We use the past simple to talk about actions and states which we see as completed in the past.

We can use it to talk about a specific point in time.

· She came back last Friday.

· I saw her in the street.

· They didn't agree to the deal.

It can also be used to talk about a period of time.

· She lived in Tokyo for seven years.

· They were in London from Monday to Thursday of last week.

· When I was living in New York, I went to all the art exhibitions I could.

You will often find the past simple used with time expressions such as these:

· Yesterday

· three weeks ago

· last year

· in 2002

· from March to June

· for a long time

· for 6 weeks

· in the 1980s

· in the last century

· in the past