Like, today I woke up, I drank coffee, and I listened to this podcast.

[00:15:29]>> [laughter] >> Exactly like that. Perfect example.

[00:15:33]>> I feel like I actually understand past simple so much better now.

[00:15:38]>> That makes me really happy to hear.

[00:15:40]>> [music] >> Remember, grammar isn't something to fear. It's simply a tool to help you express your story [music] clearly.

[00:15:47]>> Well said, May.

[00:15:49]>> All right, listeners. Before we go, we want to hear from you.

[00:15:53]>> Yes. Tell us in the comments what's one thing you did yesterday. Try writing it using past [music] simple.

[00:16:01]>> We'd love to read your sentences and cheer you on.

[00:16:04]>> If you enjoy learning with us, please subscribe and share this episode with a friend who's learning English, too.

[00:16:11]>> We hope you enjoyed this session. Don't forget, we're back [music] tomorrow with a brand new episode.

[00:16:17]>> Until then, keep practicing, keep speaking, and keep believing in yourself.

[00:16:22]>> [music] >> See you next time, English learners.

[00:16:24]>> Bye, everyone.

[00:16:28]>> [music]