Past Forms

f\
II 4 II Listen and repeat. Then act out.

ell, I was ironing when the phone rang

and I answered the iron by mistake.

Past Simple Past Continuous

r------------------~Ir-----------------
past actions which two or more
I Past Perfect

past action which

I
Past Perfect
Continuous
----+1-----------
emphasis on the duration
d
happened immediately
one after the other
I
simultaneous past
actions
occurred before
another past action
of an action which started
and finished in the past
She sealed the letter, or before a specific
While I was sunbathing, before another past action
put a stamp on it and posted Tim was swimming. time in the past or a stated time in the past
it. ' He had left by the She had been working as
time I got there. a clerk for 10 years before
I (or by 8:15 pm) she resigned.
action or event which I
action in progress at a complete past action 1
past a-c-ti-o-n -o-f -ce-rt-a-in
happened at a stated past stated time in the past which had visible duration which had
time He was playing tennis at results in the past visible results in the past
She called an hour ago. 4:30 pm yesterday. She was sad because They were wet because they
(When? An hour ago.) she had failed the test. had been walking in the rain.
action which happened at past action in progress the Past Perfect is the Past Perfect I
a definite past time. The interrupted by another the past equivalent Continuous is the past
action was completed in past action. The longer of the Present equivalent of the Present
the past.
Shakespeare wrote a lot of
action is in the Past
Continuous, the shorter
IPerfect
(He can't find his
Perfect Continuous
(She is going to the doctor. ,
plays. (Shakespeare is now action is in the Past watch. He has lost it.) IHer leg has been aching for
dead; he won't write again.) Simple. He couldn't find his two days.) I
While I was getting watch. He had lost it. She went to the doctor. Her
dressed the bell rang. leg had been aching for
two days.
past habit or state background description
He used to go / went to to events in a story
school on foot. She was flying to Paris.
The sun was shining... _ _...L-_ _ _ __
Time expressions used with:
Past Simple 1yesterday, last week, etc. (how long) ago, then, just now, when, in 1967, et~
Past Continuous while, when , as, etc.
Past Perfect ,for, since, already, after, just, never, yet, before, by, by the time, etc. ]
Past Perfect Continuous for, since

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 e Past Forms

1 Write the past simple form of the verbs in the list in the correct column. Then
read them out.
Hke GPf dance smile travel delay live empty
step play fry rob try stay prefer destroy

-e +d double consonant + ed vowel + y + ed

liked, stopped, cried, played,

;
2 Add -(e)d to the verbs, put them in the correct column, then read them out.

taRQ SffiHe correct slip decorate offer dress water suggest

lG9k watch start smash cook collect prepare iron clean

Iidl after Itl, Idl It! after Ik/, lsI, /II, Ipl, ItJl Idl after ot~er sounds
landed, looked, smiled,

3 Put the verbs in brackets into the correct past form, then match them to their uses .

• past habit • past action of certain duration with visible results in the past • simultaneous past actions
• complete past action with visible results in the past • past action in progress interrupted by another past
action • action continuing over a period up to a specific time in the past

When she was young, she l 2 John ...................... . 3 Ted ............... (read)
..... dJitJct¥i ..... (dance) (drive) home when his car a book while Mary ....... .
a lot. . • . . . . . . . . . . .. (watch) lV at
(break down) . 4 o!clock yesterday afternoon .
....... .p<i1~t h~bit ...... .

, I

4 He was tired . He ......... . 5 She was upset because she :I 6 She ......•........• (wait)
............. (work) on his .................... (lose) for an hour before the bus
computer all night. her watch . .................. (come).

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 o Past Forms

6 A teacher is talking to a student. Put the verbs in brackets into the past simple or
the past continuous.

Teacher: James, why is your leg in a plaster cast? What 1) ..• • b~p~nt;.d .... (happen)?
James: Well , yesterday afternoon when I 2) .... ; ......................... (walk) home from school , I
3) ..................... (slip) over on the ice and 4) ..................... (break) my ankle.
Teacher: How awful!
James: It 5) ..................... (be) . And I 6) ....................... (not/have) any credit on my
mobile to call my parents.
Teacher: , So, how did you get to hospital?
Well, I 7) ............................... (lie) on the ground wondering what to do when, all of
James:
a sudden, I 8) ....................... (see) my next door neighbour. He 9) ............... ..
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. (take) his dog for a walk.
Teacher: That was lucky.
James: I know. Anyway , he 10) .................... (phone) my mum and she 11) ................. .
(come) and 12) ...................... (take) me to hospital.
Teacher: Well, I'm very glad someone 13) .................. (find) you and I hope your leg mends soon.

7 Put the verbs in brackets into the past simple or the past continuous.

It was a cold winter's night. The wind 1) ... Wttq .b.lpyri.n@ . .. (blow) and
thick snow 2) ........................ (fall) to the ground. None of us
could sleep, so we all 3) ........................ (stay) up late. While we
4) .........•............. (sit) in the living room , listening to my brother,
Jed , play the guitar, Mum 5) ...••................... (come) out of the kitchen
with hot chocolate for everyone. We 6) ......•.••..•..•••••...•. (have) a great time when,
suddenly, all the lights 7) ....................... (go) out!
Mum 8) ................. (begin) looking for some candles. Ted 9) ................ (try)
to help us when my litle sister, Emma, 10) •••.•••••••••••••••• (fall) off the couch.
As 111) ................. (try) to reach her, I 12) .................... (trip) over my
brother's guitar. Luckily, Dad 13) .........•..•....•. (find) some matches and
14) ••......•..•... (light) the fire. We could see again but we couldn't stop laughing!

8 Put the verbs in brackets into the past simple or the past perfect. State which action
happened first.

When I ... .ldt. ... (leave) the house, I ... r~tillj~~d. . .. (realise) that I ..• bttd .f.ar.gQtte.n . .. (forget)
to take my keys with me. First action: ... /1.wl fQt'@(Jt.t:t{t;1 •••
2 After I ............................. (finish) digging the garden, I .1 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • (decide)
to go for a walk. First action: ................... ..
3 I .....••....•..........•. (lend) Alisha some money only after she .•...•...............•. (promise)
to give it back the next day. First action: ................... ..
4 Kate ....................... (study) for her Maths test before she ....................... (go) out
with her friends. First action: .................... .
5 I ........................ (buy) Beckie a plant yesterday because she ........................ (sing)
so well in the concert the night before. First action: .................... .

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