1.表示过去时间发生的动作或存在的状态.
例：I talked to her last week.
我上星期和她谈了.
My mother was ill yesterday.
昨天我妈妈病了.
2.表示过去习惯性的动作.
例：He came to the lab twice week.
他每周到实验室来两次.
When Jack was a child,he always asked his parents to tell him stories.
当杰克还是孩子的时候,总是要父母讲故事给他听.
3.在时间、条件状语从句中,常用一般过去时代替过去将来时.
例：They said they would let us know if they heard any news about him.
他们说如果听到任何关于他的消息,就通知我们.
They told us that would hot leave she came back.
他们告诉我们,直到她回来他们才会离开.
常与一般过去时连用的时间副词：
yesterday 昨天
last year 去年
at that time 在那时
yesterday morning 昨天上午
just now 刚才
two days ago 两天前
a few days ago 几天前
that day 那天
in 1999 在1999年
in the old days 在过去的日子里