Which sentence is written in the past tense?

Which sentence is written in the past tense?

• A. The children played in the park.
• B. The children play in the park.
• C. The children will play in the park.
• D. The children are playing in the park.

Answer: (A)

Past tense is used for actions that already happened. The sentence with played uses the past tense form of the verb play, indicating the action occurred in the past. The other sentences show present or future forms—play is present simple, are playing is present progressive, and will play is future. So this sentence is in the past tense. Regular verbs often form past tense with -ed, which is another clue.

Past tense is used for actions that already happened. The sentence with played uses the past tense form of the verb play, indicating the action occurred in the past. The other sentences show present or future forms—play is present simple, are playing is present progressive, and will play is future. So this sentence is in the past tense. Regular verbs often form past tense with -ed, which is another clue.