Learn Past Indefinite Tense with the help of definition, formulas, recognition, examples, rules, and exercises.
Past Indefinite Tense | How to Learn with Formulas Examples
STEP – I
Past = passed/gone
Indefinite = that is for unknown length of time
Tense = time period/verb
Present Indefinite Tense = any action happened for unknown length of time in past times
STEP-II
Definition of Past Indefinite Tense:
In this tense anything is done, happened or borne in just past times.
Recognition of Past Indefinite Tense in English:
S + 2nd form of Verb + O
They did their duty.
First of all, subject is placed at the start of sentence then 2nd form of verb and object at the end with full stop.
Examples:
* 2nd V=Second form of verb
S + 2nd V + O
| S | IIV | O |
| He | ate | bread |
| S | IIV | O |
| Moosa | ate | food |
| S | IIV | O |
| I | went | England |
Note:In this tense, we will not add “s” or “es” at the end of verb.
STEP – III
Exercise:
| S | IIV | O |
| We | played | cricket |
We played cricket.
| S | IIV | O |
| You | drove | a car |
You drove a car.
STEP – IV
Negative Sentence of Past Indefinite Tense:
To make a sentence negative, add only “did not“right after subject. Let us formulate it.
S + did not+1V +O
Remember, after adding ‘did not’, it is compulsory to change the 2nd form of the verb 1st form.
| S | did not | 1V | O |
| He | did not | go | school |
He did not go to school.
| S | did not | 1V | O |
| Ali and Amir | did not | tell | a lie |
Amir and Ali did not tell a lie.
STEP -V
Interrogative Sentence of Past Indefinite Tense:
To make a sentence interrogative, add “did” right before subject. Let us formulate it.
Did + S + 1V + O + ?
| Did | S | 1V | O? |
| Did | Aamir | go | market? |
Did he go to the market?
| Did | S | 1V | O? |
| Did | they | do | homework? |
Did they do homework?
STEP -VI
Interro-Negative Sentence of Past Indefinite Tense:
To make a sentence interro-negative, add “did” right before the subject of a negative sentence and put sign of interrogation at the end. Let us formulate it.
S + + 2nd V + O (Simple)
S + did not +1V + O (-ve)
Now Interronegative Sentence
Did + S+not +1V + O?
| Did | S | not | 1V | O? |
| Did | they | not | go | school? |
Did they not go school?
Both the ‘did not’ and ‘first form of the verb’ express the meanings of past tense/past participle/second form of the verb.
| Did | S | not | 1V | O? |
| Did | they | not | do | homework? |
Did they not do homework?
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