Down in the past

Basic, but useful: the various uses of the past simple


Completed action in the past

We use the simple past to designate an action that started and stopped at a specific time in the past. Sometimes, the speaker may not actually mention the specific time, but they do have one specific time in mind.

I saw a movie yesterday.
Last year, I travelled to Japan.
Did you have dinner last night?


Same goes for a series of completed actions

He arrived from the airport at 8:00, checked into the hotel at 9:00, and met the others at 10:00.


Duration in the past

The simple past can be used to express a duration that starts and finishes in the past. A duration is a longer action often indicated by expressions such as all day, for five minutes, etc.

I lived in Brazil for two years.
They sat at the beach all day.
We talked on the phone for thirty minutes.


Habits in the past

The simple past is also used to describe a past habit, similar to the meaning of "used to." To make it clear that you're talking about a habit, you might add expressions such as always, often, usually, never, etc.

I studied French when I was a child.
He played the violin.
They never went to school, they always skipped class.


Past facts or generalisations

The simple past sometimes describes past facts or generalisations that are no longer true. Again, this use of the simple past is quite similar to the expression "used to."

She was shy as a child, but now she's very outgoing.
People paid much more to make phone calls in the past.


And finally, a useful reminder:

When-clauses happen first

Clauses aren't just jolly old men who invade shopping malls at Christmas time. They're also groups of words that have meaning but are often not complete sentences.

When I paid her one dollar, she answered my question.
She answered my question when I paid her one dollar.

When-clauses are important because they always happen first when both clauses are in the simple past. Both of the examples above mean the same thing: first, I paid her one dollar, and then, she answered my question. It's not important whether "when I paid her one dollar" is at the beginning or at the end of the sentence.

However, the example below has a different meaning. First, she answered my question, and then, I paid her one dollar.

I paid her one dollar when she answered my question.