The Past Simple Lesson
We use the past simple to talk about actions and states which we see as
completed in the past.
We can use it to talk about a specific point in time.
She came back last Friday. / Ella vino el pasado viernes.
I saw her in the street. / La ví en la calle.
They didn't agree to the deal. / Ella no estaba de acuerdo con el trato.
It can also be used to talk about a period of time.
She lived in Tokyo for seven years. / Ella vivió en Tokyo siete años.
They were in London from Monday to Thursday of last week. / Ellos estuvieron en Londres desde el Lunes hasta el Jueves la semana pasada.
When I was living in New York, I went to all the art exhibitions I could. / Cuando estaba viviendo en New Jork, fui a todas las exibiciones que pude.
You will often find the past simple used with time expressions such as
these:
yesterday / ayer.
three weeks ago / hace tres semanas.
last year / el año pasado.
in 2002 / en el 2002
from March to June / de Marzo a Junio.
for a long time / hace mucho tiempo.
for 6 weeks / por tres semanas
in the 1980s / en los años ochenta.
in the last century / la última decada.
in the past / en el pasado.
