SIMPLE PAST AND PAST

CONTINUOUS
THE SIMPLE PAST
To show something has already happened some time in the past

Use PAST TENSE form of VERBS

For examples for regular verbs (just add ‘d’ or ‘ed’) ;

Regular verbs Past tense forms

Miss Missed
Sew Sewed
Scream Screamed
Notice Noticed
Ship Shipped

For irregular verbs, it is either change in spelling or do not change at all;

Irregular Past tense forms

verbs Irregular Past tense forms
Eat Ate verbs
Feed Fed Wear Wore
Fly Flew Go Went
Catch Caught Put Put
Hit Hit
For linking verbs (Auxiliary verbs), the past tense are as below;

Present Past
Am/is/are Was/were
Has/have Had

ACTIVITY 1

 Teacher shows a video of a short cartoon. Students will write the summary
of the video in one short paragraph (approximately 120 words)

ACTIVITY 2

 Teacher distribute a short article, students underline all the past tense
forms in the article and list in the table ; regular / irregular verbs
Exercise 1

Complete the passage with the past tense form of the verbs given in brackets.

Tycoon Tek __________(be) a famous personality in town. He _________(live)

a good life. He _________(has) a wife who had inherited a fortune. He
________(start) to pester his wife for money. He grew tired of having to ask her
for each and every ringgit he ________(want) to spend. So, he
__________9formulate) a plan. One day, he _________(cut) off the power supply. A
hairpin laced with poison was placed on the stairs that led up to his wife’s
bedroom. He _________(know) she would climb the stairs close to the railing for
fear of the dark. His plan ________(work) . The doctor ____________(pronounce) he
dead. Tycoon Tek smiled. However, the police were wise. They __________(probe)
and scoured the crime scene. The murder weapon _______(be) found and Tycoon
Tek was arrested.

EXERCISE 2

Amanda_______(realise) with horror that she ______(be) lost. There

_________(be) no landmarks to help her and there ______(be) no footprints either.

The cold __________(descend) and Amanda ________(tremble)- Sahara nights

are frigid as the days are hot. As she _________(lurch) over the featureless land,
she ___________(know) her fellow travellers would be sleeping and there would
be no light to guide her.

Then she _________(see) a fire glowing in the distance. After an initial rush
of relief, she ________(freeze). She __________(be) a young blonde woman alone at
night. Tuareg rebels ________(roam) the area. They _______(be) not known for
their tenderness towards women.

But, having little choice, she _________(walk) towards the glow as bravely
as possible. She _________ (recognise) the figure of a Wodaabe tribesman.

EXERCISE 3

Underline the correct verb to complete each sentence.

1. The class monitor (checks, checked) the attendance every morning.

2. We (move, moved) to a new house last October.
3. Harith (adores, adored) his baby brother who is just a year old.
4. He (swims, swam) across the English Channel last year.
5. The police just (catches, caught) the shoplifter.
6. Deena (buys, bought) me a pair of boots for my last birthday.
7. The sun (does not rise, did not rise) in the west. It rises in the east.
8. He (finds, found) his wallet last night.
9. We always (enjoy, enjoyed) his company, so he is invited for all our
functions.
10. They (wander, wandered) into the woods an hour ago.
11. Water (evaporated, evaporated) when heated.
12. Ben apologised even though he (does not, did not) make the mistakes.
13. A sponge (absorbs, absorbed) water better than a piece of cloth.
14. She (remains, remained) seated on her chair even after I left.
15. We must (maintain, maintained) the peace in the country at all costs.
16. My friends (are not, were not) prepared for the test, so they did not do very
well.
17. The hospital (carries, carried) out numerous tests every day.
18. Sir Francis Light (gives, gave) Penang Island its special name, that is, the
pearl of the Orient.
19. Poor jack (does not have, did not have) enough time to finish his exam
because he fell asleep halfway through.
20. Even though Julia already (has, had) many cats, she wants more.

THE PAST COINTINUOUS TENSE

Was / were + verb-ing

To indicate an action going on at some time in the past. Look at the

explanation below.

Example Explanation
When Tom arrived home, When the simple past tense is used in both
Patty cleaned the house. clauses, the sentence means this – the cleaning
took place after Tom arrived.
When Tom arrived home, When the second clause is in the past
Patty was cleaning the continuous, it means that Tom arrived home and
house. Patty was still cleaning the house.

EXERCISE 1

1. My daughter _________ always _________ (misplace) her things.

2. Mr and Mrs Lim _________(help) their seven-year old son to make paper
animals.
3. He _____________(use) a hand pump, which required enormous effort.
4. She _____________(visit) her grandparents at that time.
5. He _______________(look) at the cover of the book when Tim spotted him.
6. The light went out while Joe and I ____________(do) our homework)
7. While they _____________(get) out of the police car, one man got away.
8. The patient _______________(respond) slowly to the treatment.
9. Bob ____________(attend) an interview for a job in a supermarket.
10. He ________________(visit) Texas when he was assassinated.
11. The man _____________(walk) into the restaurant when he was stopped by the
police.
12. As Abdul ______________(drive) to work, he witnessed a robbery.
13. I heard my friend complained that her computer __________(run) slowly.
14. The rescue team ____________(prepare) to throw a line to the woman when
one of the men slipped.
15. Ah Leng, who _________ not __________ (wear) a seat belt, was thrown seven
metres in to the air.

EXERCISE 2

Complete the sentences with the simple past or past continuous form of verbs in
the brackets.

1. A storm ___________(break) out while Tina and Mei Ling ___________(shop).

They _________(take) shelter in a bookshop. While they _________(wander)
around, they ___________(come) across an interesting book on architecture.
Mei Ling immediately ___________(buy) it.
2. The men __________(drink) together when an argument _________(break) out.
Soon they _____________(come) to blows. Someone __________(try) to stop
them. While people ___________(get) out of their way, the owner
___________(telephone) the police. A patrol car ___________(arrive) just as the
situation __________(begin) to get out of hand. The police ________(arrested)
both men and ____________( take) them to the police station to be charged.
3. Soon Hong _________(leap) off the bus when it _________ (move). He
________(break) his leg, and ____________ (lie) in hospital when I __________(go)
to visit him. He ___________(be) very unhappy to be in hospital.
4. We ____________(finish) our breakfast an hour ago. While we ________(get)
ready to go out, our neighbour ________(pay) us a visit. He __________(go) to
 Bangkok for a visit. He __________(want) us to have his house keys. He
_________(ask) us to keep an eye on his house.
5. When I __________(walk) down the street, I __________(see) Minah. She _________
(talk) to a man. The man _________(look) familiar. Then she _________(take) out
pen and diary, and _________(give) them to the man. As the man ________(sign)
the diary, I ______________ (realise) who it _______(be). It _______(be) the football
star Ronaldo!
I ____________ (run) across the street and _________(be) almost knocked down.
Ronaldo ________(wait) to cross the road when I ________(catch) up with him.
He __________(stare) at me when I _______ (ask) him to autograph my T-shirt.

Exercise 3

Look at the notes about Miss Interrupt and write a short story about her. The
paragraph has been started for you. Give your short story a good ending.

 Ask for money – parents having discussion

 Stop VCD player – watching movie
 Enter class – lesson going on
 Walk away – friends talking
 Visit cousin – having dinner
 Suddenly change subject – talking about specific topic
 Stopped the habit – friends told her off
 Apart from habit – great friend - daughter

Josie’s nickname was Miss Interrupt when she was a teenager. She had a
habit of interrupting people in the middle of something. These were the
things she did.