1. Regular Verbs:
* Add -ed to the base form:
* walk -> walked
* play -> played
* jump -> jumped
2. Irregular Verbs:
* These verbs have unique past tense forms that must be memorized:
* go -> went
* see -> saw
* eat -> ate
* have -> had
* do -> did
* be -> was/were
3. Verbs ending in -y:
* If the verb ends in a consonant followed by -y, change the -y to -ied:
* study -> studied
* carry -> carried
* try -> tried
* If the verb ends in a vowel followed by -y, just add -ed:
* play -> played
* stay -> stayed
* say -> said
4. Verbs ending in -e:
* If the verb ends in -e, just add -d:
* love -> loved
* hope -> hoped
* like -> liked
5. Verbs ending in -c:
* If the verb ends in -c, add -ked:
* pick -> picked
* check -> checked
* trick -> tricked
6. Verbs ending in -k:
* If the verb ends in -k, just add -ed:
* walk -> walked
* talk -> talked
* cook -> cooked
7. Verbs ending in -i:
* If the verb ends in -i, change the -i to -ied:
* lie -> lied
* tie -> tied
* die -> died
These are the most common rules for forming the past tense of verbs. There are some exceptions, but these rules will cover most cases. If you are unsure about the past tense of a particular verb, it is best to consult a dictionary.