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Past Simple: Quando si usa e come si forma

Magazine grammatica inglese Mercoledì, 20 Luglio 2022

Past Simple: quando si usa e come si forma
Italiano

Quando si usa e come si forma il Past Simple

Il Past Simple è un tempo verbale fondamentale per la corretta comunicazione in inglese poiché viene costantemente usato.

Siamo fortunati, perché formare il passato in inglese è molto più semplice che in italiano, tuttavia qualche regola c’è ed è necessario conoscerla.

 

Quando si usa il past simple

In inglese si usa il Past Simple per parlare di un’azione finita nel passato e della quale, solitamente, sappiamo esattamente quando è successa.

Per esempio:

  • I played tennis on Saturday - Ho giocato a tennis sabato
  • She watched a film last night - Lei ha guardato un film ieri sera
  • We went to the beach last week - Siamo andati in spiaggia la settimana scorsa

 

Come si forma il past simple

Per formare il Past Simple si aggiunge -ed o -d alla forma infinita del verbo.

Per esempio:

  • decided
  • waited
  • watched
  • danced
  • moved
  • played

Per creare una frase negativa, usa il verbo ausiliare did + not nella sua forma contratta didn’t e il verbo all’infinito.

Per esempio:

  • I didn’t play football on Saturday - Non ho giocato a calcio sabato;
  • She didn’t cook dinner last night - Lei non ha preparato la cena ieri sera;
  • We didn’t go to the beach on Sunday - Non siamo andati in spiaggia domenica.

 

Per creare una domanda chiusa, cioè una domanda alla quale si può rispondere solo sì o no, usa l’ausiliare Did seguito dal soggetto e poi dal verbo all’infinito.

Per esempio:

  • Did you play tennis on Sunday? - Hai giocato a tennis Sabato?
  • Did she cook dinner last night? - Lei ha preparato la cena ieri sera?

 

Per creare una domanda aperta, cioè una domanda che prevede una risposta libera, si aggiunge una question word alla forma precedente.

Per esempio:

  • When did you play tennis? - Quando hai giocato a tennis?
  • What did she cook for dinner last night? - Cosa ha preparato per cena ieri sera?

 

È un po’ più chiaro come e quando si usa il Past Simple?

Ora sta a te! Metti in pratica ciò che hai imparato completando gli esercizi dedicati al past simple di seguito:

  1. Riscrivi i seguenti verbi al passato e prova a creare una frase
    • arrive
    • walk
    • open
    • change
    • talk

  2. Usa i verbi dell’esercizio precedente al Past Simple per completare le seguenti frasi.
    • The new clothes shop __________ last Saturday.
    • I ________ to the teacher yesterday.
    • We ___________ to the village last month.
    • She ___________ school in 2021.
    • They ___________ on the seafront every morning during the holiday.

  3. Ora rendi negative le frasi dell’esercizio precedente.
    • The new clothes shop _____________ last Saturday.
    • I _______________ to the teacher yesterday.
    • We ________________ to the party at 9pm.
    • She ________________ school in 2021.
    • They ________________ on the seafront every morning during the holiday.

  4. Ora prova a trasformare queste frasi in domande.
    • _______ the new clothes shop _______ last Saturday?
    • _______ you _______ to the teacher yesterday?
    • _______ you _______ to the party at 9pm?
    • _______ ____ _______ school in 2021?
    • _______ ____ _______ on the seafront on holiday?

  5. Infine, prova a rendere queste domande da chiuse (si o no) ad aperte.
    • When _______ the new clothes shop _______ ?
    • ______ _______ you ________ to the teacher?
    • What time _______ you _________ to the party?
    • _______ _______ she _______ school?
    • Where _______ they _______ on holiday?

 

 

English

When and How to use the Past Simple

The Past Simple is a verb tense which is key for a correct and accurate English communication, especially because it is constantly used.

We are lucky though, as making the Past Simple in English is much easier than making the past in Italian. Anyway there are some rules, and it’s important to know them.

In English use the Past Simple to talk about an action in the past which is finished, and usually we know when.

For example:

  • I played tennis on Saturday - Ho giocato a tennis sabato
  • She watched a film last night - Lei ha guardato un film ieri sera
  • We went to the beach last week - Siamo andati in spiaggia la settimana scorsa

 

To make the Past Simple add -ed or -d to the infinitive form of the verb.

For example:

  • decided
  • waited
  • watched
  • danced
  • moved
  • played

 

To make a negative sentence, use the auxiliary verb did + not in its contracted form didn’t and then the infinitive.

For example:

  • I didn’t play football on Saturday - Non ho giocato a calcio sabato;
  • She didn’t cook dinner last night - Lei non ha preparato la cena ieri sera;
  • We didn’t go to the beach on Sunday - Non siamo andati in spiaggia domenica.

 

To make a yes/no question, use the auxiliary did followed by the subject and then the verb in the infinitive.

For example:

  • Did you play tennis on Sunday? - Hai giocato a tennis Sabato?
  • Did she cook dinner last night? - Lei ha preparato la cena ieri sera?

 

For an open question, just add a question word to the previous construction.

For example:

  • When did you play tennis? - Quando hai giocato a tennis?
  • What did she cook for dinner last night? - Cosa ha preparato per cena ieri sera?

 

Did you understand when and how to use the Past Simple?

Now is your turn! Practise what you learned with the following exercises:

  1. Write the following verbs in the past simple, and try to invent a sentence.
    • arrive
    • walk
    • open
    • change
    • talk

  2. Use the verbs from exercise a. in the Past Simple to complete the following sentences.
    • The new clothes shop __________ last Saturday.
    • I ________ to the teacher yesterday.
    • We ___________ to the village last month.
    • She ___________ school in 2021.
    • They ___________ on the seafront every morning during the holiday.

  3. Make the sentences of exercise b. negative.
    • The new clothes shop _____________ last Saturday.
    • I _______________ to the teacher yesterday.
    • We ________________ to the party at 9pm.
    • She ________________ school in 2021.
    • They ________________ on the seafront every morning during the holiday.

  4. Turn the sentence of exercise b. into yes/no questions.
    • _______ the new clothes shop _______ last Saturday?
    • _______ you _______ to the teacher yesterday?
    • _______ you _______ to the party at 9pm?
    • _______ ____ _______ school in 2021?
    • _______ ____ _______ on the seafront on holiday?

  5. Finally, turn the questions from exercise d. into open questions by adding the appropriate question word when necessary.
    • When _______ the new clothes shop _______ ?
    • ______ _______ you ________ to the teacher?
    • What time _______ you _________ to the party?
    • _______ _______ she _______ school?
    • Where _______ they _______ on holiday?

 

 

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