Past tense

English
Usage
• The general use of the past tense:
• To talk about the past
• To talk about a hypotheses (when we imagine something)
• For politeness
• General structure:
Past simple
• Most of the verbs used in past tense are formed by adding –ed
• Called / liked / wanted / worked
• Pronunciation
• /d/ played /playd
• /t/ walked / wókt
• /id/ decided / decidid/
/d/
• The d prononciation with verbs that • Welcomed/m/
ends with a voice sound
• Are made in the throat. It means that
• Designed /n/
make the throat vibrate • Answered /r/
• Describe(d) /b/ • Breathed /th*/
• Agree(d) /e/ • Continued /u/
• Belonge(d) /g/ • Improved /v/
• Identified /i/ • Followed /w/
• Change(d) /j/ • Amused /z/
• Traveled /l/ • Played /+y/
/t/
• Unvoiced sound
• Front of your mouth / Like a drum beat
• /p/  helped(t)
• /k/  worked(t)
• /s/  Relaxed (t)
• /sh/  Washed (t)
• /ch/  Watched (t)
• /th/ thing  Frothed (t)
• /f/  Laughed (t)
/id/
• Only used when ends in “d” or “t”
• Recommended /id/
• Persuaded /id/
• Provided /id/
• Decided /id/
• Needed /id/
• Started /id/
• Acted /id/
• Created /id/
• Participated /id/
Irregular verbs
Most Common
Irregular verbs
Most Common
Usage
• When something happens ONCE in the past:
• I met my wife in 1998
• We went to Brazil for our 19th anniversary
• When something happened several times in the past:
• When my father was a body, he walked 3 km to school every day.
• My mother visited her father once a month before his death
• When something was True for some time in the past:
• I lived at Carvajal neighbourhood for 28 years
• He enjoyed the chocolate
• She played football when she was younger
• We use the expresión “ago” with the simple past
• I studied for the IELTS 3 months ago.
Questions / Negatives
• We use “did” to make questions with the simple past:
• Did she play the piano yesterday?
• Did we bring the food?
• When did she arrive?
• What did you do?
• As in the present simple we don’t use who with did
• Who created Mario Kart?
• Who took my breakfast?
• We use did not (didn’t) to make negative sentences:
• They didn’t go to France this year.
• I didn’t see you at school.