We use the past simple tense in the following situations, when we talk about:
1. Completed actions in the past
- We ate out yesterday.
- We didn’t go out last Saturday.
- She moved to Japan three years ago.
Tip
We use the past simple when we know “when” the events happened.
2. Past habits or states or repeated actions
- She washed her hair every day.
- She worked as a nurse.
- I often played in the park when we were children.
- He really liked sport, and was very fit.
- When I was a child, I ate sweets every day.
- In school, I always played football during break time.
3. The things were true
- My grandfather had two brothers.
- He lived with my grandparents as a child.
4. Past events in chronological order
- When I arrived home, I took off my shoes and then I relaxed on the sofa.
- When she opened the door, she pretended that we weren’t there and she went to her room.
- He called me and told me to go, but when I arrived he wasn’t there.
References