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2. Past simple

2.1. Use

We use the past tense to talk about:

  • Something that happened once in the past:
    • I met my wife in 1983.
    • We went to Spain for our holidays.
    • They got home very late last night.
  • Something that happened again and again in the past:
    • When I was a boy I walked a mile to school every day.
    • We swam a lot while we were on holiday.
    • They always enjoyed visiting their friends.
  • Something that was true for some time in the past:
    • I lived abroad for ten years.
    • He enjoyed being a student.
    • She played a lot of tennis when she was younger.
  • Past states:
    • I lived in London for five years.
    • I was very unhappy at school.
    • After walk, they felt very tired.
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