SIMPLE PAST

Simple Past
Form :

1. Regular verbs: just add “d/ed/ied”.

Regular verbs Examples

(----e+d) after a final “e”, only add “d” love –loved / arrive-arrived /like-liked

-(verb + ed) Visit –visited /play–played /work-worked /

start-started / watch-watched…
-final consonant after a short vowel
final consonant is doubled (---v+cc+ed) admit – admitted / stop-stopped
travel – travelled / slip-slipped

(---c+”y”+ ied) cry – cried / study – studied /

deny-denied / try-tried
final y after a consonant becomes i

2. Irregular verbs: use the past form (see list of irregular verbs, 2nd column).

Infinitive Positive Negative Interrogative

speak I spoke. I did not speak. Did I speak?

come I came I didn’t come Did I come ?

be I was/We were I wasn’t/We weren’t Was I…?/Were we…?

go I went I didn’t go Did I go?

put I put I didn’t put Did I put?

cut I cut I didn’t cut Did Icut?

Use: An action that started and finished at a particular point in the past.
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past simple past present future

Signal Words of Simple Past

 yesterday, 2 minutes ago/before, in 1990, the other day, last Friday

Let’s practise :

Have a look at James's last week's diary and answer the questions in complete
sentences. Put the time expression at the end of the sentence.

Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun

football shopping meeting ring Jane buy flowers concert sailing

cinema tennis English Italian restaurant

1. When was his English course? →

2. When did he go shopping? →

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3. When did he buy flowers? →

4. When was his meeting? →

5. When did he play football? →

6. When did he go to the Italian restaurant? →

7. When did he ring Jane? →

8. When did he go to the cinema? →

9. When did he play tennis? →

10. When was the concert? →

Rewrite the sentences in the negative.

1. They collected postcards. →

2. You jumped high. →

3. Albert played squash. →

4. The teacher tested our English. →

5. Fiona visited her grandma. →

6. He washed the car. →

7. You were thirsty. →

8. He had a computer. →

9. I bought bread. →
10. You saw the house. →

Write questions in simple past.

1. Anna / the window / open

2. she / home / walk

3. you / in the garden / work

4. you / a song / sing

5. she / on a chair / sit

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6. you / the castle / visit

Put the verbs into the correct form (simple past).

spent
1. Last year I (spend) my holiday in Ireland.

2. It (be) great.

3. I (travel) around by car with two friends and we (visit) lots

of interesting places.

4. In the evenings we usually (go) to a pub.

5. One night we even (learn) some Irish dances.

6. We (be) very lucky with the weather.

7. It (not / rain) a lot.

8. But we (see) some beautiful rainbows.

9. Where (spend / you) your last holiday?

Fill in the correct forms of the irregular verbs.

Infinitive Simple Past

say

said

make

sit

went

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be

got

get