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Past Simple

I watched/cleaned/went/ etc.

1 Complete these sentences. Use one of these verbs in the past simple:

clean die enjoy finish happen live open play rain

smoke start stay want watch

1. Yesterday evening I watched television.

2. I ....................... my teeth three times yesterday.
3. Bernard .......................... 20 cigarettes yesterday evening.
4. The concert last night ..................... at 7.30 and ......................... at 10
o’clock.
5. The accident ........................... last Sunday afternoon.
6. When I was a child, I ............................. to be a doctor.
7. Mozart ........................ from 1756 to 1791.
8. We ..............................our holiday last year. We .......................... at a very
good hotel.
9. Today the weather is nice, but yesterday it .......................
10.It was hot in the room, so I ....................... the window.
11.The weather was good yesterday afternoon, so we ....................... tennis.
12.William Shakespeare ............................ in 1616.

2 Write the past of these verbs:

get got leave buy put

eat see know tell
pay go stand lose
make hear take think
give find do speak

3 Write sentences about the past (yesterday/last week etc.).

1. He always goes to work by car. Yesterday he went to work by car.
2. They always get up early. This morning they ................................................
3. Bill often loses his keys. He .......................................... last Saturday.
4. I write a letter to Jane every week. Last week ...............................................
5. She meets her friends every evening. She ..................................... yesterday
evening.
6. I usually read two newspapers every day. .....................................................
................................... yesterday.
7. They come to my house every Friday. Last Friday ........................................
.................................................
8. We usually go to the cinema on Sunday. .......................................................
Last Sunday.
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9. Tom always has a shower in the morning. ..............................................

this morning.
10.They buy a new car every year. Last year ................................................
11. I eat an orange every day. Yesterday .......................................................
12.We usually do our shopping on
Monday. ...........................................last Monday.
13.Ann often takes photographs. Last weekend ............................................
14.We leave home at 8.30 every morning. ..................................................
this morning.

4 Write sentences about yourself. What did you so yesterday or what

happened yesterday?

5 Complete these sentences with the verb in the negative.

1. I saw John but I didn’t see Mary.

2. They worked on Monday but they ........................................... on Tuesday.
3. We went to the shop but we .................................. to the bank.
4. She had a pen but she ............................ any paper.
5. Jack did French at school but he ....................................... German.

6 You are asking somebody questions. Write questions with Did ...?

1. I watched TV last night. And you? Did you watch TV last night?
2. I enjoyed the party. And you?
3. I had a good holiday. And you?
4. I got up early this morning. And you?
5. I slept well last night. And you?

7 What did you do yesterday? (Your sentence can be positive or negative.)

1. (watch TV) I watched TV yesterday. (or: I didn’t watch TV yesterday.)

2. (get up before 7.30) I ....................................................................................
3. (have a shower) I ............................................................................................
4. (buy a magazine) ............................................................................................
5. (speak English) ...............................................................................................
6. (do an examination) .......................................................................................
7. (eat meat) ........................................................................................................
8. (go to bed before 10.30) .................................................................................

8 Write questions with Who/What/How/Why...?

1. I met somebody. Who did you meet?

2. Harry arrived. What time ................ Harry ............................?
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3. I saw somebody. Who ............. you ......................?

4. They wanted something. ..............................................................................?
5. The meeting finished. ...................................................................................?
6. Pat went home early. ....................................................................................?
7. We had dinner. .............................................................................................?
8. It cost a lot of money. ...................................................................................?

9 Put the verb in the correct form of the past (positive, negative or question)

1. I played (play) tennis yesterday but I didn’t win (not/win).

2. We ........................ (wait) a long time for the bus but it ...........................
(not/come).
3. That’s a nice shirt. Where .................................................. (you/buy) it?
4. She ............................ (see) me but she ...................................... (not/speak)
to me.
5. ‘.......................... (it/rain) yesterday?’ ‘No, it was a nice day.’
6. That was a stupid thing to do. Why .......................................... (you/do) it?

Was/were

Now Charlie is at work.

At midnight last night he wasn’t at work. He was in bed. He was
asleep.

10 Look at the pictures. Where were these people at 3 o’clock yesterday

afternoon?

1. George was in bed.

2. Carol and Jack
3. Sue
4. ............................................................................................
5. ............................................................................................
6. And you? I .........................................................................
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11 Put in am/is/was/were. Some sentences are present and some are past.

1. Last year she was 22, so she is 23 now.

2. Today the weather ............... nice, but yesterday it .................. cold.
3. I ................ hungry. Can I have something to eat?
4. I ................ hungry last night, so I had something to eat.
5. Where ............... you at 11 o’clock last Friday morning?
6. Don’t buy those shoes. They ............... too expensive.
7. Why ............ you so angry yesterday?
8. We must go now. It .............. very late.
9. This time last year I ............... in Paris.
10.Charlie Chaplin died in 1978. He ............... a famous film star.
11.‘Where ............. the children?’ ‘I don’t know. They ................ in the
garden ten minutes ago.’

12 Put in was/wasn’t/were/weren’t.

1. We didn’t like our hotel room. It was very small and it wasn’t very clean.
2. Kate got married when she ................ 24 years old.
3. I phoned you yesterday evening but you ................ at home. Where ............
you?
4. George .................... at work last week because he .................. ill. He’s
better now.
5. The shops ................... open yesterday because it ................. a public
holiday.
6. ‘............... you at home at 9.30?’ ‘No, I ............. . I ............. at work.’

13 Write questions.

14 What were the first jobs of these famous people? Complete the sentences
with is, was, are or were.

Sylvester Stallone is an actor and a film maker now. His first job was in an
Italian restaurant. He _________ a pizza chef.
Sting __________ a singer and an actor now. His first job _________ in a
primary school. He _________ a teacher.
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Madonna ________ a singer and an actress now. Her first job ________ in a
Burger King restaurant. She ________ a waitress.
Clint East wood _____ an actor and a film maker now. His first job _______
in the army. He _________ a swimming instructor.
Rod Stewart and Julio Iglesias __________ singers now. Before they _______
singers, they _________ both footballers.

15 Where were you yesterday? Make true sentences.

1. at home at 7 o’clock yesterday morning

2. at the cinema at 2 0’clock yesterday afternoon.
3. in bed at 6 o’clock yesterday evening
4. at home at 9 o’clock last night
5. at a disco at midnight last night.

Example:
1. I was at home at 7 o’clock yesterday morning. Or: I wasn’t at home at 7
o’clock yesterday morning.
2.
3.
4.
5.

16 Complete the questions with was or were.

1. Were you ill last week?

2. _____ the weather fine yesterday?
3. ______ your parents in Paris in 1980?
4. _______ you and your family in England last year?

17 Give true short answers to the questions in exercise 16:

Example:
1. Were you ill last week? Yes, I was. Or: No, I wasn’t.
2. ...............................
3. ...............................
4. ...............................

18 Now make sentences about these things:

Example:
1. I was ill last week. Or: I wasn’t ill last week.
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1. I _________ ill last week.

2. The weather __________ fine yesterday.
3. My parents ___________ in Paris in 1980.
4. My family and I _________ in England last year.

19 These famous people are not alive now. Who were they? Complete the
questions and answers with was or were:

QUESTIONS
1 Who was María Callas?
2 Who ______ Yuri Gagarin?
3 Who ______ James Dean?
4 Who ______ Laurel and Hardy?
5 Who ______ Agatha Christie?
6 Who ______ Marilyn Monroe?
7 Who ______ Marie and Pierre Curie?
8 Who ______ Indira Gandhi?
20 What do you usually do at weekends? Do you do any of these things?
ANSWERS
-She was a Greek actress.
-He _______ the first man in
space.
-He _______ an American actor.
-They _______ comedians.
-She ______ an English writer.
-She _______ an American
actress.
-They ________ scientists.
-She ________ India’s first
woman prime minister.

visit friends play tennis study clean the car cook meals
clean your room work in the garden stay at home and watch TV
tidy your flat or house

Tick the things that you do.

Look at the pictures. They show what Liz and George did last weekend. What
did they do?

Saturday
1. They tidied their flat.
2. They _______________________________________________
3. They ________________________________________________

Sunday
1. Liz ___________________________________________________
2. George ________________________________________________
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3. They _______________________________________________

21 What about you, and your family and friends? What did you do last
weekend? Did you do any of the things in exercise 20?

Examples:
I cleaned my room.
I visited a friend.
My friend and I played tennis.

22 Mr Bird always does the same things every day. Read what he does.

He gets up at 6.45 every morning and has a shower. Then he has breakfast.
He always has tea and cornflakes for breakfast. He leaves home at 7.55 and
goes to work by bus. He always takes the 8.05 bus and gets to work by bus. He
has lunch from 1.00 till 2.00 and leaves work at 6.00 in the evening. When he
gets home, he reads the newspaper. Then he takes his dog for a walk. He
always goes to bed at 10.30 exactly!

What did Mr Bird do yesterday? Yesterday was a normal day for Mr Bird.
What did he do?
Examples:
He got up at 6.45 and had a shower. Then he had breakfast. He had tea and
cornflakes for breakfast.
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23 Complete the sentences. Use did, have or had.

1. Emily had a big breakfast yesterday, so she didn’t have any lunch.
2. ______ you ________ a lot of homework last week?
-No, I _____n’t.
3. What ______ you _______ for dinner last night?
-We _______ chicken.
4. It was Tony’s birthday last week. He ________ a party on Friday.
-Where ______ he _______ the party?
-He _______ it at his flat.
5. _________ Nick and Sarah _________ a good time at the concert last
weekend?
-Yes, they ______ . They ______ a great time.

24 Complete the questions. Give true short answers.

1. you/go/out last night?

2. you/play/ tennis yesterday?
3. you/study/last weekend?
4. you/have /a haircut last week?
5. you/have/a birthday party last year?
6. you/have a holiday last summer?

Example:
1. Did you go out last night?
-Yes, I did. Or: No, I didn’t.
2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

25 Now make true sentences about the things in exercise 24.

Example:
1. I went out last night. Or: I didn’t go out last night.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

26 Read about Henry Ford. Some of the information is missing.

American engineer Henry Ford started the Ford Motor Company in _(1)__ .
Ford produced _(2)_ . He called the car _(3)_ . He started making the Model T
in _(4)_ in 1908. Millions of people bought _(5)_ and Ford became _(6)_.
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Ask about the missing information.

1. When did Henry Ford start the Ford Motor Company?

2. What _____ he _______________________________?
3. What ______ he __________________ the car?
4. Where ______ he _____________ making the Model T?
5. What _______ millions of people ________________?
6. What ______ Ford ___________________________?

Now find the answers to the questions.

American engineer Henry Ford started the Ford Motor Company in 1903.
Ford produced the first cheap motor car. He called the car the Ford Model T.
He started making the Model T in Detroit in 1908. Millions of people bought
the car and Ford became a very rich man.

27 Look at the answers. What are the questions?

QUESTIONS ANSWERS
1 you/out last Saturday? -Yes, I went to the cinema.
2 you/on your own? -No, I went with a friend.
3 Which film/you? -We saw a film called Zero.
4 you/the film? -Yes, we enjoyed it very much.
5 What time /the film? -It started at 3.30.
6 When/it? -It finished at 5.00.
7Where /you/after the film? -We went for a coffee in the
Tropical Café.
8 What/you/after that? -I went home.

1 Did you go out last Saturday?

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