Preterite simple

Generic action or state (property outside a specific situation)

Something was true in a stable way, across a whole class of situations.

• I lived in a small flat. I ate and worked on the same table.
• I saw her quite often. · She sometimes thought about him.
• He always stopped for hitch-hikers.

Specific action — narration

One-off past actions: they took place at a moment in the past, and we view the beginning and end of an action simultaneously, so that with several verbs in the preterite simple it amounts to a succession of events.

• I moved to London (two years ago).
• He opened the door, went into the living-room and sat on an armchair.

Sequence of tenses

Using the preterite simple in a [subordinate clause] follows from its use on the verb of the {main clause} (which contains the subordinate).

• {Sunday was the only day [when I could relax].}
• {He told me [you had a pleasant voice].}
• {She said [she never thought about it].}

Hypothesis (if, as if, suppose)

• If he weren't a film maker, he would be an actor.
• He told him hello as if he knew him.
• She treats me as though I were a child. Using were instead of was stresses the unreal value.
• Suppose it was a trap.

Wish (I wish, if only, I'd rather, it's about time…)

• I'd rather you paid now.
• It's about time you got here.
• It's high time we made some changes around here.
• I wish I was / were rich. (unreal present)
• I wish he came to see me. (unreal future, unlikely situation)
• If I won the lottery, I would travel a lot. (unreal future)
• If only there were forty-eight hours in every day.