SYNTAX - THE SIMPLE PAST

On My Vacation

Taking about vacation, let myself tell you about my last vacation. Last year, I went west to the mountain for a week. I went for a walk here and there at the spot. I sometimes walked ascend and descend in warm weather. Everything was beautiful and delightful. Thus I really got refreshing after working hard at campus.

But I just spent my vacation there for three days because I got a chance from a new friend to go to the beach. So I spent the rest days of my vacation at the beach. There I found plenty of people with the same way. We went for a walk along the sea-shore in the warm sunshine and watched the waves run after another toward the shore. We sometimes slept on the sand and made something on the sand. Some people went swimming, some just stood in the water playing with the ball and some were playing under many coconut trees and shady trees. They were dancing and singing songs about as if they were making a beach party.

Oblivious of works which they have done before their vacation. Everyone was cheerful. A day before my vacation was over, I went back home.

Hi guys, how are you? I haven’t posting something on this blog for a long time!

Nah now, did you see text in above? Do you know why I bold and underline the text?

I know you know. As you can see, in bold and underline text there words like: last year, went, walked, got, spent, found, watched, slept, made, stood, and to be was and were.

You must know that words are form of Tenses - Simple Past. Now, I want to tell you about it!

The Simple Past

The Simple Past is used to talk about activities or situation that began and ended in the past.

How to form The Simple Past:

1.       Check Auxilary, if any, only the first auxiliary that is changed into a Past Tense form.

2.      If there is no Auxiliary, check To Be, if  any, only To Be which is changed to the Past Tense form.

3.      If there is no Auxiliary or To Be, then the first verb is changed to a Past Tense form.

Example:

1.      Tomy will close his shop everyday.                      Tommy would close his shop yesterday.

2.      Dian is here everyday.                                            Dian was here two days ago.

3.      Allen speaks English everyday.                             Allen spoke Arabic yesterday,

4.      She watches TV program everynight.                   She watched TV program last night.

REMEMBER: in a simple sentence (single sentence) can only be one word in the form of Past Tense.

Information about Past Tenses Time:

1.      THIS                                                                       Morning – Afternoon - Evening

2.      YESTERDAY                                                        Morning -  Afternoon - Evening

3.      AMOUNT OF TIME + AGO                                Two days ago – Three months ago

4.      LAST + TIME                                                        Last week – Last month – Last year

Example:

1.      She calls me on the phone everyday.                   She called me on the phone this morning.

2.      Do you wear jeans everyday?                              Did you wear jeans yesterday morning?

3.      He is on the duty everynight.                               He was on the duty last night.

How To Form Past Tense Verbs

A.    REGULAR FORM

1.      Verb which ends with E only add D.

SIMPLE FORM	SIMPLE PAST	PAST PARTICIPLE	MEANING
LIKE	LIKED	LIKED	SUKA
CLOSE	CLOSED	CLOSED	MEMBEBASKAN
CHANGE	CHANGED	CHANGED	MENGGANTI

2.      One-tailed verbs that end in a single consonant that is preceded by a single vowel, then the consonant is doubled then added ED.

SIMPLE FORM	SIMPLE PAST	PAST PARTICIPLE	MEANING
SIP	SIPPED	SIPPED	MENGHIRUP
DROP	DROPPED	DROPPED	MENJATUHKAN
STOP	STOPPED	STOPPED	BERHENTI

3.      A two-word verb that has a single ending letter and is preceded by a single vowel, where the pressure falls on the second syllable, the ending letter must also be doubled (double) first, then added ED in the suffix.

SIMPLE FORM	SIMPLE PAST	PAST PARTICIPLE	MEANING
ADMIT	AD’MITTED	AD’MITTED	MENGAKUI
CON’TROL	CON’TROED	CON’TROED	MENGUASAI
TRAN’SFER	TRAN’SFERRED	TRAN’SFERRED	MEMINDAHKAN

4.      Verb ends in Y which is preceded by consonant, then Y is replaced with I then added ED.

SIMPLE FORM	SIMPLE PAST	PAST PARTICIPLE	MEANING
TRY	TRIED	TRIED	MENCOBA
STUDY	STUDIED	STUDIED	BELAJAR
IDENTIFY	IDENTIFIED	IDENTIFIED	MENGENAL

5.      Verb ending in addition to the above provisions is only added ED.

SIMPLE FORM	SIMPLE PAST	PAST PARTICIPLE	MEANING
CLEAN	CLEANED	CLEANED	MEMBERSIHKAN
MENTION	MENTIONED	MENTIONED	MENYEBUTKAN
REMIND	REMINDED	REMINDED	MENGINGATKAN

B.     IRREGULAR FORM

SIMPLE FORM	SIMPLE PAST	PAST PARTICIPLE	MEANING
ARISE	AROSE	ARISEN	BANGKIT
BITE	BIT	BITTEN	MENGGIGIT
COME	CAME	COME	DATANG
DO	DID	DONE	MELAKUKAN
EAT	ATE	EATEN	MAKAN
FLY	FLEW	FOWN	TERBANG
GIVE	GAVE	GIVEN	MEMBERIKAN
HEAR	HEARD	HEARD	MENDENGARKAN
LET	LET	LET	MEMBIARKAN
MEET	MET	MET	BERTEMU
RUN	RAN	RUN	BERLARI
SEE	SAW	SEEN	MELIHAT
THINK	THOUGHT	THOUGHT	BERFIKIR
WAKE	WOKE	WOKEN	BANGUN

ETC…………………………………………………………………………………………………