Simple Past Tense 1

Forming the Simple Past Tense (Regular Verbs)

1. Introduction
The simple past tense is one of the most common tenses in English. Its form is the same with all subjects. It is usually formed by adding -ED to the verb. This page will explain the rules for forming the tense with regular verbs.

2. Forming the simple past tense
With most verbs, the simple past is created simply by adding -ED. However, with some verbs, you need to add -ES or change the ending a little. Here are the rules:

Verb ending in... How to make the simple past Examples
e Add - live - lived
date - dated
Consonant + y Change y to i, then add -ED try - tried
cry - cried
One vowel + one consonant Double the consonant, then add -ED tap - tapped
commit - committed
[anything else] Add -ED boil - boiled
fill - filled
hand - handed