基本の説明Overview
過去形は、「昨日〜した」「去年〜だった」のように、すでに終わった過去の出来事や状態を表す形です。yesterday（昨日）、last week（先週）、two days ago（2日前）、then（そのとき）のような「過去を表す語句」といっしょによく使われます。The past tense describes events or states that are already over, such as “I did it yesterday” or “It was last year.” It often appears with time expressions like yesterday, last week, two days ago, and then.
一般動詞の過去形には2種類あります。規則動詞は語の終わりに -ed（または -d）をつけてつくり、不規則動詞は go → went のように形そのものが変わるので、1つずつ覚えます。過去形は主語が I でも he でも they でも同じ形です（be動詞だけは例外）。Ordinary verbs have two kinds of past forms. Regular verbs add -ed (or -d), while irregular verbs change form, as in go → went, and must be learned one by one. The past form is the same whatever the subject is (I, he, they) — except for the be-verb.
| -ed のつけ方How to add -ed | 原形Base form | 過去形Past form |
|---|---|---|
| そのまま -ed をつけるJust add -ed | play / clean / visit | played / cleaned / visited |
| e で終わる語は -d だけつけるWords ending in e: add only -d | live / like / use | lived / liked / used |
| 子音字 + y は y を i にかえて -edConsonant + y: change y to i, then add -ed | study / try / cry | studied / tried / cried |
| 短い語は最後の子音字を重ねて -edShort words: double the last consonant, then add -ed | stop / plan | stopped / planned |
次の動詞は、中学でよく使う不規則動詞です。形がまったく変わるもの、少しだけ変わるもの、変わらないものがあります。These are common irregular verbs from junior high school. Some change completely, some only slightly, and some do not change at all.
| 原形Base form | 過去形Past form | 意味Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| go | went | 行くgo |
| have | had | 持つ・食べるhave / eat |
| see | saw | 見る・会うsee |
| eat | ate | 食べるeat |
| make | made | 作るmake |
| buy | bought | 買うbuy |
| come | came | 来るcome |
| take | took | 取る・持っていくtake |
| read | read | 読む（つづりは同じ、発音は[red]）read (same spelling, pronounced [red]) |
be動詞の過去形は was と were の2つです。am と is は was に、are は were になります。「〜でした」「〜にいました」の意味で、疑問文は was / were を主語の前に出し、否定文は was not（wasn't）/ were not（weren't）にします。The past tense of the be-verb has two forms, was and were: am and is become was, and are becomes were. It means “was / were” or “was / were somewhere.” For questions, move was / were in front of the subject; for negatives, use was not (wasn't) / were not (weren't).
did を使う文では、過去を表す印はすべて did が引き受けるので、あとの動詞は原形です。Did you went…? や I didn't played… のように2回過去形にしてしまうのが、いちばん多い間違いです。In a sentence with did, did itself carries the past tense, so the verb after it stays in the base form. The most common mistake is to mark the past twice, as in “Did you went…?” or “I didn't played….”
例文で確認Example sentences
① 規則動詞（-ed をつける）1. Regular verbs (add -ed)
② 不規則動詞（形が変わる）2. Irregular verbs (the form changes)
③ be動詞の過去形（was / were）3. The be-verb in the past (was / were)
④ 否定文（〜しなかった・〜ではなかった）4. Negatives (didn't / wasn't / weren't)
⑤ 疑問文（〜しましたか・〜でしたか）5. Questions (Did…? / Was…? / Were…?)
確認クイズQuick check
空所に適する語を入れましょう。（ ）の語は、必要なら形を変えます。Fill in each blank. Change the form of the word in parentheses if necessary.
- Mika ___ (play) the piano yesterday.
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played — 規則動詞なので -ed をつける。play is regular, so add -ed. - I ___ (go) to the park last Sunday.
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went — go は不規則動詞。過去形は went。go is irregular; its past form is went. - They ___ in Kyoto last year. （be動詞）
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were — 主語 They は複数で、過去なので were。They is plural and the sentence is in the past, so were. - I didn't ___ (eat) breakfast this morning.
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eat — didn't のあとの動詞は原形なので、ate ではなく eat。The verb after didn't stays in the base form, so eat, not ate. - ___ you study English last night?
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Did — 一般動詞の過去の疑問文は Did で始める。A past question with an ordinary verb starts with Did. - He ___ (study) hard last week.
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studied — 子音字 + y なので、y を i にかえて -ed。It ends in consonant + y, so change y to i and add -ed.
おさえておきたいポイントKey points
- 規則動詞は -ed をつける。e で終わる語は -d だけ、子音字 + y は y を i にかえて -ed、語によっては子音字を重ねる（stopped）Regular verbs take -ed: just -d after e, y → i before -ed after a consonant, and some double the last consonant (stopped)
- go → went、have → had、see → saw などの不規則動詞は、1つずつ覚えるIrregular verbs such as go → went, have → had and see → saw must be memorized one by one
- be動詞の過去形は was（I・単数）と were（you・複数）の2つThe past of the be-verb has two forms: was (I, singular) and were (you, plural)
- 一般動詞の疑問文・否定文は did / didn't を使い、あとの動詞は原形にするQuestions and negatives with ordinary verbs use did / didn't, followed by the base form
- be動詞の疑問文・否定文には did を使わず、Was / Were や wasn't / weren't を使うQuestions and negatives with the be-verb do not use did; use Was / Were or wasn't / weren't
- yesterday、last night、〜 ago、then などの語句が過去形のヒントになるWords like yesterday, last night, ~ ago and then are hints that the sentence is in the past