Past simple

1.      Forms of Past simple

Positive	[Verb]+ed/d or Second form (irregular verbs) eg. I called you yesterday.       He always caught the same train.
Negative	did+ not+[Verb] eg. I did not work for the police.        She did not like muffins until now.
Interogative	Did  + Subject+ [Verb]? eg. Did you sell the car?        Did she buy the dress?

     2.We use Past simple with:

Use	E.g.	Ex.
ü  to talk about a action started and finished in the past.	I went to Cluj yesterday.	Ieri am fost in Cluj.
ü  to talk about a series of actions in the order that they happended.	He arrived from the airport at 8:00, checked into the hotel at 9:00, and met the others at 10:00.	El a ajuns la hotel la ora 8, s-a cazat la hotel la ora 9 si s-a intalnit cu ceilalti la ora 10.
ü  to talk about past repeated actions (Habits)	When she was a child,she always visited her grandparents after school.	Cand era copil, mereu isi vizita bunicii dupa scoala.
ü  to talk about an action that lasted for a period time in the past	Bill Murphy worked for the police force for over 17 years.(=now he is retired).	Bill Murphy a lucrar pentru politie pentru mai bine de 17 ani.(=acum este pensionar).

     3.Time expressions used with Past simple:

English		Romanian
Time Expression	Example	Expresie temporara	Exemplu
Yesterday	I called you yesterday.	Ieri	Te-am sunat ieri.
Two Hours/days/weeks/months/years ago	I moved in Spain three years ago.	Acum doua ore/zile/saptamani/luni/ani	M-am mutat in Spania acum trei ani.
Last week/year/etc	Alina passed the exam last week.	Saptamana/Anul/etc trecut	Alina a trecut examenul saptamana trecuta.
Then	She closed the door, then she heard a noise.	Apoi	A inchis usa, apoi a auzit un zgomot.
When	When she closed the door, she heard a noise.	Cand	Cand a inchis usa, a auzit un zgomot.
In 1992	Janet first visited Russia in 1992.	In 1992	Janet a vizitat Rusia pentru prima data in 1992.