Grammar

A1
past simple 1

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2019 1
 An introduction to the past simple
Let’s look at:
1. When we use the past simple.
2. How we make sentences with the verb to be in the past simple.
3. Regular verbs in the past simple.
4. How we make negative statements in the past simple.

When do we use it?

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 Function: the past simple
Last year, I travelled to
France by train. It was
fun! I really liked France.
Amazing! My sister and her
husband moved to France
10 years ago. They lived in
Paris first. They were
happy there, but wanted
to be in a small town. Now
they live in Lille.

Did all the events and Yes: Last

Yes. year, 10 years
feelings they mention
happen at these times? ago.

Are the events Do they mention any specific

finished/completed? times in the past?

The past.

Yes. The time periods (last

year, 10 years ago) and the Look at the highlighted sections.
events are finished/completed. Are they talking about the present
or the past?
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 Function: When do we use it?
1. To talk about completed or finished actions in the past.
He travelled in the past. The
Last year, I travelled to France by train. action is completed. He isn’t
travelling now.

2. To describe states or feelings from a specific time in the past.

It was fun! I really liked France. He had these feelings at this

specific time in the past (last year).

3. Often used with past time expressions (which refer to specific

times).
Other past time expressions used
with the past simple are:
1. Yesterday The verb to be in
Last year, I travelled to France by train. 2. Last month/year/week the past simple.
3. 10 years/a month ago
4. In 1997
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 Form: the verb to be in the past simple
Last year, I travelled to
France by train. It was fun! I
really liked France.
Amazing! My sister and her
husband moved to France 10
years ago. They lived in Paris
first. They were happy there
there,
but wanted to be in a small
town. Now they live in Lille.

Look at the conversation again. person verb to be: positive verb to be: negative
Find two examples of the verb to
be in the past simple.
It wasn’t fun!
I, She, was wasn’t (was not)
He, It

Complete the table with They weren’t happy there

Now look at the example
the correct form of to be negative sentences and You, were weren’t (were not)
in the positive and match complete the table.
the examples. We,
They

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 Form: the verb to be in the past simple
Last year, I travelled to
France by train. It was fun!
I really liked France.
Amazing! My sister and her
husband moved to France 10
years ago. They lived in Paris
first. They were happy
there, but wanted to be in a
small town. Now they live in
Lille.

person verb to be: positive Verb to be: negative

I, She, He, It was wasn’t (was not) Was/wasn’t is the

same as is/isn’t or
e.g. It was fun! e.g. It wasn’t fun! am/am not in the
present simple.

You, We, They were weren’t (were not)

Were/weren’t
is the same as
e.g. They were happy e.g. They weren’t happy Regular verbs
are/aren’t in
there. there. the present in the past
simple. simple.
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 Form: regular verbs in the positive
Last year, I travelled
travelled to
France by train. It was fun! I
really liked France.
Amazing! My sister and her
husband moved to France 10
years ago. They lived in Paris
first. They were happy there,
but wanted to be in a small
town. Now they live in Lille.

What do we add to We add -ed.

the verb to create a
Look at the conversation again.
regular conjugation
Can you find five examples of
in the past simple?
regular verbs in the past simple?
The first one is done for you.

Sometimes the spelling

changes a little. Is there an
example here?
Yes – travelled:
double ‘l’ +
-ed.

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 Form: regular verbs in the positive
We add -ed to the verb to make a regular past simple conjugation.

regular verbs in the past simple

wanted liked travelled

visited cooked arrived Here are some
examples of
decided danced lived regular past simple
studied watched played verbs.

Here, the verb ends in Verb ends in the letter Double consonant Notice how some
-y (study) and it -e so just + -d. + -ed. of the verbs have
changes to -ied. This some small
doesn’t always happen, changes in
In American English,
e.g. play – played. spelling.
travelled only has one
‘l’.

Let’s consider…
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 Let’s consider pronunciation.
There are three different ways to pronounce the -ed past simple ending.
regular verbs in the past simple
Let’s look at this table
verbs ending in /t/ or /d/ verbs ending an verbs ending an voiced again. Notice the three
= + /Id/ EXTRA SYLLABLE unvoiced sound = + /t/ sound = + /d/ different columns.

wanted liked travelled The pronunciation of the

visited cooked arrived -ed ending depends on the
last sound in the verb.
decided danced lived
studied watched played
Verbs that end in a voiced sound (your
Verbs that end in a /t/ throat vibrates when you make the
Verbs that end in an unvoiced sound
or sound) = + /d/ sound.
(your throat doesn’t vibrate when you
/d/ sounds = add an NO EXTRA SYLLABLE.
make the sound) = + /t/ sound.
extra syllable with /Id/.
NO EXTRA SYLLABLE.
Look at this example…
/t/ sound /Id/ sound /k/ sound (unvoiced) /t/ sound /v/ sound (voiced) /d/ sound)

WANT WANTED LIKE LIKED LIVE LIVED

one syllable Negative
one syllable two one syllable
forms in the
syllables
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 Form: negatives in the past simple
I didn’t like Paris. It was I liked Paris a lot. My sister
very busy and the didn’t live
didn’t live in the centre. We
restaurants were cooked at my sister’s house a
expensive. I preferred the lot and didn’t go to
villages. restaurants every day.

Look at the continuation of the

Complete the table using the conversation. Can you find
examples to help you. three examples of negative
statements in the past simple?

person auxiliary verb main verb

I, You, He,
She, It, We, didn’t (did not) verb infinitive
They

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 Form: negatives in the past simple
I didn’t like Paris. It was I liked Paris a lot. My sister
very busy and the didn’t live in the centre. We
restaurants were cooked at my sister’s house a
expensive. I preferred the lot and didn’t go to
villages. restaurants every day.

person auxiliary verb main verb

I, You, He, She, It, We, They didn’t (did not) verb infinitive

I like Paris.
My sister didn’t live in the centre.
We go to restaurants.

The structure is the The verb infinitive

same with all is the one you find
persons (I, you, he, in a dictionary (but
etc.). without to). Let’s practise!

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 Practice activities
Correct the errors in these sentences. Some of the sentences are correct.

work was
1. Our cousin didn’t worked yesterday because she were ill.

walked
2. I walkked to class this morning. It was a beautiful day.

3. The park was very busy last week, so we didn’t play football.

danced
4. Carla danceed a lot at her wedding last year.

5. My friend and I didn’t go to the cinema. We watched the film on TV at home.

didn’t move were

6. They not move house last month. They was happy in their old house.

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