Questions in the Simple Past Tense

When making a question using the simple past, you will have to use did just as you learned to use do with the simple present tense.

SIMPLE PRESENT:

Statement:
--They accept credit cards.
Question:
--Do they accept credit cards?

SIMPLE PAST:

Statement:
--They accepted credit cards last year.
Question:
--Did they accept credit cards last year?

When using did in a question, the main verb will be in the infinitive form, not the simple past tense.

NOTE: For a negative question in the past, use didn"t.

--Didn"t you get my letter?

--Didn"t they come?

Past Tense: The Simple Past and the Past Participle

Use the simple past tense when you are talking about something that happened at one particular time in the past (i.e., the event began and ended in the past). Normally, there is a reference to past time (yesterday, last night, etc.):

--I knew your aunt when she was young.
--Yesterday, they bought a car.
--We rented a car last week.
--He saw the U.S. Capitol while he was in Washington.

For many verbs, just add the ending -ed to the verb to make it simple past:

borrow-->borrowed
close-->closed
open-->opened
cash --> cashed.

Here are some rules for making the simple past tense of regular verbs:

1. Verbs ending in -e, add -d (hope --> hoped)

2. Verbs ending in a vowel and a consonant:

A. For one-syllable verbs having a single vowel, double the consonant ending:

stop-->stopped
rob-->robbed

B. For one-syllable verbs having two vowels, just add -ed:

rain-->rained
dreamed-->dreamed (also, dreamt)

C. For two-syllable verbs, in which the first syllable is stressed, just add -ed:

listen-->listened

D. For two-syllable verbs, in which the second syllable is stressed, double the consonant ending as you did for 1. above:

prefer-->preferred
control -->controlled

3. Verbs ending in -y. If the -y is preceded by a vowel, keep the -y (enjoyed, prayed); if the -y is preceded by a consonant, change the -y to -i and add -ed:

try-->tried
study-->studied

4. Verbs ending in -ie, add -d:

die-->died

5. Verbs ending in two consonants, just add the ending -ed.
NOTE: For regular verbs the form of the simple past is also the form of the past participle!!
 

The Relative Pronouns Who/Which/That

Who, which and that are relative pronouns. They are usually used in dependent clauses introduced by a main clause:

--I tipped the waiter who (that) served us.
--We thanked the people who (that) helped us.

Note that in the above two examples who and that are substituted for one another. Even though who is more grammatically correct than that in reference to a person or persons, that is heard often in speech.

Who is used only for people. That can be used to refer to a person or thing. Which is used only for things:

--The car, which we rented, doesn"t work

Using Where

Earlier in this course, you learned how to use where in questions:

--Where are you going?

Where can also be used in a dependent clause:

--I see the house where they live.

In the latter example, where is used to refer to a place, such as a city, state, country, room, etc.

NOTE: In dependent clauses, where can be replaced with in which, which ... in, that ... in, or nothing at all:

--The building where they work is new.
--The building in which they work is new.
--The building, which they work in, is new.
--The building that they work in is new.
--The building they work in is new.

Using Whose

Whose is used to show possession. It has the same meaning as other possessive adjectives such as his, hers, its, their, etc.

--There"s the man whose house we bought.

--I have a book whose story is fascinating.

Whose modifies people but can also be used with things.

You should learn how to combine short sentences using whose:

--The woman is a talented artist. I saw her paintings.

-- The woman whose paintings I saw is a talented artist.