Identify the English tense.

[marie]

Hello.

A friend was listening to a learn French audio tape, and he asked me if I could identify the English tenses employed in the following sentences:

a) I have decorated the house
b) I decorated the house
c) I did decorate the house

I am a bit embarrassed to be stumped by the last one.

a) Present Perfect
b) Simple Past
c) ??

[hubertus]

In the the third example, did serves as an auxilliary verb.
Here, did is also in the simple past tense.
It is used in this context for emphasis or contradiction:

Wife - You didn't decorate the house!

Husband - I did decorate the house!

(Sorry - totally inappropriate gender stereotyping!)

[marie]

Ah, thanks!!

[marie]

I ate - Simple Past
I have eaten - Present Perfect
I did eat - Simple Past