The past indefinite tense, also known as the simple past tense, is a verb tense that is used to describe actions or events that occurred in the past and have been completed. It is used to describe past habits, past facts, or past generalizations. The past indefinite tense is formed by adding -ed to regular verbs or by using the second form of irregular verbs.
For example:
- I walked to the store. (regular verb)
- She ate a sandwich. (irregular verb)
In each of these examples, the verb “walked” and “ate” are in the past indefinite tense because they describe actions that occurred in the past and have now been completed.
Formation of Past Indefinite
#1. The Past Indefinite is formed by adding – ed or – d to the stem (regular verbs), or by changing the root vowel, or in some other ways (irregular verbs).
#2. The interrogative and the negative forms are formed by means of the Past Indefinite of the auxiliary verb to do (did) and the infinitive of the notional verb without the particle
| Affirmative | Interrogative | Negative |
|---|---|---|
| I worked (wrote)
He worked (wrote) She worked (wrote) We worked (wrote) You worked (wrote) They worked (wrote) |
Did I work (write)?
Did he work (write)? Did she work (write)? Did we work (write)? Did you work (write)? Did they work (write)? |
I did not work (write)
He did not work (write) She did not work (write) We did not work (write) You did not work (write) They did not work (write) |
#3. The contracted negative forms are:
I didn’t work
She didn’t work
#4. The negative-interrogative forms are:
Did you not work? = Didn’t you work?
Use of the Past Indefinite
The Past Indefinite denotes an action performed within a period of time that is already over. The action is cut off from the present. The time of the action may be indicated by adverbials of past time, such as yesterday, a week ago, last year, etc.
The sun came out a moment ago.
Miss Helstone stayed the whole evening. (Ch. Bronte)
Ellen breakfasted two hours ago, and then went out walking with the dog. (Pinero)
The Past Indefinite is used to denote:
#1. an action performed in the past
We entered Farmer Ridley’s meadow in silence. (Marryat)
#2. a succession of past
He threw down his spade and entered the house. (Ch. Bronte)
#3. repeated actions in the past
He made an entry in his diary every night. (Bennett)
Use of “Used to” in Past Indefintie
Repeated actions are often expressed by used to + Infinitive and would + Infinitive. Used to is more colloquial and would is more literary.
Every afternoon, when the children came from school, they used to go and play in the Giant’s garden. (Wilde)
When fits of melancholy came upon him, he would spend all days locked in his room. (E. Bronte)
Sometimes used to does not denote repeated actions, but actions characterizing a person or actions or states which lasted a long time.
The Reed used to like the rain. (Wilde)
There used to be an old oak-tree near the house.