Used to describe a finished action which happened before the present moment.

⇒ It is always finished.
⇒ Duration is not important.
⇒ It can happen recently, or a long time ago.

1. A precise moment in the past : Yesterday, last weekend, when I was young.
Yesterday I played tennis with my brother.
Last weekend I went to Austria.

2. A non-precise moment in the past : A long time ago, ages ago, the other day.
The other day I walked to work.
Ages ago I could play the guitar.

3. Frequency : sometimes, often.
I partied often during my studies.
During my travels I sometimes called my parents.

Past simple with to be:
I am ⇒ I was ⇒ I was a bad student at school.
You are ⇒ You were ⇒ You were very fun last weekend.
He/She is ⇒ He was ⇒ He was a lovely person.
They are ⇒ They were ⇒ They were difficult to work with.
We are ⇒ We were ⇒ We were very tired when we arrived.

Time expressions for the past simple :

Last = dernier
Last Friday we went to a concert.
Last week I visited a museum.

When I was = lorsque j’étais
When I was young, I loved Nirvana.
When I was in America, I visited Elvis Presley’s old house.

Yesterday = hier
Yesterday I went to the shops.
Yesterday I listened to Nirvana.

Ago = il y a …. ans
I moved to France 10 years ago.
We met Elvis Presley 65 years ago.