ref –

• https://www.natterandramble.co.uk/past-simple-timeline-form-uses/
• https://chineseruleof8.com/2023/05/01/irregular-verbs/

Simple Past – things that already happened. Is used to talk about a completed action in a time before now

We use the simple past to show actions completed in the past, with no extra emphasis.

For regular verbs, you form the simple past tense by adding the suffix –ed to the end of the verb (or just –d if the past tense verb already ends in an e).

Be careful of irregular verbs, however. These don’t follow the normal rules and use their own unique forms for the past tense. For example, the past tense of the irregular verb go is went.

Regular verbs: I pick[ed] up the glass, but it dropp[ed] from my hand.

Irregular verbs: This morning I [went] to the store, but I [forgot] the milk.

Examples:

I helped my neighbor yesterday.

I played football Yesterday.

She woke (irregular) up early in the morning.

You didn’t write a letter last week.

They went (irregular) to the office early.

Did (irregular) you sing the song on stage?

We ate (irregular) pizza in the bakery shop.

My father lived in California.