Answer:
There are two simple tenses: the present simple, and the past simple. Simple means that there is one verb (no helping verb), and it describes a usual or typical action. For example, here is the present simple, referring to an action that occurs in the present: John drives a bus. Mary loves ice cream. I teach every Tuesday.
As for the past simple, it refers to an action that happened in the past, and was common or typical at that time. She lived in France when she was young. I graduated from college in 2011. They studied at the library.