Past Simple

Verb: ‘To be’

Class Objective:
-Expresar y describir acciones que ocurrieron
en el pasado usando expresiones de tiempo,
de manera escrita.
Table of contents
01 02 03
Definition Verb Form Grammar
Structure

04 05
Examples Exercises
01
Definition
 Past Simple:
There are many definitions about this tense, one of the
clearest is the following provided by Cambridge:

“The form of a verb used to

describe an action that
happened before the present
time and is no longer
happening.”
 Past Simple Timeline

Present
XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Past Future

We use Past Simple to talk about

actions that happened and ended
in the Past. For Example: “I was a
baby.” (Yo era un bebé). I am not a
baby anymore.
 02
Verb Form
What is the meaning
of ‘to be’?
What is the meaning of ‘to be?

‘To be’ means ser o

estar in Spanish.
Verb ‘To be’ in Past Simple Form:
Was Were
I We
He You
She They
It
03
Grammar
Structure
Past Simple Verb To be Structure:
Affirmative Negative Interrogative

Subject +
WAS/WERE + NOT +
Subject + Complement (WH-) + WAS/WERE
WAS/WERE + + Subject +
Or
Complement Complement ?
Subject +
WASN'T/WEREN'T +
Complement
Summary of the Structure:
Affirmative Negative Interrogative

I was I wasn’t (WH) Was I...?

He / She / It was He / She / It wasn’t (WH) Was he / she /

it…?

We were We weren’t (WH) Were we...?

You were You weren’t (WH) Were you…?

They were They weren’t (WH) Were they...?

 Time Expressions for Past Simple
Yesterday Last week Last month

La semana
Ayer El mes pasado
pasada

Last Year 3 years ago In 1989

El año pasado 3 años atrás En el 1989

04 Examples
Affirmative/Negative/Interrogative Examples:
I was a famous singer.
I wasn't a famous singer.
Was I a famous singer?
She was sad because of her mark.
She wasn't sad because of her mark.
Was she sad because of her mark?
We were happy yesterday.
We weren't happy yesterday.
Were we happy yesterday?
They were teachers of English.
They weren't teachers of English.
Were they teachers of English?
05
Exercises
 Transform these sentences into Affirmative
Past Simple.
● I / be/ a secretary /in a office.

● They/ be/ in the park.

● It/ be/a beautiful flower.

● We/ be/ best friends.

 Transform these sentences into Negative
Past Simple:
● She/ be/ in the city yesterday.

● Jeff/ be/ a doctor.

● My mom/ be/ at home.

● I/ be/ angry last week.

 Transform these sentences into Interrogative
Past Simple.
● My brother/ be/ at school yesterday

● I/ be/ sad at home last week

● When/ Susan/ be/ the president of the class

● He/ be/ in his last vacation/Where

Thanks for your
attention!