1. Description of Simple Past Tense Simple past tense is one of the tenses used in communication.

To describe it, the writer would explain some cases, as follows; definitions, forms, and uses of simple past
tense. a. Definitions of Simple Past tense In mastering simple past tense, we must know its definition.
There are some definitions of simple past tense from some experts, as follows: 1) According to Hornby
(1975:85), Simple past tense is to indicate activities or states in the past, without indicating any
connection the present. 2) According to hewings, martin (1999: 6), We use the past simple for
situation that existed for a period of time in the past, but not now. 3) According to Azar, Betty
Schrampfer (2002: 27), The simple past indicates that an activity or situation began and ended at a
particular time in the past. Based on the explanations above, the writer concludes that simple past tense
is a verb form to indicate activities or situations that happen at a particular time in the past. b. Forms of
Simple Past Tense There are some forms of simple past tense. According to Thomson, A.J. and A.V.
martinet (1986: 116) state 1) Be as an auxiliary verb: Affirmative Negative Interrogative I was I was not/
wasnt Was I ? You were You were not/ werent Were you? He/ She/ It was He/ She/ It was not/ wasnt
Was He/ She/ It? We were We were not/ werent Were we? They were They were not/ werent Were
they? Negative Interrogative: was I not/ wasnt I? Were you not/ werent you? Was not/ wasnt he? Etc.
2) Regular verb a) The simple past tense in regular verbs is formed by adding ed to the infinitive:
Infinitive : to work Simple past : worked b) Verbs ending in e add d only: Infinitive : to loved Simple
past : loved c) The same form is used for all persons: Example: I worked You worked He worked Etc.
d) The negative of regular and irregular verbs is formed with did not (didnt) and the infinitive: I did not/
didnt work You did not/ didnt work Etc. e) The interrogative of regular and irregular verbs is formed with
did + subject + infinitive: Example: Did I work? Did you work? Etc. f) Negative interrogative Example:
Did you not/ didnt you work? 3) Irregular verb These vary considerably in their simple fast form:
Infinitive : to eat, to leave, to see, to speak Simple past : ate, left, saw, spoke The
simple past form of each irregular verb must therefore be learnt, but once this is done there is no other
difficulty, as irregular verbs (like regular verbs) have no inflexions in the past tense. Based on explanation
above, the writer concludes that the forms of simple past tense are affirmative, negative, interrogative,
and negative interrogative forms, as follows: 1) Affirmative forms Examples: You worked hard last night
Bill and jill were busy last week 2) Negative forms Examples: We didnt play football yesterday Terry
wasnt sick last week 3) Interrogative forms (a) Using yes/ no questions Examples: Did you study english
last night? Was John in Bali last year? (b) Using WH-Questions Examples: Why did she visit her uncle
yesterday afternoon? What time were they in the restaurant last night? 4) Negative interrogative forms
(a) Using yes/ no questions Example: Didnt they play basket ball last Saturday? Wasnt Sania here last
night? (b) Using WH-Questions Example: Why didnt you stay at home last Saturday night? Why wasnt
Mela in her room yesterday? There are time signals used in simple past tense, as follows: Just
now Last Monday This morning Last
week/month/year Yesterday Three days ago The day before
yesterday A few weeks ago Last night many years ago, etc.
(Lado, M.J., 2005: 2-3)

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