English grammar · Class 6
The simple past
We use the simple past for an action that started and finished in the past, often with a time word such as yesterday, last week or in 2020. Regular verbs add -ed; many common verbs are irregular and have their own past form.
Foundation lesson (not tied to a printed syllabus list).
The rules
1. Regular verbs add -ed (or -d, or change y to -ied).
- walk → walked
- live → lived
- study → studied
2. Irregular verbs have their own past form — learn them as you meet them.
- go → went
- see → saw
- write → wrote
- buy → bought
3. Questions and 'not' use did, and the main verb goes back to its base form.
- Did you see the match?
- She did not (didn't) come yesterday.
4. Time words: yesterday, last night, two days ago, in 2019, when I was small.
- We visited Mysuru last year.
- I lost my pen two days ago.
Common mistakes
Did you went to the market?
Did you go to the market?
After did, use the base form of the verb.
Yesterday I buyed a book.
Yesterday I bought a book.
Buy is irregular: its past is bought.
He didn't came.
He didn't come.
After didn't, use the base form.
Practice
1. Last Sunday we ___ a film.
- (a) watch
- (b) watched
- (c) watching
- (d) are watching
Show the answer
(b) watched — 'Last Sunday' is finished past time: watched.
2. She ___ a letter to her grandmother yesterday.
- (a) writes
- (b) writed
- (c) wrote
- (d) written
Show the answer
(c) wrote — Write is irregular; its simple past is wrote.
3. ___ they finish the work on time?
- (a) Did
- (b) Do
- (c) Were
- (d) Does
Show the answer
(a) Did — A question about a finished past action uses Did + base verb.
4. I did not ___ the bus this morning.
- (a) missed
- (b) miss
- (c) misses
- (d) missing
Show the answer
(b) miss — After did not, use the base form: miss.
5. The past of 'study' is ___.
- (a) studyed
- (b) studied
- (c) studed
- (d) studies
Show the answer
(b) studied — Consonant + y: change y to i and add -ed: studied.
Made by Shishya (AI-assisted); every answer checked by hand when written. Topic list for Class 9 and 10 from the CBSE 2026-27 English syllabus.