CHAPTER II THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
A. Simple Past Tense
1. The Understanding of Simple Past Tense
Figure 2.1 Simple Past Analogy SIMPLE PAST
X
According to
Betty Schrampfer Azar that “simple past is one particular time in the past, this happened. It began and ended in the past.”
1
It means that simple past tense is an action or event didn’t connect with now, and every event or situation is reflected the history in the past
time. Marcella Frank states in his book , Modern English that both
form simple past tense and past progressive tense of the tense represent definite past. They refer to the events that were
completed before the statement is made. They are often accompanied by such expression of definite past as yesterday,
1
Betty Schamper Azar, Understanding and Using English Grammar, London: Prentice Hall, inc. 1989, p. 2.
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last year, two weeks ago. The past action may be of short of duration.
2
From the explanation above that simple past tense shows the activity was done by somebody or something before the sentence is
produced. The speaker made the sentence and gave the information to somebody after she he finished her his activity. The event was occurred in
specific time in the past. In simple past tense, the using of time is only short time, and it doesn’t emphasize duration of an action in the past.
Frank’s states that the principal parts of such verbs must be known before the proper tense forms can be used. The first
principal part of verb is the simple form of verb the inventive without to, the second principal part is the past tense, the third
principal part is the past participle use for the perfect tenses or for the passive forms.
3
It means that these principal parts of verb must be used in tenses before applying it in the sentence, which is regular or irregular verb. Also in
producing simple past tense sentences, the writer or speaker has to apply the second principal part.
Example:
She slept soundly last night.
4
From the sentence above, we know the origin of the sentence “She sleep soundly” .Because of the time signal is in the past “last night”, it
identifies the past action, so the word “sleep” is changed to “slept”. The changing of the word shows that action was done in the past time, and also
the time signal last night identifies that action doesn’t exist now or at the time of speaking.
Example:
They went to the mosque
5
The sentence above is simple past tense. Although there is not time signal of simple past tense, but we can see the verb is changed from “go” to
2
Marcella Frank, Modern English Part I Part of Speech, London: Prentice- Hall, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: 1990, p. 49.
3
Frank, p.40.
4
Ilham Ali Saifuddin, et- al, Buku Pintar TOEFL, Jogjakarta :DIVA Press, 2007, p.112.
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Saifuddin, et- al, p. 112
“went”. The origin of verb is “go”, so the speaker or writer use “went” for showing a complete activity.
Table.2.1 Irregular Verb Examples: Simple Form of verb
Verb 1 Past Tense
Verb II Past Participle
Verb III Sleep Slept Slept
Go Went Gone
From the table above the words “sleep” and “go” are changed into “slept” and “went”. The changing of the words are called by irregular verbs.
These verbs II are used for simple past tense.
Others examples:
• I worked. • She studied English yesterday.
From the two sentences above, the verbs are added by d ed. We know, these sentences were happened in the past time. The word “work”
adds by “ed” become “worked”, and the word “ study” adds by “ed” and changes the “y” into “ i” become “studied”. The additional of the words
by the syllables d ed are called by regular verb.
Table.2.2 Regular Verb Examples: Simple Form of verb
Verb 1 Past Tense
Verb II Past Participle
Verb III Work Worked
worked Study Studied
Studied
The writer infers that simple past tense is an action happened and completed in the past time, the action doesn’t relate with now, the past form
of verb both regular and irregular is used in verbal sentences of simple past tense and to be was and were is used in nominal sentences of simple past
tense.
2. The Formula of Simple Past Tense
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