Past Indefinite Tense with 100 Practical Examples

 The Past Indefinite Tense (also called the Simple Past Tense) is used to describe actions or events that happened and were completed in the past, without any connection to the present.

Structure:

  • Affirmative: Subject + past form of the verb
    • Example: She played soccer yesterday.
  • Negative: Subject + did not + base form of the verb
    • Example: They did not go to the party.
  • Interrogative: Did + subject + base form of the verb?
    • Example: Did you watch the movie?
A teacher guiding a student through a worksheet filled with simple past tense verbs like “went,” “saw,” and “played,” with a chalkboard showing example sentences
The past indefinite tense (simple past) is used to describe actions that happened and were completed in the past. It’s formed by using the past form of the verb. These 100 examples show how it’s used in everyday situations and storytelling.

100 Examples of Past Indefinite Tense

1. Affirmative Sentences:

  1. I visited Paris last summer.
  2. She watched the movie yesterday.
  3. They played football in the park.
  4. He bought a new car last week.
  5. We finished our homework on time.
  6. She read that book two days ago.
  7. I traveled to Spain last year.
  8. He met his friend at the café.
  9. They won the game by two points.
  10. We celebrated her birthday last night.
  11. She cooked dinner for the family.
  12. I wrote a letter to my friend.
  13. He cleaned his room yesterday.
  14. They danced all night at the party.
  15. We watched the sunset by the beach.
  16. She drove to work this morning.
  17. I studied for the exam last night.
  18. He called his mother after work.
  19. They traveled to Italy in 2020.
  20. We saw a beautiful rainbow.
  21. She sang at the concert last week.
  22. I ran 5 kilometers yesterday.
  23. He played the guitar at the party.
  24. They organized the event perfectly.
  25. We visited the museum on Saturday.
  26. She painted the walls blue.
  27. I attended the meeting yesterday.
  28. He watched the football match last night.
  29. They took the bus to school.
  30. We bought some groceries at the store.
  31. She taught math to the students.
  32. I cooked dinner for my friends.
  33. He sang his favorite song at karaoke.
  34. They explored the ancient ruins.
  35. We enjoyed the concert.
  36. She decorated the house for Christmas.
  37. I helped my brother with his homework.
  38. He fixed his bike after school.
  39. They built a treehouse in the garden.
  40. We played chess all evening.
  41. She listened to music all afternoon.
  42. I visited my grandparents last weekend.
  43. He wrote a poem for his class.
  44. They danced in the rain.
  45. We went to the beach last summer.
  46. She bought a new dress yesterday.
  47. I slept for 8 hours last night.
  48. He drove to the countryside.
  49. They took a tour of the city.
  50. We enjoyed the festival last weekend.
  51. She watched a documentary on TV.
  52. I finished my project last week.
  53. He spoke at the conference last month.
  54. They won the championship last year.
  55. We played video games all night.
  56. She read a book about space exploration.
  57. I studied biology in college.
  58. He swam in the lake last summer.
  59. They visited their relatives in the countryside.
  60. We traveled to Japan in 2019.
  61. She baked a cake for her birthday.
  62. I learned to play the piano as a child.
  63. He built a sandcastle on the beach.
  64. They attended the concert together.
  65. We celebrated New Year’s Eve at a party.
  66. She saw a shooting star last night.
  67. I visited the zoo with my family.
  68. He wrote a letter to his boss.
  69. They went hiking in the mountains.
  70. We listened to live music at the bar.
  71. She found her lost keys yesterday.
  72. I enjoyed the movie we watched last night.
  73. He bought a new phone.
  74. They hosted a barbecue at their house.
  75. We learned a new dance at the workshop.
  76. She took pictures of the sunset.
  77. I tried sushi for the first time last week.
  78. He drew a portrait of his friend.
  79. They visited a famous monument.
  80. We watched a comedy show on TV.
  81. She cleaned the house yesterday.
  82. I ran in a marathon last year.
  83. He finished his novel last month.
  84. They organized a surprise party for their friend.
  85. We sang along with the band at the concert.
  86. She danced at her sister’s wedding.
  87. I visited a museum in Paris.
  88. He played basketball after school.
  89. They ate pizza for dinner last night.
  90. We studied history in high school.
  91. She worked as a teacher last year.
  92. I listened to an interesting podcast yesterday.
  93. He took a nap after lunch.
  94. They painted their house last summer.
  95. We read the newspaper this morning.
  96. She watched the sunrise by the beach.
  97. I learned to ride a bike as a child.
  98. He visited his cousins last weekend.
  99. They watched a football match together.
  100. We celebrated our anniversary last month.

Negative Sentences in Past Indefinite Tense

Structure:

  • Subject + did not + base form of verb
    • Example: I did not visit the museum yesterday.

10 Negative Sentence Examples:

  1. I did not finish my homework last night.
  2. She did not watch the movie yesterday.
  3. They did not go to the party.
  4. He did not buy the car last week.
  5. We did not attend the meeting yesterday.
  6. I did not see her at the event.
  7. She did not play the piano yesterday.
  8. They did not travel to Spain last year.
  9. He did not take his medicine.
  10. We did not celebrate her birthday last night.

Interrogative Sentences in Past Indefinite Tense

Structure:

  • Did + subject + base form of verb?
    • Example: Did you finish your homework?

10 Interrogative Sentence Examples:

  1. Did you finish your homework last night?
  2. Did she watch the movie yesterday?
  3. Did they go to the party?
  4. Did he buy the car last week?
  5. Did we attend the meeting yesterday?
  6. Did you see her at the event?
  7. Did she play the piano yesterday?
  8. Did they travel to Spain last year?
  9. Did he take his medicine?
  10. Did we celebrate her birthday last night?