FOURTH QUARTER

English Communication Arts and Skills Through Afro-Asian Literature

LESSON 4: USING VERBS IN THE PAST TENSE

THE SIMPLE PAST TENSE

The simple past tense indicates that an action or condition took place at some definite time
in the past. A past adverbial modifier such as yesterday, last night, a year ago, or in 1960, is used to
indicate past time. Past time may also be understood from context in which the past tense is used.

Study the chart below:

They worked yesterday.

They did not work yesterday.
They didn’t work yesterday.
Did they work yesterday?
Did they not work yesterday?
Didn’t they work yesterday?

What helping verb is used to begin a yes-no question in the past tense? What is the form of the main verb?
To begin a yes-no question in the past tense, use did. The main verb must be in the simple or base form.

Examples: Did Lakambini hide the pearls? Yes, she did. She hid the pearls.
Did Walang Gulat fall in love with Sinag-Tala? Yes, he did. He fell in love with her
Did the judges try Sinag-Tala? Yes, they did. They tried Sinag-Tala.

THE EMPHATIC PAST FORM

Did used with the simple form of the verb expresses emphasis.

Examples: 1. Sinag-Tala’s grandmother did give her a small pearl.

2. She did to own a string of pearls.
3. Walang Gulat did in love with Sinag-Tala

THE “USED TO” FORM

The expression used to with the simple form of the verb expresses action that happened repeatedly in the past but
no longer happens in the present.

Examples: 1. When I was a kid, I used to spin tops. Now, I don’t spin tops anymore.
2. As a girl, she used to on to her mother’s skirt when she saw strangers.
She’s a big girl now and doesn’t do so anymore.
 ACTIVITY SHEET
TITLE: Using Verbs in the Past Tense

Name:_____________________________________ Score: _______/5 points

DIRECTIONS:
Recast the following sentences using the EMPHATIC form: did + simple form of the verb.

Example:
Basic Form : Jose Rizal owed his brilliant mind mostly to his wise mother.
Emphatic Form : Jose Rizal did owe his brilliant mind mostly to his wise mother

1. Teodora Alonzo encouraged young Jose to write poems.

___________________________________________________________________________________________

2. She taught each of her eleven children to make the sign of the cross.

___________________________________________________________________________________________

3. She took her children to church with her.

___________________________________________________________________________________________

4. Because of his training, Rizal became very religious.

___________________________________________________________________________________________

5. He wrote poems about Jesus and Mary.

___________________________________________________________________________________________

PREPARED BY:

JONATHAN M. MENSALVAS, M.Ed.

Course Facilitator