PAST SIMPLE

P.P BY TCH LIM

 PAST
We talked for hours on the phone. (past simple)
She was running to catch the bus. (past continuous)
I have cleaned the kitchen. (present perfect simple)
I have been painting.(present perfect continuous)
I had paid by credit card. (past perfect simple)
I had been reading about the accident in the paper. (past perfect continuous)
The kids would play in the garden in the summer evenings and we would sit and talk for hours. (modal verb would)
He used to play lots of sport when he was younger. He doesn’t seem to do any exercise now. (semi-modal
verb used to)
 PAST SIMPLE ( I DID)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was
an Austrianmusician and
composer. He lived from 1756 to
1791. He started composing at
the age of five and wrote more
than 600 pieces of music. He was
only 35 years old when he died.

lived/started/wrote/was/died are all past

simple
Very often the past simple ends in –ed (regular verbs):
 I work in a travel agency now. Before that I worked in a department store.

 They invited us to their party, but we decided not to go.

 The police stopped me on my way home last night.

 Laura passed her exam because she studied very hard.

But many verbs are irregular. The past simple does not end in -ed. For example:

write → wrote Mozart wrote more than 600 pieces of music.

see → saw We saw Alice in town a few days ago.
go → went I went to the cinema three times last week.
shut → shut It was cold, so I shut the window.
In questions and negative sentences we use did / did not + infinitive (enjoy/see/go…)

 I enjoyed the party a lot. Did you enjoy it?

 How many people did they invite to the wedding?
 I didn’t buy anything because I didn’t have any money.
 “Did you go out?” “No, I didn’t.”

Sometimes do is the main verb in the sentence (did you do?, I didn’t do):

 What did you do at the weekend? (not What did you at the weekend?)
 I didn’t do anything. (not I didn’t anything)
The past of be (am/is/are) is was/were:

 I was annoyed because they were late.

 Was the weather good when you were on holiday?
 They weren’t able to come because they were so busy.
 I wasn’t hungry, so I didn’t eat anything.
 Did you go out last night or were you too tired?
 SPECIAL CONDITION
In regular one-syllable verbs with a single vowel followed by a
consonant, we double the final consonant when adding -ed to make
the past simple:

stop: The bus stopped suddenly.

plan: Who planned this trip?
PRONOUNCIATION
SINGLE OR HABITUAL
EVENTS
THE PAST SIMPLE WITH NO
TIME REFERENCE
ORDER OF EVENTS
PAST CONTINOUS ( I WAS
DOING)
Yesterday Karen and Joe played tennis. They started at 10 o’clock and finished at 11.30. So, at
10.30 they were playing tennis.

they were playing =

they were in the middle of playing, they had not finished
was/were + -ing is the past continuous:
VOCABULARY: IN A
RESTAURANT
 Finding a Table

Please wait to be seated.

 Here are some things the host or hostess will say to you:
 How many?
Tell the hostess how many people are in your group.
 Your table will be ready in 15 minutes. Please have a seat. We’ll call you when your table is ready.
Sometimes you have to wait for an available table. Many restaurants will have a bar area where you can
wait for your table and have some drinks.
 This way, please.
Follow me.
Come with me.
Anna will show you to your table.
When your table is ready, a hostess will take you to your table.
MEETING YOUR SERVER
 We used to call them waiters and waitresses, but I have noticed that they now prefer to be
called servers. A server is the person who takes your order and brings your food to your table.
 Your order is the food and drinks that you ask for at a restaurant.
 Here are some ways that your server will introduce himself or herself:
 My name is Jane. I’ll be your server this afternoon / this evening / today.
Hi, I’m Mark. I’ll be your server this evening.
 If you have any questions or need anything, please let me know.
ORDERING FOOD
 Things Your Server May Say
 Have you had a chance to decide?
What would you like?
What can I get for you?
Tell the server what you want to eat.
 And what would you like to have?
And what would you like to eat? (with the stress on you)
The server moves around the table asking each person what he wants to eat. When she finishes
taking one order, she says this to the next person.
 How would you like that done?
How would you like that cooked?
When you order a steak in a restaurant, the server will ask you how you want it cooked. Choose
one of these replies:
YOUR REPLIES
 I would like the …
Can I get the … ?
When you want to order your food, start your sentences with these phrases. Notice that you
use the article the when choosing something from the menu. You are choosing a specific food,
and the name of that food is on the menu.
 Would it be possible to get that without vegetables?
Would it be possible to get that with fries instead of vegetables?
Can I get that with fries instead of vegetables?
You order an entrée, but it comes with vegetables. You don’t like vegetables. You want to eat
fries instead.
 Can I get the salad dressing on the side?
 DURING THE MEAL
 How is everything so far?
Are you enjoying your meal?
Throughout the meal the server will come to your table to make sure everything is OK.
 Would you like a refill?
You are drinking Coke. Your glass is empty. Refill means fill again, or fill your glass with Coke again.
 Some more water?
Glasses of tap water are always free at restaurants. Notice that in spoken English, in informal situations, a
speaker will leave out do You will know it’s a question because her voice will go up at the end.
 Does anyone care for more bread?
A lot of restaurants in Canada and the US provide a bread in a basket before each meal.
 Are you finished?
All finished?
 Anything else I can get for you?
Can I get you anything else?
 Does anyone want to see the dessert menu?
Some restaurants have two menus: one for appetizers & entrees, and one for desserts.
WORD FORM PRACTICE