Il parla longtemps.
He spoke for a long time.
Tense guide
Simple past
A written-story past tense for completed events, common in literature and history but rare in conversation.
When to use it
Read it as the literary equivalent of a completed past action; in speech, the same idea is usually passé composé.
How to recognise it
Look for endings such as -ai, -as, -a, -âmes, -âtes, -èrent for -er verbs, or forms like il fit, ils eurent, elle vint.
How to form it
Endings vary by verb group. -er verbs often use -ai, -as, -a, -âmes, -âtes, -èrent; many other verbs use -is/-it or -us/-ut patterns.
A simple rule
For learning to speak, recognize it before producing it. It is mainly a reading tense.
Examples
Ils partirent tôt.
They left early.