Simple past tense For things that happened in the past and are finished. Add '-ed'. Simple past tense can be difficult because there are about 170 irregulars (verbs that change form instead of taking '-ed'). The irregular simple past tense forms must be memorized and practiced; however, they do occur in predictable patterns. to walk I walked we walked you walked you walked he/she/it walked they walked to study I studied we studied you studied you studied he/she/it studied they studied to write (irreg.) I wrote we wrote you wrote you wrote he/she/it wrote they wrote to be (irreg.) I was we were you were you were he/she/it was they were to do (irreg.) I did we did you did you did he/she/it did they did to have (irreg.) I had we had you had you had he/she/it had they had