simple past/past tense ?

[ph2004]

Is the simple past the same as the past tense ?

 

[Linguist__]

(Not a teacher)

The past tense just refers to language that refers to events occuring in the past. This can be done using various tenses:

Simple past - I walked home.

Past progressive - I was walking home.

Present perfect simple - Note that this tense indicates an action that occured in the past which affected the future - I have walked home. Now I can rest.

Past perfect simple - I had walked home.

Present perfect progressive - Note that this indicates a past event that has continued into the present, and may continue into the future - I have been walking.

Past perfect progressive - This describes an event in the past with emphasis on how long the event lasted, often using 'since' and 'for' - I had been walking for 5 hours.

So, these are all past tense. Simple past is just one way of indicating past tense in English.

Wait for others' responses, as I'm not a teacher and am relatively new to grammar.

 

[sarat_106]

Is the simple past the same as the past tense ?

The term ‘tense’ is to be understood as the relationship of a verb(action) with time. Time is irreversible and constantly changing but not action. However, the verb changes its form in order to be expressed properly with the changing time. In English, a verb has four forms, These are:
Name of form…………………….. How used in tense(Example verb ‘work’).
1)Base form or …………. ………… I work.(simple present tense)
Simple present form
2)Past form ……………..I ………...I worked.(Simple past tense)
3)Present participle……. …………I am working (present continuous)
Form
4)Past participle…………. …………I have worked. (present perfect)
form
Three forms (basic, present participle and past participle forms) are used to express present time and we call them present tense forms. There are 4 present tense forms: (1)simple present (for routine, regular and schedule action) (2) Present progressive/continuous (current action or arranged for the future) (3) Present perfect (completed action or action that stopped recently) (4) present perfect progressive (duration of action that is stopped or still continuing.)
Similarly three forms as: past form(simple), present participle and past participle form are used to link with past time and here also 4 tense forms are used to express time related past action, they are: (1) Simple past(action taking place in the past) (2) Past progressive (action going on at a certain time in the past) (3) Past perfect (action taking place before a certain time in the past) (4) Past perfect progressive (durationof an action taking place before a certain time in the past)
Action related to future time is expressed with the modal verb ‘will’ with the present tense forms and we use 4 future tense forms to express future action at different times similar to present and past time.

As you can see simple past is the one of the 4 past tense(form)s to express past action. I hope, this will also help you to understand verb forms and tense/tense forms.

 

[Raymott]

Is the simple past the same as the past tense ?

Yes.