SIMPLE PAST TENSE

Past to be
Exercise one: Complete the sentences with WAS or WERE.
 The last World cup …..WAS.…. in South America.
 Mr. García …WAS…. the president of Peru twice.
 The Mochicas ……WERE. architects and farmers.
 Garcia Marquez ……WAS... a Colombian writer.
 The Olympic Games …..…WERE………. in London.
 Michael Angelo ………WAS… a famous painter.
 Huascar and Atahualpa ………..WERE……. incas.
 The Incas …WERE good farmers and engineers.
 The Mayas ………WERE………. in Central America.
 Neruda and Mistral ……WERE…. Chilean writers.
 Picasso and Miguel Angel WERE. famous painters.
 Mr. Obama ……WAS… the president of the USA.
 The Nazcas …WERE……. good astronomers.
 Cusco ……WAS… The capital of the Inca Empire.

Exercise two: Complete the sentences with THERE WAS – THERE WERE

 THERE WAS a museum in the city.  THERE WERE one hundred children.
 THERE WERE NOT many stores in Huacho.  WERE THERE five banks on this street?
 WAS THERE any meat in the fridge?  WERE THERE one hundred people?
 THERE WAS NOT much chicken soup.  THERE WAS NOT any sugar in the cup.

My memories
Exercise three: Fill the gaps with WAS o WERE.
 His name WAS. Tobby. He …WAS…. a small, brown dog with a long tail. He .WAS.…. noisy and he WAS.…. not
obedient at all. But he …WAS…. my best friend when I ….WAS…. a child and we …WERE... always together.

 She ….WAS…. very shy and cute. She …WAS.… not very tall and her hair …WAS…. dark and long. We
…..WERE…. at the same school but we ….WERE..…. in the same class. She …WAS…. good at music and art and I ..…
WAS…. good at languages and math. We WERE…... both fifteen years old and we WERE. always together.

 I ……WAS…. Seventeen years old. It ….WAS…. very exciting because it …WAS.…. the first time I …WAS.…. not
with my parents. There …WERE.…. seven of us. We …WERE…. all good friends from the same school. It ….WAS….
In August and we …WERE. there for two weeks. I remember it ….WAS. very hot. It ……WAS…. a wonderful vacation
and one of my best memories.

 I remember that vacation because it …WAS…. terrible. I WAS…. in a cabin by the sea for a week with my parents
and two brothers. The weather WAS…. horrible. Every day it …WAS. cold and wet. There …WAS…. not one sunny
day. We WERE…. not very well-behaved

Use of AGO
Exercise four: Write similar expressions using AGO.
In 2007 = thirteen years AGO At 7 am = 2.30 hours AGO In 2002 = eighteen years AGO
In October = one year AGO. On Monday = three days AGO My last birthday ……………
On Friday = one week AGO. In June = three months AGO I was born ……………………
In 1997 = 23 years AGO. At midday ………………….... I came to class ……………..

Past tense verbs

Exercise six: Write the past tense of the verbs in the chart.
 Regular Irregular
Present Past Present Past
Rain RainED Sell Sold

Cook CookED See Saw

Exercise ExercisED Do Did

Open OpenED Run Ran

Visit VisitED Write Wrote

Dance DancED Buy Bought

Play PlayED Read Read

Watch WatchED Take Took

Listen ListenED Drive Drove

Paint PaintED Go Went

Serve ServED Fly Flew

Enjoy EnjoyED Get up Got up

Travel TravelED Ride Rode

Talk TalkED Sleep Slept

Work WorkED Build Built

Help HelpED Eat Ate

Close ClosED Come Came

Walk WalkED Have Had

Arrive ArrivED Win Won

Wash WashED Drink Drank

Exercise seven: Complete with verbs in Simple Past.

Dance 1. Peruvian ………PLAYED………… soccer against Colombia.
Cook 2. My mom ………WASHED………… her clothes yesterday.
Walk 3. In the jungle, it …………RAINED……… so much.
Wash 4. The boys ………DANCED………… rock and pop at the party.
Watch 5. The stores …………CLOSED……… at 9 p.m. last night.
Close 6. The school ………OPENED………… at 7:30 a. this morning.
Open 7. Roxana ………TRAVELED………… to Mexico with her boss.
Play 8. The chef ………COOKED………… a delicious Apple pie.
Travel 9. My friends ………WALKED………… by the park.
Rain 10. Your dad …………WATCHED……… the news on TV.

Exercise eight: Complete with verbs in Simple Past.

1. Children ………DRANK………..…. milk in the break. Read Go
2. We …………SAW……..…… an elephant in the zoo. Write
See
Ride
Have
 3. Rocío …………READ……..….. a History book.
4. Palma …………WROTE……..…. “Tradiciones peruanas”
5. Carlos …………WENT……..…. to the beach in summer.
6. My sister …………BOUGHT……..…. rice in the market.
7. They …………ATE……...…. spaghettis at noon.
8. I …………RODE………..….. my bicycle by the park.
9. Renzo …………HAD……..…. a doggy on his arms.

Exercise nine: Complete with verbs in the Simple Past.

Build 1. I .................GOT UP.............. at six o´clock yesterday.
write 2. Karen .............DRANK..................two cups of water
drink 3. My brother ............ATE................... in a restaurant.
win 4. Your mother .........SOLD.................products in the market.
drive 5. The workers................BUILT...............that new building.
sell 6. Cesar Vallejo ………WROTE………. “Los heraldos negros”
eat 7. You …………SLEPT..…………. at your aunt´s house.
get up 8. My little dog ................WON............... the competition.
Sleep 9. Katty .................DROVE..............her sister`s car.