Grammar 1 - Simple Past

To form the simple past of regular verbs, we add –ed to the base form.
• If the verb ends in two consonants, add –ed: walk – walked
• If the verb ends in e, add –d: lOVe – lOVed
• If the verb ends in consonant + y, remove the y and add –ied: try – tried
• If the verb ends in consonant + vowel + consonant (except w, c, x, and y), double the consonant
and add –ed: stop – stopped

Many verbs have irregular simple past forms, for example, see – saw, teach – taught, become – became.

We form the negative of the simple past with did not (didn’t) and the base form of the verb.
They didn’t study engineering.

To form a question in the simple past, we use Did + subject + base form of the verb.
Did he build the statue?

Note: The verb be is different. We form questions in the simple past with the auxiliary was / were.
We form negatives with was not / were not (wasn’t / weren’t).
Was he rich? He wasn’t famous.
Were they architects? They weren’t students.

A Write the verbs in the correct column. Then write the simple past form.
teach send finish study work become graduate make move see

Regular verbs Irregular verbs

Base form Past Base form Past
finish finished teach taught
study studied send sent
work worked become became
graduate graduated make made
move moved see saw

B Choose the correct word to complete the sentences.

1 He become / became a well-known architect in Mexico.
2 He designed / design numerous other structures with unusual roofs.
3 His best-known work were / was the Palacio de los Deportes for the 1968 Olympics.
4 He studyed / studied architecture at the Escuela Superior de Arquitectura in Madrid.
5 Felix Candela was / were born in Madrid, Spain, in 1910.
6 When he graduate / graduated in 1939, he travel / traveled to Mexico.

D.R. © Macmillan Publishers, S.A. de C.V. 2014. Only for teaching purposes.
 Grammar 1 - used to

Affirmative Negative
I used to go swimming every day after school. Sarah didn’t use to have a lot of homework.
My parents used to wear typical 60s clothes. Kids didn’t use to eat so much junk food.

We use used to to talk about past habits or things that happened regularly in the past but don’t happen now.
Used to is always followed by the base form of the verb. There is no change for singular / plural.

Note: In the negative form, we say didn’t use to.

VOCABULARY
Activities: have a car, have time, play soccer, live in a different country, wear a school uniform,
go to school / to the movies, watch cartoons, speak English

A Match the columns.

1 listen to a) soccer
2 read b) pictures
3 watch c) to the movies
4 wear d) a book
5 cook e) English
6 speak f) food
7 ride g) classical music
8 draw h) a uniform
9 go i) TV
10 play j) a bike

B Complete each sentence with used to in the affirmative or negative form and a verb from Exercise A.
1 My sister and I used to ride our bikes every afternoon after school.
2 I used to listen to loud music in my room because the neighbors complained.
3 I used to play video games after I did my homework.
4 I used to read comics when I was a child.
5 My mother used to cook spaghetti for me. It was my favorite food.
6 I used to wear a uniform to school.

C Write three things you didn’t use to do, but you do now.
1 I didn’t use to listen to loud music in my room because the neighbors complained.
2 My mom didn’t use to cook spaghetti for me. It was my favorite food.
3 I didn’t use to wear a uniform to school.

D.R. © Macmillan Publishers, S.A. de C.V. 2014. Only for teaching purposes.
 Grammar 3 - Simple Past, Past Progressive,
as, when, while

Longer action Shorter action

(past progressive)
I was crossing the street
They were trying to catch the dog
The dog was freezing cold
While James was watching TV,
(simple past)
when a car hit me.
when it slipped off the ice.
when the sailors rescued it.
he heard an explosion.

We often use the past progressive together with the simple past. The past progressive
refers to a longer action or background situation. The simple past refers to a shorter
action or event that happened in the middle of the longer action, or interrupted it.

We form the past progressive with was / were + verb –ing.

Note: We can use as, while, or when to introduce the longer action. We only use when
to introduce the shorter action. Never use when and while in the same sentence.
When he was traVeling home, his car caught fire. ( )
While he was traVeling home, his car caught fire. ( )
He was traVeling home when his car caught fire. ( )
He was traVeling home while his car caught fire. (7)
As I was falling asleep, I felt a drip-drip on my head.

VOCABULARY
Regular verbs: arrive, attempt, climb, crash, cross, die, happen, have, launch, look, name, rescue, sail,
slip, suffer, survive, travel, try, visit, wait
Irregular verbs: catch, come, drive, fall, get, give, hit, ring, see, sit, stand, take, win

A Complete the sentences with the correct form of be.

1 Franco Selak was born when his parents were spending time on a fishing boat.
2 He was traveling by train when there was an accident.
3 The crew of the Baltica was traveling in the Baltic Sea when they saw a dog on an ice floe.
4 The dog was following its rescuers around the ship.
5 We were studying for the exam when the teacher announced it was cancelled.

B Match the sentence halves to make logical sentences with longer and shorter past actions.
1 While I was waiting for the doctor, a) when I slipped and fell.
2 The car hit me b) when her mother rang.
3 They got lost c) when he went fishing.
4 The sun was shining on the ocean d) while they were exploring the forest.
5 She was preparing dinner e) while I was crossing the street.
6 I was walking in the snow f) I read a magazine.

D.R. © Macmillan Publishers, S.A. de C.V. 2014. Only for teaching purposes.
 Grammar 4 - Simple Past Questions

Yes / No questions Short answers Negatives

Did you go to the movies? Yes, I did. I didn’t go to the movies.
Did they study chemistry? No, they didn’t. They didn’t study chemistry.
Did he invent the computer? No, he didn’t. He didn’t invent the computer.

Notice that for Yes / No questions, short answers, and negatives in the simple past, we use the auxiliary verb did / didn’t,
for both regular and irregular verbs, and the main verb is in the base form:
Did Einstein teach science?

This is similar to simple present where we use the auxiliary verb do / does and verb in the base form.
However, did / didn’t is the same for all subjects (I / you / we / she, etc.).

Note: We do not use the auxiliary verb did / didn’t for the verb be.
Were you at school? ( )
Did you be at school? ( )

A Read the biography and complete the questions.

Mario Molina, Ph.D.

Mario Molina was born in Mexico City in 1943. He studied chemical engineering at UNAM.
He did post-graduate studies in Germany and in the US.
In 1984 scientists discovered the ozone hole over the Antarctic. Molina demonstrated how
chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) gases in refrigerators and Styrofoam products destroyed the ozone
layer. People knew that something had to be done. In 1987 countries all over the world
agreed to stop using CFCs.
In 1995, Mario Molina and two other scientists received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for
their discoveries. He believes that scientists have to work together to save the environment.

1 Was Mario Molina born in the US?

2 Did he study electrical engineering?
3 Did he do post-graduate studies in the US?
4 Did he discover the hole in the ozone layer?
5 Did he win a Nobel Prize in Chemistry?

B Answer the questions in Activity A with short answers.

1 No, he wasn’t.
2 No, he didn’t.
3 Yes, he did.
4 No, he didn’t.
5 Yes, he did.

D.R. © Macmillan Publishers, S.A. de C.V. 2014. Only for teaching purposes.
 Grammar 1 - Present Perfect vs Simple Past

Function Example
To talk about completed past actions. I saw the Reclining Buddha.
With a past time expression. Last February I packed my bags and left.
Simple past
To describe past events or facts. I was in Thailand for a month.
To answer the question When…? When did you go? I went in 2013.
Process that started in the past but continue until
You’ve been back for two weeks now.
now with for and since.
To talk and ask about experiences up to now in your
I’ve never been adventurous with food.
life with EVEr and nEVEr.
Present perfect
Planned events that we expect to be completed I’ve already started to plan my next trip.
with already and yet. I haven’t decided where to go yet.
How long have you known Josh?
To answer the question How long…?
I’ve known him about three months

We use the simple past to talk about completed past actions, something that started and finished in the past.
For example: I was in Thailand for a month.

We use the present perfect to connect the past and the present.
For example: I haVe neVer been to Thailand.

Note: With the present perfect we don’t say when something happened.
To give more specific details it is necessary to use the simple past.

A Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verb in parentheses.
1 I’ve never eaten (eat) escamoles.
2 Jim went (go) to France last year.
3 I learnt (learn) to speak English three years ago.
4 Emma has benn (be) in Mexico for six months and she is having a great time.
5 We have always stayed (stay) in the same hotel since I was little.
6 I have (know) Elaine for 6 years.

B Match the sentence halves.

1 Last year a) when he was young.
2 We’ve never been b) last week.
3 Sarah flew to Miami c) to Tokyo.
4 Michael has always wanted d) I traveled to Japan.
5 Greg traveled a lot e) to visit New York.

D.R. © Macmillan Publishers, S.A. de C.V. 2014. Only for teaching purposes.