Past simple

(regular verbs)
Function: the past simple
Last year, I travelled to
France by train. It was
fun! I really liked France.
Did all the events and
Yes.
feelings they mention
happen at these times?
Are the events
finished/completed?
Yes. The time periods (last
year, 10 years ago) and the
events are finished/completed.
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.
Yes: Last
year, 10 years
ago.
Do they mention any specific
times in the past?
The past.
Look at the highlighted sections.
Are they talking about the present
or the past?
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
Last year, I travelled to France by train. 2. Last month/year/week
3. 10 years/a month ago
4. In 1997
Form: regular verbs in the positive
Amazing! My sister and her
husband moved to France 10
Last year, I travelled
travelled to
years ago. They lived in Paris
France by train. It was fun! I
first. They were happy there,
really liked France.
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.
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
studied watched played simple verbs.

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

Let’s consider…
 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 one syllable
one syllable two
syllables
Form: negatives in the past simple
I didn’t like Paris. It was
very busy and the
restaurants were
expensive. I preferred the
villages.
I liked Paris a lot. My sister
didn’t live
didn’t live in the centre. We
cooked at my sister’s house a
lot and didn’t go to
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, verb infinitive
She, It, We, didn’t (did not)
They
Form: negatives in the past simple
I didn’t like Paris. It was
very busy and the
restaurants were
expensive. I preferred the
villages.
I liked Paris a lot. My sister
didn’t live in the centre. We
cooked at my sister’s house a
lot and didn’t go to
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 verb infinitive

the same with all is the one you find
persons (I, you, he, in a dictionary (but
etc.). without to). Let’s practise!
Form: making questions in the past simple
I went to the new
Where did you go shopping centre in town.
shopping yesterday? Did your sister reply to
the email about your
party?
Yes, she did. She arrives
next week.
Use the examples to complete the gaps in the table with these
words. The first one is done for you.

Look at the conversation

person verb question did
above. Can you find some (subject) infinitive word
questions in the past simple?

Yes.
1. Where did you go shopping
yesterday?
2. Did your sister reply to the
Where did you go
email about your party?
shopping?
Did your sister reply?
Form: making questions in the past simple
Where did you go
shopping yesterday?
Yes, she did. She arrives
next week.
I went to the new
shopping centre in town.
Did your sister reply to
the email about your
party?

The infinitive
question did person verb form of a verb is
what you find in
word (subject) infinitive a dictionary (but
without to).
Closed questions have no
Where did you go question word. They start with
shopping? did and we answer yes or no.
Open questions
Did your sister reply?
start with a
What did they do? question word.
They need a long
Did Gabriel call? Let’s practise!
answer.
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.

dance
4. Did Carla danced 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.