Past Indefinite Tense Rules, Structure & Examples: Rohan sat on the last bench, staring at his English answer sheet like it was a warning letter. His teacher had just returned the test papers, and when she called his name, the whole class suddenly felt silent. “Rohan… 11 out of 30.” That number didn’t just look bad, it felt heavy. He didn’t even open his paper properly because deep down he already knew the reason—he understood the chapter, but he didn’t understand the tense.
In the same test, one sentence changed everything. “I ____ to school yesterday.” Rohan wrote “go” without thinking. Another question was, “Did you finish your classwork?” but while writing the answer, he made a silly mistake and wrote, “Yes, I did finished.” He thought that because the question had “did,” the answer should also have “did” with a past verb. That one extra word ruined the sentence, and it made him feel like his English was falling apart. After class, he walked home quietly, replaying the same thought in his mind: “I know what I mean… but why can’t I write it correctly?”
I think like Rohan, you must have faced the same problem. Therefore today in this article, I’ll teach you Past Indefinite Tense in a way that feels real, practical, and finally clear—with rules, structures, and examples that you can use in your exams and daily speaking.
Table of Contents
Past Indefinite Tense Rules & Examples
What is Past Indefinite Tense?
Past Indefinite Tense (also called Simple Past Tense) is used to talk about actions that happened in the past, finished in the past, and have no connection with the present time.
It answers questions like:
- What happened yesterday?
- What did you do last night?
- When did the event occur?
Example:
Rohan studied for two hours.
(This action started and finished in the past.)
When to Use Past Indefinite Tense (Real-Life Uses)
-
Finished action in the past
- I met him yesterday. -
Action done at a specific time in the past
- Rohan woke up at 6 AM. -
A sequence of past actions
- He opened the book, read the chapter, and noted the points. -
Past habits (often with “used to”)
- Rohan played cricket every evening. -
Past events or experiences
- We visited Delhi last year.
Key Time Words
Past indefinite tense is often used with these words:
- yesterday
- last night / last week / last year
- ago (two days ago)
- in 2019
- on Monday
- at that time
- once / then
Example: I completed the work two hours ago.
Past Indefinite: Verb Types You Must Know
1) Regular Verbs (add -ed / -d)
- play → played
- clean → cleaned
- finish → finished
2) Irregular Verbs (no fixed rule)
- go → went
- eat → ate
- write → wrote
- buy → bought
- take → took
This is why students lose marks: they don’t memorize irregular verbs properly.
Past Indefinite Tense Structure (Formula)
Past Indefinite Tense Affirmative (Positive) Sentences
Structure: Subject + V2 (past form) + Object + (time)
Positive Sentence Examples
- Rohan completed his homework yesterday.
- I met my teacher in the morning.
- She cooked dinner last night.
- They played football after school.
- We visited our grandparents last Sunday.
- The train arrived late yesterday.
- He bought a new pen yesterday.
- Rohan forgot his notebook at home.
- I watched a movie two days ago.
- The students answered all the questions correctly.
Past Indefinite Tense Negative Sentences
Structure: Subject + did not + V1 (base form) + Object + (time)
Important rule: After did not, always use V1, not V2.
Negative Sentence Examples
- Rohan did not complete his homework yesterday.
- I did not meet him in the evening.
- She did not cook food last night.
- They did not play outside yesterday.
- We did not visit the museum last week.
- The bus did not arrive on time.
- He did not buy a new book yesterday.
- Rohan did not forget the lesson this time.
- I did not watch TV last night.
- The students did not understand the first question.
Quick exam trick: If you see Did, the verb must be V1.
Past Indefinite Tense Interrogative Sentences
Structure: Did + Subject + V1 + Object + (time)?
Important rule: After did, always use V1.
Interrogative Sentence Examples (Yes/No)
- Did Rohan complete his homework yesterday?
- Did you go to school on Monday?
- Did she cook dinner last night?
- Did they play cricket yesterday?
- Did we meet the principal yesterday?
- Did the train arrive late?
- Did he buy a new pen?
- Did Rohan forget his notebook?
- Did you watch the match last night?
- Did the students solve the problem?
Quick exam trick: If you see Did, the verb must be V1.
WH-Questions in Past Indefinite Tense
WH-words you can use: What, Where, When, Why, Who, Whom, Which, How
Structure: WH-word + did + Subject + V1 + Object?
WH Question Examples
- What did Rohan write in his notebook?
- Where did you go yesterday?
- When did she arrive at the school?
- Why did Rohan miss the class?
- Who did you meet in the market?
- Which book did Rohan choose for reading?
- How did you solve this question?
- What time did the match start?
- Where did the students sit during the test?
- Why did he leave early yesterday?
Common Mistakes Students Make
Mistake 1: Using V2 after did
- Did you went to school?
- Did you go to school?
Mistake 2: Using “was/were” with verb
- I was went to market.
- I went to market.
- I was in the market. (here “was” is okay because it’s not an action verb)
Mistake 3: Wrong negative verb form
- I did not went.
- I did not go.
Practical Advice
Every night before sleeping, write 5 sentences about your day in Past Indefinite Tense and speak them aloud once. First write 5 positive sentences (I went…, I studied…, I met…), then change the same sentences into negative (I did not go…, I did not study…), and then make questions (Did I go…?). This 10-minute daily habit will train your brain automatically, and within a few days you will stop making common mistakes like using V2 after “did.” If you stay consistent for just 7 days, you will feel that your grammar is improving, and your confidence in writing and speaking will increase naturally.
Final Words
Past Indefinite Tense may look small, but it has the power to change your English completely. Once you understand one simple idea—past actions are finished, and “did” always takes the base verb—your sentences start becoming naturally correct. The best part is, you don’t need to be perfect from day one. You just need to practice a little every day with real-life examples, like what you did yesterday, where you went, and what you learned. Slowly, your fear in tenses disappears, your confidence grows, and English stops feeling like a subject and starts feeling like a skill you truly own. Keep practicing, stay patient, and remember, every correct sentence you write is one step closer to fluent, accurate English.
Fill in the Blanks with Correct Verb Form
- I ____ to the market yesterday. (go)
Answer: went - Rohan ____ his homework last night. (complete)
Answer: completed - They ____ a football match on Sunday. (play)
Answer: played - She ____ a delicious cake for her brother. (bake)
Answer: baked - We ____ our grandparents last week. (visit)
Answer: visited - He ____ late to school yesterday. (come)
Answer: came - I ____ my keys on the table. (keep)
Answer: kept - Rohan ____ the teacher’s question quickly. (answer)
Answer: answered - The train ____ at 7 PM yesterday. (arrive)
Answer: arrived - My father ____ a new mobile last month. (buy)
Answer: bought - She ____ a beautiful song in the competition. (sing)
Answer: sang - We ____ lunch at a small restaurant. (eat)
Answer: ate - He ____ his bicycle to school. (ride)
Answer: rode - I ____ my best friend after a long time. (meet)
Answer: met - Rohan ____ the chapter carefully before the test. (read)
Answer: read
