Simple Past

We use the simple past to talk about actions and states which we see as completed in the past.a

We can use it to talk about a specific point in time.a

She came back last Friday.a
I saw her in the street.a
They didn't agree to the deal.a

It can also be used to talk about a period of time in the past.a

She lived in Tokyo for seven years.a
They were in London from Monday to Thursday of last week.a
When I was living in New York, I went to all the art exhibitions I could.a

You will often find the simple past used with time expressions such as these:a

Yesterday
three weeks ago
last year
in 2002
from March to June
for a long time
for 6 weeks
in the 1980s
in the last century
in the past

Use 1 Completed Action in the Past

Use the Simple Past to express the idea that an action started and finished at a specific time in the past.a

I saw a movie yesterday.a

Did you have dinner last night?a

When did the train leave?a

Tom lived in India

Use 2 Duration in Past

The Simple Past can be used with a duration which starts and stops in the past. Duration is a longer action often indicated by expressions such as: for two years, for five minutes, all day, all year, etc.a

I lived in India for two years.a

He studied English for five years.a

We talked on the phone for thirty minutes.a