Grammar Notes

SIMPLE PAST

A. Use

We use the simple past to talk about

finished actions that happened in the past.

past present future

B. Time Markers

Words that show the time of an action are called "time markers."
Common time markers for the simple past are yesterday, last, ago, and when.

Time Marker Examples

• I walked my dog yesterday.

yesterday
• He called me yesterday morning.

• They went to the movies last night.

last
• Our company hired 20 new employees last year.

• She got a new job two months ago.

ago
• Six weeks ago, we moved to New York.

• My brother learned to ride a bike when he was four years old.

when
• When I graduated from university, I applied for many jobs.

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Grammar Notes cont.
C. Form

A common way to form the simple past is to add -ed to the end of a verb.
These verbs are called “regular verbs.”

Other verbs have many kinds of changes.

They are called “irregular verbs.”

The Be verb is a special kind of irregular verb.

It has two forms (was and were). It also has different sentence patterns.

Let’s look at regular verbs, irregular verbs, and the Be verb in more detail.

D. Regular Verbs

To form the past tense of regular verbs, add -ed to the base verb.

Type of Sentence Pattern Examples

• I talked to my friends for hours yesterday.

• They worked until 7:00 pm last night.

Positive base verb + -ed
• She tried to help me two weeks ago.

• My coworkers completed the project.

• He did not study French at school.

Negative did not / didn't + base verb
• My classmates didn't like my speech.

• Did you call me last night?

Question did + subject + base verb
• Did she go on a trip last year?

• When did you leave?

Wh- Question Wh- word + did + subject + base verb
• How did they know about the test?

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Grammar Notes cont.
D. Regular Verbs cont.

How do we spell regular past verbs? Follow these simple rules:

# Rule Examples

• like liked
1 If a verb ends in -e, add -d. • arrive arrived
• decide decided

• carry carried
2 If a verb ends in consonant + -y, change -y to -i and add -ed. • try tried
• study studied

• play played
3 If a verb ends in vowel + -y, add -ed.* • stay stayed
• enjoy enjoyed

• hug hugged
If a verb ends in a consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) pattern,
4 • plan planned
double the final consonant and add -ed.**
• stop stopped

• watch watched
5 For all other verbs, add -ed. • ask asked
• clean cleaned

Note: Note:
There are some exceptions to this rule: For verbs with more than one syllable, this rule is only
true if the stress is on the last syllable. Notice the
• pay paid
difference below:
• lay laid
• prefer preferred
• visit visited

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Grammar Notes cont.
E. Irregular Verbs

To form the past tense of an irregular verb, we must

make a change (in the middle or ending) to the verb.

Type of Sentence Pattern Examples

• She wrote me a long email this morning.

• I ate an entire pizza on the weekend.

Positive various changes* • The staff members met with the boss.

• They rode their bikes to

school when they were young.

• He did not read the newspaper yesterday.

Negative did not / didn't + base verb • My neighbours didn't pay
their rent last month.

• Did you tell her about your accident?

Question did + subject + base verb • Did they go shopping
yesterday afternoon?

• When did you catch a cold?

Wh- Question Wh- word + did + subject + base verb
• Why did you sing that song?

*Note:
For a complete list of irregular verbs,
see page 23 in this lesson.

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Grammar Notes cont.
F. Be Verb

To form the past tense of the Be verb, use the words was or were.

Type of Sentence Pattern Examples

I / he / she / it / singular count noun / • I was happy when I was in Hawaii.

non-count noun + was • The teacher was in the classroom.
Positive
you / we / they / • We were sick last month.
plural count noun + were • The children were at the park.

was not / wasn't • He was not at home last night.

Negative
were not / weren't • We weren't at work yesterday.

• Were you in trouble?

Question was / were + subject
• Was your sister at school yesterday?

• Who was that?

Wh- Question Wh- word + was / were + subject
• Where were you?

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Exercise 1
FILL IN THE BLANKS

Put the correct past tense form of Be in the blanks below.

Ex. Eva was sick yesterday.

1. We in the same class last year.

2. I tired after a long day at work.

3. The weather beautiful yesterday.

4. My teachers really good last semester.

5. The children hungry after so much exercise.

6. The wind very strong last night.

7. She so happy last week.

8. They nervous on the first day of school.

9. Luckily, the windows closed during the rainstorm.

10. We very happy to get your invitation last week.

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Exercise 2
COMPLETE THE SENTENCES

Finish the following sentences using

the negative form of Be in the past tense.

Ex. I am at work today, but I wasn’t at work yesterday.

1. It is cold outside today, but

2. She is sick today, but

3. They are at school today, but

4. The TV show is good today, but

5. The peaches are sweet today, but

6. The class is interesting today, but

7. He is angry today, but

8. The door is locked today, but

9. The exercises are easy today, but

10. The children are tired today, but

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Exercise 3
PAIR WORK

Write the questions using the prompt and the simple past tense.
Then interview your partner. Write down your partner’s answers.

# Prompt Question Answer

Ex at home / last night Were you at home last night? No, I wasn't.

1 at school / yesterday

2 at the movies / last weekend

3 at the gym / last week

4 at the mall / last month

5 in another country / last year

6 tired / last night

7 angry / last week

8 sick / last month

9 excited / about your last birthday

10 happy / during your last vacation

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Exercise 4
VERB CHART (REGULAR VERBS)

Review the spelling rules on page 4.

Then write the past forms of these regular verbs.

# Base Form Past Form # Base Form Past Form

Ex ask asked 10 laugh

1 brush 11 learn

2 carry 12 like

3 check 13 listen

4 clean 14 plan

5 cry 15 play

6 dance 16 study

7 decide 17 talk

8 hope 18 walk

9 hug 19 wash

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Exercise 5
CHOOSE THE CORRECT VERB

Choose a verb from the list on the right to complete the following
sentences. Write the verb in the past tense. Use each verb only once.

Ex. I visited my friend in the hospital last night.

Verb List:
1. The boys baseball in the field behind the school. • change
• visit
2. Robert his wife wash the dishes. • paint
• travel
• listen
3. We our living room a soft blue colour.
• help
• arrive
4. Susan TV for two hours last night. • learn
• watch
5. We planes on the way to New York. • play
• wait
6. She for him for 20 minutes at the coffee shop.

7. He how to swim when he was a child.

8. They all around the country three years ago.

9. The students late for class.

10. We to the radio until midnight.

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Exercise 6
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
A. Write the Answers

Answer the questions using the simple past tense and the prompt.

# Question Prompt Answer

Ex Did Anna bake a cake last weekend? no No, she didn’t.

1 Did the boys play soccer yesterday? yes

2 Did she call her mother last night? no

3 Did you fix your TV yesterday? no

4 Did they play in a band together? yes

5 Did he study history at university? yes

B. Interview Your Partner

Now write five questions using any regular verbs from the list on page 10.
Then ask your partner the questions and write his or her answers.

# Question Answer

Ex Did you watch TV last night? Yes, she did.

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Exercise 7
VERB CHART (IRREGULAR VERBS)

Write the past forms of these irregular verbs.

Refer to the list on page 23 if you need help.

# Base Form Past Form # Base Form Past Form

Ex be was, were 10 make

1 begin 11 read

2 bring 12 run

3 catch 13 see

4 choose 14 sing

5 do 15 sleep

6 fall 16 take

7 go 17 teach

8 have 18 think

9 know 19 write

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Exercise 8
CHOOSE THE CORRECT VERB

Choose a verb(s) from the list on the right to complete the following
sentences. Write the verb(s) in the past tense. Use each verb only once.

Ex. She broke a plate when she was washing the dishes.
Verb List:
1. They to Paris in a jumbo jet last week. • buy
• ring
• lie
2. I the alarm clock for 7:00 yesterday morning, but I
• break
• teach
up an hour before the alarm clock . • fly
• set
• send
3. I an email to my friend back home.
• wake
• swim
4. He a five-page essay last night. • feel
• pay
• meet
5. His mother care of him when he sick.
• have
• write
6. The teacher the mathematics class • drink
• give
• get
and then the students three exercises to do for homework.
• take
• catch
7. Matthew his wallet on the way to work yesterday. • lose

He very upset.

8. Angie a bad cold last week. She in bed for three days.

9. The children in the lake behind their house last summer.

10. We a wonderful time at your party last night.

11. I groceries on my way home yesterday and I cash.

12. I three friends at the cafe and

we several cups of coffee together.

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Exercise 10
OPPOSITES

Write the opposite of each verb below. Make sure to use the past tense.
There may be more than one possible opposite, but try to think of one
that has an irregular past form.

# Verb Opposite

Ex gave took

1 remembered

2 bought

3 found

4 sat

5 arrived

6 opened

7 rose (the sun)

8 learned

9 floated

10 saved (money)

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Exercise 11
TIME MARKERS

Complete the following sentences using yesterday, last, or ago.

Ex. We went sking a lot last winter.

1. She came to this country three years .

2. The teacher cancelled the class Monday.

3. I spoke to him for ten minutes .

4. We went dancing night.

5. The boss was away morning.

6. We began this class fall.

7. The children ran around outside afternoon.

8. She got married five years .

9. We went shopping .

10. He left five minutes .

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Exercise 12
POSITIVE & NEGATIVE

Read the example. Then complete the sentences below using the past
tense. Make the first sentence negative and the second one positive.

Ex. Ben usually eats cereal for breakfast. 6. Ben usually meets his boss in the morning.

He didn’t eat cereal yesterday. He his boss in the morning.

He ate toast. He him in the afternoon.

1. Ben usually gets up at 7:00. 7. Ben usually writes ten emails in the morning.

He at 7:00 yesterday. He ten emails yesterday.

He at 8:00. He five letters.

2. Ben usually takes a shower. 8. Ben usually eats lunch in the office.

He a shower yesterday. He lunch in the office today.

He a bath. He lunch in a restaurant.

3. Ben usually reads the Times newspaper. 9. Ben usually has a lot of appointments every day.

He the Times yesterday. He a lot of appointments yesterday.

He the Post. He only a few.

4. Ben usually leaves the house at 8:00. 10. Ben usually gets home at 6:00.

He the house at 8:00. He home at 6:00 yesterday.

He at 9:00. He home at 7:00.

5. Ben usually takes a bus to work.

He a bus yesterday.

He a taxi.

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Exercise 13
WRITE THE QUESTIONS

Use the correct question word (who, what, where, when, why, how many)
to make Wh- questions in the simple past tense. The bold words are the
answers to the questions.

Ex. Where did she buy that toy? 6.

She bought that toy at Walmart. She said “hello” to me.

1. 7.

They left the office at 6:00. I felt sick yesterday.

2. 8.

She didn’t go to work because she was sick. The sun rose at 6:45 am yesterday.

3. 9.

I spent $80.00 on groceries. She wore a beautiful dress to the party.

4. 10.

Rosa spoke to the boss.* The meeting took place in Room 29.

5.

Rosa spoke to the boss.

Note:
There is a difference between questions 4 and 5.
Can you explain the grammar rule?

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Exercise 14
FIND SOMEONE WHO

Walk around the classroom and ask your classmates questions.

Write the questions in the spaces provided below, and write
your classmate’s name on the right if he/she answers “yes.”

# Find someone... Question Classmate

1 who woke up late this morning. Did you wake up late this morning?

who didn’t take the bus

2
to school this morning.

who ate an egg for

3
breakfast this morning.

who saw a good movie

4
on TV last night.

who bought something

5
expensive yesterday.

6 who had a bad cold last week.

7 who won something last year.

8 who read a great book last month.

who heard some

9
interesting gossip last week.

who went on vacation to

10
another country last year.

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Exercise 15
WRITING

Choose one of the topics below. Write a paragraph

using regular and irregular past tense verbs.
Example:
Topics:
I went on vacation to Amsterdam last year. It was
• what you did yesterday spring. There were many tulips. I went to a lot of
• what you did last weekend museums and saw a lot of beautiful art…
• what you did during your last vacation

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Exercise 16
QUIZ

Circle the correct answer.

1. Two weeks ago, I a new car. 7. They left the city a month .

a) bought a) ago
b) buyed b) last

2. Juan at the store on his way home. 8. She a cold last week.

a) stoped a) cought
b) stopped b) caught

3. I was very tired week. 9. your homework?

a) ago a) Did you finish

b) last b) Did you finished

4. It us two days to write the report. 10. Maya and Louise late for class.

a) taked a) was
b) took b) were

5. How the weather last weekend? 11. They to sell their house.

a) was a) tryed
b) were b) tried

6. Alyssa to go to Spain. 12. Chang to the party last night.

a) decideed a) didn’t go
b) decided b) didn’t went

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