Le preterit simple
On utilise le prétérit simple pour parler de faits passés, terminés, qui n'ont pas de rapport avec le moment présent.
What did you do yesterday? Yesterday, I went to the cinema.
A la forme affirmative, on le forme en ajoutant -ed aux verbes réguliers. Pour les verbes irréguliers, il faut apprendre leur forme au prétérit.
Aux formes interrogative et négative, il faut l'auxiliaire did, prétérit de do. C'est lui qui porte la marque du prétérit et le verbe est à la base verbale.
| Forme Affirmative | Forme Interrogative | Forme Négative |
| I listened to music. | Did I listen to music? | I did not listen to music. |
| You listened to music. | Did you listen to music? | You did not listen to music. |
| He/ She/ It listened to music. | Did he/ she/it listen to music? | He/ She/ It did not listen to music. |
| We listened to music. | Did we listen to music? | We did not listen to music. |
| You listened to music. | Did you listen to music? | You did not listen to music. |
| They listened to music. | Did they listen to music? | They did not listen to music. |
| Forme Affirmative | Forme Interrogative | Forme Négative |
| I sang a song. | Did I sing a song? | I did not sing a song. |
| You sang a song; | Did you sing a song? | You did not sing a song. |
| He/ She/ It sang a song. | Did he/ she/it sing a song? | He/ She/ It did not sing a song. |
| We sang a song. | Did we sing a song? | We did not sing a song. |
| You sang a song. | Did you sing a song? | You did not sing a song. |
| They sang a song. | Did they sing a song? | They did not sing a song. |