Past indefinite tense is also called simple past tense. We use past tense to describe actions that happened and finished in the past. This article will show you examples of past indefinite tense sentences. You will learn how this tense is used in different conversations.
Examples of Past Indefinite Tense Sentences
34 Past Indefinite Tense Affirmative Sentences
Let’s start with positive (affirmative) examples. These sentences show completed actions in the past.
Structure:
Subject + Verb (past form) + Object + (Time Expression)
| No. | Affirmative Sentence (Past Indefinite) |
|---|---|
| 1 | I visited my grandparents last summer. |
| 2 | She cooked delicious pasta for dinner. |
| 3 | They played football in the park yesterday. |
| 4 | He studied English grammar last night. |
| 5 | We watched a movie together on Friday. |
| 6 | The teacher praised the students. |
| 7 | I completed my homework before dinner. |
| 8 | She cleaned her room in the morning. |
| 9 | They traveled to Paris last year. |
| 10 | He bought a new car last month. |
| 11 | We enjoyed the concert very much. |
| 12 | The dog howled at the stranger. |
| 13 | I read a novel last weekend. |
| 14 | She smiled when she saw her friend. |
| 15 | They built a sandcastle on the beach. |
| 16 | He opened the window to let fresh air in. |
| 17 | We sang our school anthem proudly. |
| 18 | The baby slept peacefully all night. |
| 19 | I met my old teacher at the market. |
| 20 | She painted a beautiful picture. |
| 21 | They helped the poor villagers. |
| 22 | He drove his car carefully. |
| 23 | We danced until midnight. |
| 24 | The sun rose early this morning. |
| 25 | I bought some fruits from the store. |
| 26 | She called me after the meeting. |
| 27 | They won the first prize in the competition. |
| 28 | He wrote a letter to his parents. |
| 29 | We planted trees on Earth Day. |
| 30 | The students listened attentively. |
| 31 | I visited the museum with my friends. |
| 32 | She baked a chocolate cake for her brother. |
| 33 | They celebrated their wedding anniversary. |
| 34 | He repaired his old bicycle yesterday. |
Grammar Tip:
The verb in the past indefinite tense always takes the second form (V2) of the verb.
For example:
Go → went
Eat → ate
See → saw
Examples of Past Indefinite Tense Sentences (Affirmative)
33 Past Indefinite Tense Negative Sentences
Negative sentences show that an action did not happen in the past.
Structure:
Subject + did not (didn’t) + Base Verb + Object + (Time Expression)
Formula Table:
| Type | Structure |
|---|---|
| Negative | Subject + did not/didn’t + V1 (base verb) + Object |
Examples:
| No. | Negative Sentence (Past Indefinite) |
|---|---|
| 1 | I did not go to the market yesterday. |
| 2 | She didn’t cook breakfast this morning. |
| 3 | They did not play football last Sunday. |
| 4 | He didn’t study for the exam. |
| 5 | We did not watch TV last night. |
| 6 | The teacher didn’t give us homework. |
| 7 | I did not complete my assignment on time. |
| 8 | She didn’t clean her room yesterday. |
| 9 | They did not travel to London last year. |
| 10 | He didn’t buy a new bike last month. |
| 11 | We did not enjoy the party. |
| 12 | The dog didn’t bark at the stranger. |
| 13 | I did not read that book. |
| 14 | She didn’t smile when she saw me. |
| 15 | They did not build a treehouse. |
| 16 | He didn’t open the door for me. |
| 17 | We did not sing in the school program. |
| 18 | The baby didn’t sleep well last night. |
| 19 | I did not meet my friend yesterday. |
| 20 | She didn’t draw any pictures. |
| 21 | They did not help the poor people. |
| 22 | He didn’t drive fast. |
| 23 | We did not dance at the party. |
| 24 | The sun didn’t rise early this morning. |
| 25 | I did not buy any vegetables. |
| 26 | She didn’t call me yesterday. |
| 27 | They did not win the game. |
| 28 | He didn’t write a letter to his parents. |
| 29 | We did not plant trees last week. |
| 30 | The students didn’t listen properly. |
| 31 | I did not visit the museum. |
| 32 | She didn’t bake a cake. |
| 33 | They did not celebrate their birthday. |
33 Past Indefinite Tense Interrogative Sentences
Interrogative sentences ask questions about past actions.
Structure:
Did + Subject + Base Verb + Object + (Time Expression)?
Formula Table:
| Type | Structure |
|---|---|
| Interrogative | Did + Subject + V1 (base verb) + Object + ? |
Examples:
| No. | Interrogative Sentence (Past Indefinite) |
|---|---|
| 1 | Did you go to the market yesterday? |
| 2 | Did she cook breakfast this morning? |
| 3 | Did they play football last Sunday? |
| 4 | Did he study for the exam? |
| 5 | Did we watch TV last night? |
| 6 | Did the teacher give us homework? |
| 7 | Did you complete your assignment on time? |
| 8 | Did she clean her room yesterday? |
| 9 | Did they travel to London last year? |
| 10 | Did he buy a new bike last month? |
| 11 | Did we enjoy the party? |
| 12 | Did the dog bark at the stranger? |
| 13 | Did you read that book? |
| 14 | Did she smile when she saw you? |
| 15 | Did they build a treehouse? |
| 16 | Did he open the door for you? |
| 17 | Did we sing in the school program? |
| 18 | Did the baby sleep well last night? |
| 19 | Did you meet your friend yesterday? |
| 20 | Did she paint a picture? |
| 21 | Did they help the poor people? |
| 22 | Did he drive fast? |
| 23 | Did we dance at the party? |
| 24 | Did the sun rise early this morning? |
| 25 | Did you buy vegetables yesterday? |
| 26 | Did she call you yesterday? |
| 27 | Did they win the game? |
| 28 | Did he write a letter to his parents? |
| 29 | Did we plant trees last week? |
| 30 | Did the students listen properly? |
| 31 | Did you visit the museum? |
| 32 | Did she bake a cake yesterday? |
| 33 | Did they celebrate their birthday last week? |
FAQs about Examples of Past Indefinite Tense Sentences
1. How do you use the past indefinite tense in a sentence?
The past indefinite tense is used to describe actions that happened and finished in the past.
Examples:
I visited my grandmother yesterday.
She watched a movie last night.
They played football last Sunday.
Tips: Always use time expressions such as “yesterday,” “last week,” “last year,” and “before”—these often refer to the past indefinite tense.
2. How to know the past indefinite tense?
You can identify the past indefinite tense by checking:
Verb form: Regular verbs usually end with -ed (e.g., played, cooked, cleaned).
Irregular verbs: These have special past forms (e.g., go → went, eat → ate, see → saw).
Time expression: Look for words like “yesterday,” “last night,” “two days ago,” and “in 2010.”
Examples:
He bought a new phone last month.
I did not watch the game yesterday.
Did you call your friend yesterday?
3. What is the structure of the past indefinite tense?
Affirmative:
Subject + Verb (past form) + Object
I visited Paris last summer.
Negative:
Subject + did not (didn’t) + Base Verb + Object
I didn’t visit Paris last summer.
Interrogative:
Did + Subject + Base Verb + Object + ?
Did you visit Paris last summer?