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Simple Past
Simple Past
SIMPLE PAST
The Simple Past Tense is used to express actions that happened and finished in a SPECIFIC TIME IN THE PAST. They don’t
continue in the present. We often use words such as "yesterday" or phrases such as "last week" or "2 months ago" or as well time
expressions such us “in 2003” or dates “on July 2nd, 2000” to indicate when something happened in the past.
USE
The past tense of "to be" is used to join a subject with a word or words that tell something about the subject (General Information –
Description – Relationship)
FORM
Affirmative Statements.
Example: I was a student. / The baby was tired. / She was fat. / You were sick. / It was a fast car. / We were wet.
Negative Statements.
Example: I wasn't hungry. / Andy wasn't tall. / The furniture wasn't new. / The living room was not neat. / We weren't late.
Yes / No Questions.
Example: Was I early? / Was the camera expensive? / Were Dan and Lynn at the party? / Were you busy yesterday?
Information Questions.
Example: Where was I early /What was your last name? / Who was he? / How were they? Who was busy yesterday?
- NOTICE. the question to the SUBJECT is ALWAYS conjugated in 3rd SINGULAR PERSON.
10. She was tired because she studied all night. _____________________________________________________
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o SIMPLE PAST TENSE OF ACTION VERBS (Verb conjugation and spelling)
USE
The Simple Past tense uses 2 groups of verbs to represent actions in the Past and they are REGULAR and IRREGULAR verbs.
SPELLING RULES
REGULAR VERBS: They are formed by adding –ed to the base form of the verb (verb + ed = simple past):
IRREGULAR VERBS: Irregular verbs form the past tense by a change (or not) in spelling or pronunciation
Example:
Infinitive Simple Past Infinitive Simple Past
Buy bought Go went
Do did Say said
Fly flew Read read
Forget forgot Cut cut
Light lit Quit quit
FORM
Affirmative Statements. Form the Simple Past Tense of an action by using either a Regular or Irregular form of the action
Example: I visited my friends yesterday (REGULAR) She made a nice dinner for us (IRREGULAR)
Negative Statements. You have to use DIDN’T and the Base form of the action.
Example: I didn’t visit my friends yesterday (REGULAR) She didn’t make a nice dinner for us (IRREGULAR)
Yes / No Questions. Use DID before the Subject and the base form of the action.
Example: Did you visit your friends yesterday? (REGULAR) Did she make a nice dinner for us? (IRREGULAR)
Information Questions. Use the same structure of a YES / NO question and an INFORMATION WORD.
When you make the question to the SUBJECT of the sentence, notice that the action is always conjugated in 3rd person.
Who prepared the dinner? They did*
What moved in the window? My cat did*
Who understood the English class? He did*
Exercise. Write affirmative sentences in simple past.
1. you / a question / ask / in class _____________________________________________________
2. the dog / bark / at the cat _____________________________________________________
3. they / us / call / yesterday _____________________________________________________
4. we / a reindeer / see / on our vacation _____________________________________________________
5. she / the ball / catch _____________________________________________________
Exercise. Put the verbs into the correct form (simple past).
1. Last year, I (spend) ________________my holiday in Ireland.
2. (be / it)__________________a great play?
3. Who (travel / they) _______________around by car with?
4. (go / she) ____________________to a pub yesterday?
5. I (not / be) ____________________ fat when I was in high school.
6. What time (be / he) _______________________at the meeting today in the morning?
7. It (not / rain) _____________________a lot.
8. Who (see) _______________________some beautiful rainbows?
9. Where (spend / you) ________________________your last holiday?
10. Who (be) ___________________ at the meeting?