Past Tense Simple - Exercises
Past Tense Simple - Exercises
Past Tense Simple - Exercises
When the final sound in the simple present is T or D, the ED ending is pronounced
/id/
8. Study the rules in the table then give the vb+ed form to the following verbs:
Verb ending in... How to make the simple past Examples
live - lived
e Add -D
date - dated
try - tried
Consonant + y Change y to i, then add -ED
cry - cried
tap - tapped
One vowel + one consonant (but NOT w or y) Double the consonant, then add -ED
commit - committed
boil - boiled
[anything else] Add -ED fill - filled
hand - handed
A buyed C bought
B bawt D buied
A said C sought
B sayed D saed
A read C readed
B red D raided
A choosed C chought
B chosed D chose
6. How high did the water rise during the 1962 floods? It _________________ about 10 feet.
A rise C rase
B rised D rose
7. How long did the soldier stand at attention? He ___________________ at attention for an hour.
A stand C stode
B standed D stood
8. How did he break that lamp? He __________ it by accidentally knocking it over with his elbow.
A broke C broked
B brake D breaked
A saint C sunt
B sent D suit
10. What did you know about Japan before you went there? I ________ that the language would be hard
for me to learn.
A knew C knowed
B knaw D know
11. What did the diplomat mean when she said "We had a frank discussion.?" She ___________ that
they shouted at each other.
A mint D meant
B meaned
C mought
12. How many paragraphs did you write for your essay?
I ___________________ eight paragraphs.
A wrote C wrate
B wrought D writed
A slipped C slebbed
B sleeped D slept
14. How many library books did she take last week? She __________________ five books.
A toke C tight
B taked D took
15. When did the lake freeze? It _________ last week when the temperature went down to 0 degrees.
A freezed C fraze
B freize D froze
She worked. She Did she work? Yes, she did. No, she
You worked. You didn't work. Yes you did. No, you
13. Say what you did yesterday as in the model. Remember to use past tense simple.
Model: Yesterday, I went to the mall. I bought some shorts and a baseball cap. I spent almost $20.
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
14. Say what you did last weekend as in the model. Remember to use past tense simple.
Model: I stayed home and cleaned my room. I didn’t do anything fun.
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
Past Past
Infinitive
Simple participle
1 do
2 draw
3 drink
4 eat
5 fall
6 feed
7 feel
8 fight
9 find
10 fly
11 forbid
12 forget
13 freeze
14 get
15 give
16 go
17 grow
29. Change the order of the words below. Don’t forget to put a full-stop at the end of the
sentence.
example I / yesterday / saw / him
I saw him yesterday.
1. passed / Donna / the driving test
1. buy 2. have
3. pay 4. think
5. come 6. read
7. get 8. drink
9. take 10. break
11. make 12. begin
13. eat 14. fly
15. run 16. ride
17. sing 18. drive
19. swim 20. fight
21. cut 22. ring
23. forget 24. give
Hello everybody! My name is Harry Doyle. I am very nostalgic and I always talk
about the past. This is an old picture of me. I was eighteen in this picture. It was thirteen years ago. I
studied at University at that time. I lived with my friends Paco and Choo in a big and old flat. We didn't
study much and we enjoyed our life. Every weekend we went to the disco and met new girls. I remember
I had a girlfriend called Margarita. She was Spanish. I finished my studies in 1995. A year later I
started to work as a Language teacher in a Secondary school. Life is not too bad, but those days were
fantastic!
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
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______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
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Past Past
Infinitive
Simple participle
11 stand
1 shut 12 steal
2 sing 13 stick
3 sink 14 sting
4 sit 15 stink
5 sleep 16 strike
6 speak 17 swear
7 spend
8 split
9 spread
10 spring
34. There is a mistake in every sentence. Find it and write the sentence right.
/t/
8. Decided 10. Watched
/id/ /d/ /d/
/t/ /t/
6. Started
/d/ /id/ /id/
1 sweep
2 swim
3 swing
4 take
5 teach
6 tear
7 tell
8 think
9 thrown
10 understan
d
11 wake
37. Put the words in order to form correct questions:
1. arrive When you did ?
_________________________________________________________________
2. wait long for she How did me ?
_________________________________________________________________
3. phone night last Why you did me ?
_________________________________________________________________
4. meet days two ago Did you her ?
_________________________________________________________________
5. party? see the Who did you in
_________________________________________________________________
6. concert start When did the ?
_________________________________________________________________
38. Answer using "Yes.... " and the past form of the verbs:
01. Did the concert begin on time? _Yes, it did.___ 11. Did it cost a lot? ________________
02. Did Mr Jones lose his temper? _______________ 12. Did the student do his work? ______________
03. Did Mrs Jones go to the supermarket? _____________ 13. Did the steak smell good? _____________
04. Did they come early? ______________ 14. Did you find your book? __________
05. Did you drink tea every day? ________________ 15. Did Mr Jones ring? _________________
06. Did the plane fly low? _________________ 16. Did Mary throw the ball? ______________
07. Did the student learn English? ______________ 17. Did Mrs Jones make a cup of tea? _____________
08. Did he run quickly? ______________ 18. Did you feel ill? __________________
09. Did she tear her coat? _____________ 19. Did you write the letter? __________________
10. Did you wake up early? ________________ 20. Did you stand a long time? ______________
did I? was I?
weren't I? wasn't I?
3) Alexander was a factory owner,___?
he wasn't? he was?
wasn't he? didn't he?
4) Monika was here, ___?
wasn't I? was I?
were I? were I?
8) You and I were busy last week, ___?
weren't I? we weren't?
weren't we? were you?
9) It was windy today, ___?
1. to build 6. to bleed
2. to break 7. to bite
3. to be 8. to bet
4. to become 9. to begin
44. Write the correct past form in the box in the following sentences:
45. Write the correct past verb in the box in the following sentences:
1. to eat 6. to cut
2. to drink 7. to come
3. to dream 8. to catch
4. to do 9. to dig
46. Put in the correct verb forms and the nouns into the gaps. Use Simple Past.
Example: ____________ their friends? (they/to meet) Answer: Did they meet
their friends?
47. Write the correct past form in the box in the following sentences:
48. Write the correct past verb in the box in the following sentences:
1. to hang 6. to find
2. to hit 7. to hide
3. to hear 8. to freeze
4. to feed 9. to find
5. to go 10. to hurt
50. Write the correct past verb in the box in the following sentences:
1. to lose 7. to learn
2. to know 8. to lie
3. to leave 9. to lean
5. to lead
6. to make
51. Select the correct past form for each of the following:
52. Write the correct past verb in the box in the following sentences:
3. to sell 7. to shake
4. to see 8. to shine
54. Write the correct past verb in the box in the following sentences:
1. to sink
6. to swim
2. to stick
7. to steal
3. to spit
8. to spend
4. to split
9. to sit
5. to spend
10. to speed
55. Put in the correct verb form into the gap. Use Simple Past.
Example: ___ they ______ their friends? (to meet) Answer: Did they meet their friends?
Example: ____ she ____ the Internet? (to surf) Answer: Did she surf the
Internet?
58. Write the correct past verb in the box in the following sentences:
1. to write 6. to think
2. to tell 7. to wind
3. to tear 8. to understand
4. to wake 9. to take
59. Negate the first sentence in each task. Write the negative verb forms (sometimes with a
preposition) from the first sentences into the gaps. You can use long or short (contracted) forms
of the auxiliaries.
3) I forgot to take the book with me. - I to take the book with
me.
7) The boys jumped into the water. - The boys into the water.
10) The lady sent invitation cards. - The lady invitation cards.
60. Don't-Doesn't-Didn't?
1. Tom likes curry, but his family ___.
a. don't 6. I went, but he ___.
b. doesn't a. don't
c. didn't b. doesn't
2. My sister works in a bank, but I ___. c. didn't
a. don't 7. They bought it, but we ___.
b. doesn't a. don't
c. didn't b. doesn't
3. John and Mary went to the movies last night, but I c. didn't
___. 8. I want to go to Paris for my honeymoon, but she
a. don't ___.
b. doesn't a. don't
c. didn't b. doesn't
4. Mr. Jones eats meat, but his wife ___. c. didn't
a. don't 9.He said he would ring, but I ___ think he will.
b. doesn't a. don't
c. didn't b. doesn't
5. He wants to, but they ___. c. didn't
a. don't 10. My wife needs glasses now, but her mother still
b. doesn't ___.
c. didn't a. don't
b. doesn't
c. didn't
61. Fill in each blank with the SIMPLE PAST form of the verb. These are IRREGULAR
VERBS.
1. He ___________his wife to the concert. (to bring)
63. Simple Past gap-fill exercise. Fill the gaps with the correct form of the verbs (in brackets).
1) When he ___________ (be) a boy he _____________ (like) his job, it
_______________(be) fun.
2) They _____________(live) in a small flat 10 years ago.
3) She _____________ (study) history last year.
4) I ____________(eat) breakfast at 6.00 am this morning.
5) I _______________(cycle) home from work.
6) We _____________(go) to the cinema last night.
7) They _____________(be) very good students, they always _____________(do) their
homework.
8) When he ___________(be) the boss he never _______________(walk) to work, he
always _______________(drive).
9) When I _____________(begin) teaching I _____________(teach) for a language school.
10) When they started this course the students only ______________(speak) a little English.
64. Negate the first sentence in each task. Write the negation of the verbs in bold into
the correct gaps. You can use long or short (contracted) forms of the auxiliary.
66. Put the correct forms of the verbs into the gaps. Use the Simple Past in the statements.
Example: She ______ her mother in the kitchen. (to help) Answer: She helped her mother in the
kitchen.
67. Fill in the gaps to form questions from the words in brackets (...).
68. Use the given words to create past simple sentences. All the verbs have irregular past forms.
1. Mike / throw / the car keys / and Tina / catch / them
7. He /not understand French very well / the first time he / go / to/ Paris
1) what / he / to have / for lunch 4) why / the teacher / to check / the computer
__________________________________________ _____________________________________
____
2) when / you / to watch / the film
__________________________________________ 5) why / Julia / to ask / questions
_____________________________________
3) where / your father / to repair / the kite ____
__________________________________________
1) he tries - he
4) they play - they
73. Put the correct forms of the verbs into the gaps. Use the Simple Past in the statements.
Example: I ______ to the teacher. (to talk) Answer: I talked to the teacher.
74. Negate the first sentence in each task. Write the negation of the verbs in bold into
the correct gaps. You can use long or short/contracted forms of the auxiliary.
Example: Tom wrote a letter. - Tom ______________ a letter. Answer: Tom did not write a letter.
was was
were were
Q2 - ____ you tired? Q4 - I ____ very annoyed.
Was was
Were were
Q5 - She ____ there.
was
was
were
were Q12 - How many ____ there?
Q6 - Everybody ____ pleased.
was
was
were
were
Q7 - There ____ no trouble at the party. Either could be used here.
Q13 - We _____ too late.
was
was
were
Q8 - ____ there any difficulty in finding it? were
was weren't
Q15 - It ____ impossible.
were
Q10 - It ____ no bother. was
was were
was
were
76. Put in the verbs in brackets into the gaps. Watch the punctuation and form sentences or
questions.
Example: The children ______ their sandwiches. (to forget)
Answer: The children forgot their sandwiches on Monday.
77. Rewrite the complete phrases into Simple Past. Watch the example.
78. The following words end on -ed. How do you pronounce this ending correctly? Write the
words into the correct column:
worked, rained, finished, lived, listened, asked, looked, arrived, laughed, helped
sound 1 sound 2 [ ] sound 3 [ ]
[ ]
80. Complete the blanks with the past simple form of the verbs in brackets.
Cinderella
Once upon a time... there ...............(live) an unhappy young girl. Unhappy she ...............(be), for her
mother ...............(be) dead, her father had married another woman, a widow with two daughters, and her
stepmother ...............(not like) her one little bit. All the nice things, kind thoughts and loving touches ...............
(be) for her own daughters. And not just the kind thoughts and love, but also
dresses, shoes, shawls, delicious food, comfy beds, as well as every home
comfort.
All this was laid on for her daughters. But, for the poor unhappy girl,
there ...............(be) nothing at all. No dresses, only her stepsisters' hand-me-
downs. No lovely dishes, nothing but scraps. No nice rests and comfort. For
she ...............(have) to work hard all day, and only when evening ...............(come)
was she allowed to sit for a while by the fire, near the cinders.
That is how she ...............(get) her nickname, for everybody ...............(call) her Cinderella. Cinderella ...............
(use) to spend long hours all alone talking to the cat. The cat ...............(say), "Miaow", which really meant, "Cheer
up! You have something neither of your step sisters have and that is beauty." It ...............(be) quite true.
Cinderella, even...............(dress) in rags with a dusty grey face from the cinders, ...............(be) a lovely girl. While
her stepsisters, no matter how splendid and elegant their clothes, ...............(be) still clumsy, lumpy and ugly and
always would be.
1) They ill.
2) You tired.
3) The children quiet.
4) Max in Helsinki last week.
5) She home for dinner.
6) The water cold.
7) There a good film on TV yesterday.
8) We in Brazil last winter.
9) Betty and Florence at school this morning.
10) I happy when I heard about the accident.
1. Jack often goes out for dinner, yesterday he (go) to an Italian restaurant.
2. Sue never wears jeans, yesterday she (wear) a yellow skirt and a multicoloured T-shirt.
4. Grandma often makes cakes, last Sunday she (make) a delicious apple-pie.
5. Jim always brings souvenirs when he goes abroad, from Scotland he (bring) some haggis.
6. Kathy eats eggs for breakfast but this morning she (not/eat) any.
7. Mum drinks a lot of tea, yesterday she (drink) a dozen cups in the afternoon.
8. Sally does a lot of crossword puzzles, she (do) seven of them last evening.
9. Grandfather can't swim a long time now, but when he was young he (can) swim for
hours.
10. Simon usually comes home by bus, but last night he met a friend and
Linda: Oh, I liked the movie very much! Did you like it too?
Brian: I tried to understand it, but I could not!
Linda: Yes, they used many slang words. The actors were really good though!
Brian: By the way, I saw your sister, yesterday, after the match.
Linda: Yes, she was at the match too. She liked it a lot.
Brian: But afterwards, it started raining! What did you do then?
Linda: I hurried home. What did you do afterwards?
Brian: Hahaha....We played darts! Your sister´s boyfriend is very nice!
Linda: I preferred my sister´s last boyfriend. He was also an actor.
Brian: The actors´ achievements were really great, but the leading actor’s accent
was terrible! Hahaha...
Linda: You are right. I particularly liked the end of the film, but the seats at the
cinema were, however, somewhat uncomfortable.
Brian: That’s why I already look forward to my own couch. Hahahaha!
Linda: Yes, it is certainly more comfortable. I already look forward to seeing your
place!
Brian: I’ll pick you up tomorrow from your office!
Linda: Great! See you tomorrow! Oh, it is raining again.
Fill in the correct past form of the verb. Choose from this box:
could did did Did hurried liked liked played saw started tried used was were
Linda: Oh, I ________ the movie very much! ________ you like it too? Brian: I
________ to understand it, but I ________ not! Linda: Yes, they
________ many
slang words. The actors ________ really good though! Brian: By the
way, I
________ your sister, yesterday, after the match. Linda: Yes, she
________ at the
match too. She ________ it a lot. Brian: But afterwards, it ________
raining! What
________ you do then? Linda: I ________ home. What ________
you do
afterwards? Brian: Hahaha....We ________ darts!
84. Complete the gaps with an irregular verb in the past tense simple. Choose from:
be, break, buy, come, drive, eat, feel, find, get, give, go, have, hear, hold, know, let, lose,
make, put, read, ring, run, say, sleep, take, think, tell, write
Note: you will need to use some verbs more than once:
Dear Ethel
I’m writing to tell you about something that happened yesterday. I __________ up at the usual time –
about 10 am – __________ a shower and __________ breakfast. I __________ a big bowl of cereal and
some toast and watched TV for a while. Then I __________ into the kitchen where I __________ a
funny noise. I __________ it __________ from behind the cooker. I __________ my tool box and moved
the cooker out of the way.
The noise __________ louder but I couldn’t see anything. I __________ my uncle to ask his advice. He
__________ that he __________ it could be a gas leak. When I __________ this I just panicked! I
__________ the phone down, __________ outside, __________ in my car and __________ to the local
police station. I __________ them about my gas leak but the constable __________ his patience with me.
He __________ that I should have phoned the gas company. He __________ his report, then
__________ the gas company for me.
Then I remembered that my house doesn’t have gas – only electricity! I __________ really stupid and
__________ that the constable would be angry with me for wasting his time, so I __________ out of the
police station while he __________ still on the phone. I __________ home to try to find out what the
noise __________. On the way I __________ a newspaper and I __________ about an escaped llama
that __________ out of the city safari park last Wednesday.
When I __________ home I __________ my key in the door, turned it, __________ inside and straight
away __________ that funny noise again. I __________ my breath and opened the door slowly. Guess
what? I __________ the llama hiding in my cupboard! I __________ him stay and he __________ in my
garden last night. The snoring __________ so loud! This morning I __________ him back to the safari
park. They __________ really pleased to see him again and __________ me a reward of £50!
Hope you are well. Write soon and let me know how you are. Your friend,
GROUP I: verbs that have the same form in infinitive, past and
participle.
GROUP II: Verbs that have the same form in past and participle,
but different infinitive form.
GROUP III: Verbs that have different infinitive, past and participle forms.
GROUP IV: Verbs that have the same form in participle and infinitive.
92. Put the verbs into the correct form (simple past).
93. Have a look at James's last week's diary and answer the questions in complete
sentences. Put the time expression at the end of the sentence. Look at the example.
When was his English course? His English course was on Thursday.
When did he go shopping? __________________________________________________________
When did he buy flowers? __________________________________________________________
When was his meeting? __________________________________________________________
When did he play football? __________________________________________________________
When did he go to the Italian restaurant?
_______________________________________________
When did he ring Jane? __________________________________________________________
When did he go to the cinema? ______________________________________________________
When did he play tennis? __________________________________________________________
When was the concert? __________________________________________________________
When did he go sailing? __________________________________________________________
94. Forming the Simple Past Tense (Regular Verbs). Write the correct form of each
verb.
My grandfather had a very exciting life. When he was young, he ____________ (live) on a
farm in the country.
His parents ____________ (raise) cattle, and he ____________ (look) after the cows. When he
was eighteen, he
went to university, where he ____________ (study) Philosophy. He also ____________ (play)
the trumpet in a
jazz band. When the war started, he ____________ (try) to join the Air Force, but he
____________ (end) up in
the Navy. In the Atlantic, a German torpedo ____________ (rip) a hole in the side of his ship,
and the ship sank.
Only five men ____________ (escape). They ____________ (sail) in a lifeboat back to England.
Then he met
my grandmother, and they ____________ (marry) after only three weeks. He says now that
he ____________
(want) to marry her very quickly in case he ____________ (die) in the war.
95. Forming the Simple Past Tense (Regular and Irregular Verbs). Write the
correct form of each verb.
Emily Carr, British Columbia's most famous artist, ____________ (be) born in 1871. Her
parents ____________
(die) when she was still a teenager. She ____________ (study) art in San Francisco and Paris,
but when she
____________ (come) back to Victoria, she ____________ (keep) a house called "The House of
All Sorts",
where she ____________ (be) the landlady. Many years later, she ____________ (begin)
painting again. To find
subjects for her paintings, she ____________ (take) trips into the forests of British Columbia,
and she often
____________ (meet) with the First Nations people and ____________ (paint) them too. Emily
Carr also
____________ (write) several books, and she ____________ (win) the Governor General's
Award for one of them.
96. Write affirmative, negative and interrogative sentences in the PAST SIMPLE.
James lives in Suances. He gets up at 7.30 am, has breakfast and gets dressed. He goes to school by bus. He
arrives at 8.20 am. He finishes school at 2.25 pm. After school, he goes home and has lunch with his family.
Later he does his homework, sends e-mails or watches TV. Then, he leaves home and goes to the sports
centre. He swims, does karate or plays football. Does he meet up with his friends? Yes, he does. He also
learns German, teaches chess and buys food for his pets.
99. Complete the following sentences with the past simple of the verb in brackets:
1. Maria and Lucy __________________ (to visit) the party last night.
2. They __________________ (to take) the boat to the island on Friday.
3. Will __________________ (to make) us laugh yesterday.
4. The train __________________ (to leave) the station in the morning
5. I __________________ (to try) to fix it long ago.