[NEW] Tudo sobre o passado simples em inglês! – Mundo Educação | simple past – NATAVIGUIDES

   O simple past é utilizado para expressar a ideia de um passado acabado no momento presente da fala, por exemplo. Isso significa dizer que ele não possui nenhuma relação nem com o presente e nem com o futuro. Entende-se, portanto, que o passado simples refere-se às ações, às situações, aos eventos acabados.  

O tempo verbal simple past equivale ao nosso pretérito perfeito e, algumas vezes, ao pretérito imperfeito. Além dessa associação, outras estratégias podem auxiliar naaprendizagem adequada do passado simples. Nos tópicos a seguir, estudaremos o uso do passado simples e as suas principais regras. Let’s go! 

O passado simples é usado para falar de ações acabadas no passado.

Quando usar o simple past? 

Começaremos a resposta do tópico com outra pergunta: 

• What did you do yesterday? 
   O que você fez ontem? 

Se alguém lhe fizesse essa pergunta, provavelmente você contaria as atividades do dia anterior: se foi à escola, se foi ao trabalho, se comeu algo diferente, se chegou atrasado a algum lugar, se assistiu a uma série etc. Note que todos os elementos de sua resposta seriam ações já terminadas.  

Sabemos disso porque a pergunta é marcada pelo advérbio yesterday (ontem) e pelo elemento estrutural do passado: o verbo auxiliar did. Nesse sentido, podemos dizer que o passado simples assemelha-se ao nosso passado em português (pretéritos perfeito e imperfeito).  

Consequentemente, toda vez que você quiser expressar alguma coisa que aconteceu yesterday (ontem), a year ago (um ano atrás/ano passado), two weeks ago (há duas semanas/duas semanas atrás), last month (mês passado), você deve recorrer ao passado simples. 

Veja também: Past perfect: usos, sentido, estrutura 

Não pare agora… Tem mais depois da publicidade 😉

Principais regras do simple past 

Para usar corretamente o passado simples, precisamos entender a sua estrutura em diferentes frases, sejam elas afirmativas, negativas ou interrogativas. Em cada forma, observamos regras específicas de sintaxe, isto é, o uso do verbo auxiliar did (passado de do) e a sua posição na oração.  

• Simple past : forma afirmativa 

Ao formular uma frase no simple past afirmativa, deve-se ter em mente dois aspectos: os verbos regulares e os verbos irregulares. Não existe uma regra para saber se um verbo encaixa-se na primeira ou na segunda categoria. Apenas o uso frequente nos possibilita aprender quando o verbo é regular ou irregular. 

 TIP

Uma dica que facilita a aprendizagem dos verbos é criar a sua própria lista com os verbos no presente, traduzidos na frente, seguidos da forma no passado e, se possível, com alguma frase de exemplo:

• To watch (assistir) – watched:
  I watched a film yesterday.

Eu assisti a um filme ontem.

• To drink (beber) – drank:
  He drank soda at school.

Ele tomou refrigerante na escola.

Existem regras para a conjugação dos verbos regulares. De maneira geral, deve-se acrescentar –ed à forma-base do verbo no presente sem a partícula to. Por exemplo: 

• Talk – talked  
  Falar – falou  

• Miss – missed 
  Perder – perdeu 

Além disso, quando o verbo for regular, existem algumas regras ortográficas: 

• Se terminam em –e, basta adicionar –d.  

1. Smile – smiled  
   Sorrir – sorriu 

2. Die – died 
   Morrer – morreu 

3. Live – lived 
   Viver – morrer 

• Se terminam em consoante +y, retire o -y e adicione –ied.  

1. Study – studied 
   Estudar – estudou 

2. Marry – married 
   Casar – casou 

3. Try – tried 
   Tentar – tentou  

• Em verbos de uma/duas sílabas (última sílaba tônica) que terminam em vogal + consoante, basta dobrar a última consoante e adicionar –ed,  

1. Travel – travelled 
   Viajar – viajou 

2. Stop – stopped 
   Parar – parou 

3. Prefer – preferred 
   Preferir – preferiu 

• Mas para a maioria dos verbos regulares, basta adicionar –ed.  

1. Play – played 
   Jogar – jogou 

2. Look – looked 
   Olhar – olhou 

3. Work – worked 
   Trabalhar – trabalhou 

Quanto aos verbos irregulares, não existe uma regra ou um padrão de conjugação. O ideal é praticar para aprendê-los de maneira eficiente. Para ajudar, segue uma lista com os verbos irregulares mais comuns no passado simples. Have fun! 

Verbs 

Simple past 

Be (Ser/estar) 

Was/Were 

Break (Quebrar) 

Broke 

Bring (Trazer) 

Brought 

Choose (Escolher) 

Chose 

Come (Vir) 

Came 

Cut (Cortar) 

Cut 

Do (Fazer) 

Did 

Drink (Beber) 

Drank 

Drive (Dirigir) 

Drove 

Eat (Comer) 

Ate 

Feel (Sentir) 

Felt 

Find (Encontrar) 

Found 

Forget (Esquecer) 

Forgot 

Get (Pegar) 

Got 

Give (Dar) 

Gave 

Go (Ir) 

Went 

Have (Ter) 

Had 

Hear (Ouvir) 

Heard 

Know (Saber) 

Knew 

Leave (Deixar, Partir) 

Left 

Let (Deixar) 

Let 

Make (Fazer) 

Made 

Meet (Encontrar) 

Met 

Put (Colocar) 

Put 

Read (Ler) 

Read 

Run (Correr) 

Ran 

Say (Dizer) 

Said 

See (Ver) 

Saw 

Sleep (Dormir) 

Slept 

Speak (Falar) 

Spoke 

Spend (Gastar) 

Spent 

Swim (Nadar) 

Swam 

Take (Pegar) 

Took 

Teach (Ensinar) 

Taught 

Think (Pensar) 

Thought 

Tell (Contar) 

Told 

Throw (Jogar) 

Threw 

Understand (Entender) 

Understood 

Wake (Acordar) 

Woke 

Write (Escrever) 

Wrote 

Tendo em mente as questões específicas referentes aos verbos regulares e irregulares, já podemos abordar a estrutura da frase afirmativa no simple past. A estrutura e a ordem mantêm-se as mesmas, basta colocar o verbo principal (main verb) no passado:  

Subject + verb in the simple past + complement 

Sujeito + verbo no passado + complemento 

1. Pamela went to Paris last year.  
   Pamela foi para Paris ano passado. 

2. We studied all afternoon. 
   Nós estudamos a tarde toda. 

3. She was glad because you helped her. 
   Ela estava feliz porque você a ajudou.  

Com exceção do verbo to be, os verbos no passado não se flexionam, isto é, eles possuem a mesma forma para todas as pessoas: 

I, you, he, she, it, we, you, they went (passado do verbo go = ir). 

Leia também: Past continuous: ação incompleta no passado 

• Simple past: forma negativa  

Na forma afirmativa, sabemos que a frase está no passado, sobretudo porque o verbo principal termina em –ed ou tem uma forma irregular (went, drank, spoke, told). Na frase negativa, o inglês utiliza outra maneira para sinalizar que a frase está no passado. Nesse caso, é por meio do uso do verbo auxiliar did (passado de do). Enquanto auxiliar, do/did não tem tradução. Ele tem a função de indicar que a frase é negativa, por exemplo. Apenas isso! 

Todavia, se o verbo ocupa uma posição principal na oração, ele deve ser traduzido como fazer: 

1. She did exercises. 
   Ela fez exercícios. 

Agora, compare com as seguintes frases: 

1. She didn’t speak Italian (DID  NOT). 
   Ela não falava italiano. 

2. O verbo principal é speak.  

3. O verbo DID + NOT não tem sentido semântico. Ele é um auxiliar na frase. 

3. Observe que, quando temos um auxiliar na frase, o verbo principal speak volta para sua forma-base. Isso acontece porque a língua inglesa não é uma língua redundante. Logo, o passado é expresso apenas no auxiliar da frase negativa. 

4. Por último, didn’t é a forma contraída de did + not. Uma maneira mais informal de fazer a negação, sendo usada na fala. Em situações formais de escrita, recomenda-se o estilo sem a contração: she did not speak Italian.  

• Simple past: forma interrogativa 

Em perguntas, nós também utilizamos o auxiliar did. Dessa vez, com o objetivo de mostrar que a frase é uma interrogação. Basta colocar o verbo auxiliar no início da frase: 

1. Did you work last weekend?
   Yes, I did, / No, I didn’t. 

Você trabalhou no final de semana passado?
Sim, eu trabalhei. /Não, eu não trabalhei. 

2. Where did you buy this phone?  
   I bought it online. 

Onde você comprou este telefone?
Eu o comprei on-line. 

1. Os verbos principais são work e buy, respectivamente. 

2. Did deve vir no início da frase de uma pergunta do tipo yes/no, seguido do sujeito + verbo principal + complemento? 

3. Quando a pergunta inicia-se por um wh-question word (palavra interrogativa que se inicia por wh-), a ordem da pergunta é: wh-question word + did + sujeito + verbo principal + complemento: what did she tell you? (o que ela te falou/contou?) 

4. São exemplos de wh-question words: what/o que, qual, when/quando, where/onde, who/quem, which/qual. 

5. Observe que, em perguntas do tipo yes/no, podemos dar uma resposta curta. Já para as perguntas com wh-question words, as respostas precisam ser completas. 

6. O verbo principal volta para sua forma-base.  

Podemos resumir a estrutura das frases afirmativas, negativas e interrogativas da seguinte forma: 

Affirmative 

Negative 

Interrogative 

I 

You 

He 

She      spoke 

It 

We 

You 

They  

I 

You 

He 

She     didn’t speak 

It         (did not) 

We 

You 

They 

I 

You 

He 

Did   She      speak? 

It 

We 

You 

They 

Exercícios resolvidos 

Questão 1 (Mackenzie) 

Assinale a alternativa que corretamente preenche as lacunas I, II e III das frases a seguir: 

He __________(I) me a favor 2 months ago. 

They __________(II) an attempt to escape. 

I __________(III) an important decision last night. 

a) did –made – made 

b) made – did – made 

c) did – made – did 

d) made – made – made 

e) made – did – did 

Resolução 

A resposta correta é a letra a, porque, em inglês, falamos do a favour, make an attempt e make a decision. 

Questão 2 (UFRGS/adaptado) 

Complete a frase com a opção correta: 

 1- I did not see Paul. When I _____ the room he had already left. 

1. have entered 

2. enter 

3. entered 

4. am entering 

5. was entering 

Resolução 

A resposta correta é a letra c (entered) porque temos duas ações passadas. Uma aconteceu antes da outra. A ação he had already left (past perfect) aconteceu antes de entered, que é a segunda ação e, por isso, deve vir no passado simples.   

What Is the Simple Past Tense? (with Examples)

The simple past tense is used to describe a completed activity that happened in the past. In other words, it started in the past and ended in the past. For example:

• John

  baked

  a cake.

• They

  painted

  the fence.

A Video Summary

Here is a short video summarizing the simple past tense:

Theis used to describe a completed activity that happened in the past. In other words, it started in the past and ended in the past. For example:Here is a short video summarizing the simple past tense:

Infographic for the Simple Past Tense

Here is an infographic explaining the simple past tense:

Real-life Examples of the Simple Past Tense

Here are some real-life examples of the simple past tense:

• I

  saw

  the angel in the marble and

  carved

  until I

  set

  him free. (Italian sculptor Michelangelo)

• I

  asked

  God for a bike, but I know God doesn’t work that way so I

  stole

  a bike and

  asked

  for forgiveness.

Forming the Simple Past Tense

If you’re dealing with a simple past tense is formed like this:

Here is an infographic explaining the simple past tense:Here are some real-life examples of the simple past tense:If you’re dealing with a regular verb , theis formed like this:

base form of verb

+

“ed”

• jump > jumped
• paint > painted

However, there are some spelling rules.

Spelling Rules

If a verb of one syllable ends [consonant-vowel-consonant], double the final consonant and add “ed”:

• chat > chatted
• stop > stopped

If the final consonant is w, x, or y, don’t double it:

• sew > sewed
• play > played
• fix > fixed

If last syllable of a longer verb is stressed and ends [consonant-vowel-consonant], double the last consonant and add “ed”:

• incur > incurred
• prefer > preferred

If the first syllable of a longer verb is stressed and the verb ends [consonant-vowel-consonant], just add “ed”:

• open > opened
• enter > entered
• swallow > swallowed

If the verb ends “e”, just add “d”:

• thrive > thrived
• guzzle > guzzled

If the verb ends [consonant + “y”], change the “y” to an “i” and add “ed”:

• cry > cried
• fry > fried

Forming the Simple Past Tense of Irregular Verbs

If it’s an simple past tense is formed in all sorts of different ways. Here are some examples:

• break > broke
• catch > caught
• find > found
• see > saw

You just have to learn them.

Read more about irregular verbs (includes a list of the most common irregular verbs).

Using the Simple Past Tense

When making a statement, you can use the following word order:

However, there are some spelling rules.If a verb of one syllable ends [consonant-vowel-consonant], double the final consonant and add “ed”:If the final consonant is w, x, or y, don’t double it:If last syllable of a longer verb is stressed and ends [consonant-vowel-consonant], double the last consonant and add “ed”:If the first syllable of a longer verb is stressed and the verb ends [consonant-vowel-consonant], just add “ed”:If the verb ends “e”, just add “d”:If the verb ends [consonant + “y”], change the “y” to an “i” and add “ed”:If it’s an irregular verb , theis formed in all sorts of different ways. Here are some examples:You just have to learn them.When making a statement, you can use the following word order:

[subject]

+

[verb]

• The Martians

  landed

  near the aqueduct.

• The burglar

  used

  the fire escape.

The Negative Version

If you need the negative version, you can use the following word order:

If you need the negative version, you can use the following word order:

“did not”

+

base form of verb

• The Martians

  did not land

  near the aqueduct.

(We could have used “didn’t” instead of “did not.”)

• The burglar

  did not use

  the fire escape.

The Question Version

If you need to ask a question, you can use the following word order for a yes/no question:

If you need to ask a question, you can use the following word order for a yes/no question:

“did”

+

[subject]

+

base form of verb

• Did the Martians land

  near the aqueduct?

• Did the burglar use

  the fire escape?

You can use the following word order for a

You can use the following word order for a question-word question

[question word]

+

“did”

+

[subject]

+

base form of verb

• Why did the Martians land

  near the aqueduct?

• When did the burglar use

  the fire escape?

You can use the following word order for a choice question:

You can use the following word order for a choice question:

“did”

+

[subject]

+

base form of verb

+

choice A

+

or

+

choice B

• Did the Martians land near the aqueduct or the town?
• Did the burglar use the fire escape or the stairs?

The Simple Past Tense with Time Expressions

The simple past tense is often seen with a time expression explaining when the activity took place or how long it lasted.

Examples of “when an activity took place”:

• On Tuesday last week, the Martians

  landed

  near the aqueduct.

(“On Tuesday last week” tells you when it happened. It’s called an adverbial phrase of time. Other examples are”Yesterday,” “Last year,” “Before breakfast,”. They are really common. When any adverb appears at the front of a sentence, it is usual to follow it with a comma. A comma is not usually used when the adverbial phrase appears at the back of a sentence. NB: This is not a strict rule. Use a comma if it helps your reader.)

Read more about commas with adverbial phrases.

• The Martians

  landed

  near the aqueduct on Tuesday last week.

(Note: No comma)

• Just before he was caught, the burglar

  considered

  using the fire escape.

(“Just before he was caught” tells you when the activity took place.)

Examples of “how long an activity took”:

• Last week, the council

  inspected

  the drains.

(“Last week” tells you when it happened and for how long.)

• Her daughter

  hid

  under the bed for three hours.

(Using “for” is a common way of describing how long an activity lasted.)

Verb Tense Widget

Use this widget to learn about the different tenses. How do you use this widget? Well, if there’s a button, a drop-down menu, or a , then you can click it!

to

base form

(

verb)

verb)

Select the tenses.

Present Tenses

Simple Present Tense
The simple present tense is mostly used to describe facts and habits. More…(opens new tab)
I base form
you base form
he/she/it 3rd pers sing present
we base form
you base form
they base form

Present Progressive Tense
The present progressive tense is used for an ongoing action in the present.
More…(opens new tab)
I am present participle
you are present participle
he/she/it is present participle
we are present participle
you are present participle
they are present participle

Present Perfect Tense
The present perfect tense is used for actions that began in the past. (Often, the actions continue into the present.)
More…(opens new tab)
I have past participle
you have past participle
he/she/it has past participle
we have past participle
you have past participle
they have past participle

Present Perfect Progressive Tense
The present perfect progressive tense is used for a continuous activity that began in the past and continues into the present, or a continuous activity that began in past but has now finished (usually very recently).
More…(opens new tab)
I have been present participle
you have been present participle
he/she/it has been present participle
we have been present participle
you have been present participle
they have been present participle

Past Tenses

Simple Past
The simple past tense is used to describe a completed activity that happened in the past.
More…(opens new tab)
I past tense
you past tense
he/she/it past tense
we past tense
you past tense
they past tense

Past Progressive Tense
The past progressive tense is used to describe an ongoing activity in the past. Often, it is used to set the scene for another action.
More…(opens new tab)
I was present participle
you were present participle
he/she/it was present participle
we were present participle
you were present participle
they were present participle

Past Perfect Tense
The past perfect tense is used to emphasize that an action was completed before another took place.
More…(opens new tab)
I had past participle
you had past participle
he/she/it had past participle
we had past participle
you had past participle
they had past participle

Past Perfect Progressive Tense
The past perfect progressive tense is used to show that an ongoing action in the past has ended.
More…(opens new tab)
I had been present participle
you had been present participle
he/she/it had been present participle
we had been present participle
you had been present participle
they had been present participle

Future Tenses

Simple Future
The simple future tense is used for an action that will occur in the future.
More…(opens new tab)
I will base form
you will base form
he/she/it will base form
we will base form
you will base form
they will base form

Future Progressive Tense
The future progressive tense is used for an ongoing action that will occur in the future.
More…(opens new tab)
I will be present participle
you will be present participle
he/she/it will be present participle
we will be present participle
you will be present participle
they will be present participle

Future Perfect Tense
The future perfect tense is used to describe an action that will have been completed at some point in the future.
More…(opens new tab)
I will have past participle
you will have past participle
he/she/it will have past participle
we will have past participle
you will have past participle
they will have past participle

Future Perfect Progressive Tense
The future perfect progressive tense is used for an ongoing action that will be completed at some specified time in the future.
More…(opens new tab)
I will have been present participle
you will have been present participle
he/she/it will have been present participle
we will have been present participle
you will have been present participle
they will have been present participle

The Other Past Tenses

The simple past tense is one of four past tenses. This table shows all four of the past tenses:

Slider Showing All the Tenses

The following slider shows all 12

The simple past tense is often seen with a time expression explaining when the activity took place or how long it lasted.Use this widget to learn about the different tenses. How do you use this widget? Well, if there’s a button, a drop-down menu, or a, then you can click it!Theis one of four past tenses. This table shows all four of the past tenses:The following slider shows all 12 tenses . The simple past tense is highlighted with a yellow background.