Part 1

Write the verbs in simple past.

1.

Once upon a time there (be)

(live)

2.

three bears: huge Papa Bear, ordinary Mama Bear and tiny little Baby Bear. They

in a great big wood.

One day, ordinary Mama Bear (cook)

a delicious porridge for her family and (put)
it into
bowls: a huge bowl for huge Papa Bear, an ordinary bowl for ordinary Mama Bear and a tiny little bowl for tiny little Baby Bear.

3.

To give the porridge some time to cool down, the three bears (go)

4.

Near the great big wood, there (live)

5.

She (be)

for a walk.

a little girl called Goldilocks.

not allowed to go into the wood. But one day, she (sneak)

out of the house and (run)

into the great big wood.

6.

After a while, she (come)

7.

She (knock)

to the house of the three bears.

at the door. She (look)

through the windows. But nobody (seem)

to be there.
8.

So, little Goldilocks (step)

inside.

Part 2
Write the verbs in simple past.
1.

In the kitchen Goldilocks (smell)

the porridge.

2.

She (get)

3.

Then she (taste)

4.

But the porridge in the little bowl (be)

5.

In the sitting-room, there (be)

6.

Goldilocks (sit)

down in the huge chair - too hard.

7.

She (not / like)

the ordinary chair either - too soft.

8.

She (love)

very hungry and (try)

the porridge in the huge bowl - too hot.

some of the porridge from the ordinary bowl - too cold.

just right and Goldilocks (eat)

it all up.

three chairs.

the little chair, however. But she (not / sit)

on that one very long, as soon it (break)

into pieces.
9.

So, Goldilocks (go)

10.

In the bedroom, there (stand)

11.

Goldilocks suddenly (feel)

on exploring.
the three baers' beds.
very tired.

12.

She (climb)

onto the huge bed - too hard.

13.

Then she (crawl)

14.

The little bed, however, (be)

15.

So, Goldilocks (lie)

16.

And in next to no time, she (fall)

into the ordinary bed - too soft.

just right.
down.
asleep.

Part 3
Write the verbs in simple past.
1.

After a while, the three bears (return)

2.

One look at their bowls and chairs and they (start)

3.

They (come)

4.

The three bears (watch)

5.

Goldilocks (open)

6.

She (see)
(run)

home.
wondering. Something (not / be)

into the bedroom. And there they (see)

right.

little Goldilocks in Baby Bear's bed.

her for a while and then they (wake)

her up.

her eyes.
the bears, (begin)

to scream and as fast as she (can)

, Goldilocks

out of the bears' house.

7.

The three bears (follow)

her.

8.

But at the edge of the wood, the bears suddenly (stop)

9.

Frightened little Goldilocks, however, (not / stop)

10.

She (hurry)

11.

And she never (visit)

.
.

home to her parents.

the bears' house again.

Chapter I
When the American, Mr Otis, bought Canterville Castle, everyone told him that this was very foolish, as the place was haunted. But Mr
Otis answered, I come from a modern country, where we have everything that money can buy. And if there were such a thing as a ghost
in Europe, we would have it at home in one of our museums.
A few weeks later, on a lovely July evening, Mr Otis, his wife and their children, Washington, Virginia and the twins, went down to their
new home. When they entered the avenue of Canterville Castle, the sky suddenly became dark and a spooky stillness was in the air.
Mrs Umney, the housekeeper, led them into the library of the castle, where they sat down and began to look around. Suddenly, Mrs Otis
saw a red stain on the floor just by the fireplace and said to Mrs Umney, I am afraid something has been spilt there.
Yes, madam, said the old housekeeper in a low voice, blood has been spilt on that spot.
How terrible, said Mrs Otis; I don't want any blood-stains in my sitting-room. It must be removed at once.
The old woman smiled and answered, It is the blood of Lady Eleanore de Canterville, who was murdered on that spot by her husband,
Sir Simon de Canterville, in 1575. Sir Simon disappeared seven years later. His body has never been found, but his ghost still haunts the
Castle. The blood-stain is a tourist attraction now and it cannot be removed.
That is all nonsense, said Washington, the eldest son of the Otis family, stain remover will clean it up in no time, and he took a bottle
of stain remover out of his pocket and cleaned the spot. But as soon as the blood-stain had disappeared, a terrible flash of lightning lit up
the room and a fearful peal of thunder made the whole building shake.

Chapter II
There was a horrible storm that night, but apart from that nothing scary happened. The next morning, however, when the family came
down to breakfast, they found the terrible stain of blood once again on the floor. Washington cleaned it a second time, but the second
morning it appeared again. The third morning it was there, too, although the library had been locked up at night by Mr Otis himself.
The following night, all doubts about the existence of the ghost were finally removed forever. At eleven o'clock the family went to bed
and some time after, Mr Otis was awakened by a strange noise in the corridor, outside his room. It sounded like the clank of metal, and it
came nearer every moment. Mr Otis got up and looked at the time. It was exactly one o'clock. So Mr Otis put on his slippers, went to the
door and opened it. There, right in front of him, stood the ghost - his eyes were as red as burning coals; long grey hair fell over his
shoulders and from his wrists and ankles hung heavy chains.
My dear Sir, said Mr Otis, you must oil those chains. It's impossible to sleep with such a noise going on outside the bedrooms. I have
therefore brought you this bottle of lubricator, and I will be happy to supply you with more if you require it. With these words Mr Otis
laid the bottle down, closed his door and went back to bed.
Shocked, the Canterville ghost stood quite motionless for a moment, but then he growled angrily. Just at this moment, the twins appeared
on the corridor and threw a large pillow at him! The ghost hastily escaped through the wall, and the house became quiet again.
When the ghost reached his small secret chamber, he took a deep breath. No ghosts in history had ever been treated in this manner!

A Look at the Intriguing History of Snowboarding

By Keith Kingston

To say who actually invented the sport of snowboarding would be impossible because people have
always loved to slide down a snow-covered hill. Soaring through the snow on some kind of seat or board is nothing new. The ways to
enjoy the snow are numerous, and people have devised ways to turn garbage can lids and cardboard into snow boards to enjoy an
afternoon frolic outdoors. The various ways to glide through snow have become more sophisticated and have evolved into using polished
boards or skis in much the same manner as a surfboarder would ride a wave.
There have been many attempts at developing a modern snowboard. In 1965, the Snurfer (a word play on snow and surfer) was
developed as a childs toy. Two skis were bound together and a rope was placed at the front end to afford control and stability. Over
500,000 Snurfers were sold in 1966 but they were never seen as more than a child's plaything even though organized competitions
began to take place. The year 1969 brought a slightly more sophisticated snowboard based on the principles of skiing combined with
surfboard styling.
The Flying Yellow Banana was developed in 1977. This was nothing more than a plastic shell covered with a top surface like that of a
skateboard, but at the time it was considered a major advance in the little known sport of snowboarding. The first national snowboard race
was held in the area outside Woodstock and was known as The Suicide Six. The race consisted of a steep downhill run called The Face
in which the main goal was probably mere survival.

Snowboarding continued to increase in popularity over the next several years. In 1985 the first magazine
dedicated specifically to snowboarding hit the news stands with huge success and furthered the popularity of this exciting sport. Hoards of
fans began to organize regional events and pretty soon snowboarding events were held in all parts of the world. In the year 1994
snowboarding was finally declared an Olympic event, much to the delight of fans. The not-so-new sport of snowboarding was finally
recognized and meant a huge victory for serious snowboarders across the globe.
A collection of snowboarding tricks and stunts was released on video in 1996. Filmed in Alaska, the breathtaking beauty and captivating
snowboarding techniques featured in the video exposed snowboarding to a new generation, and by 1998 snowboarding constituted almost

50% of all winter activity. Today, nearly all ski resorts accept snowboarders. There are still a few holding on to the past but this is unlikely
to continue as the number of snowboarders continually increases.
From the first crudely built snowboards to the advanced and specialized models available today, snowboarders have carried a bad boy
image. This rebel reputation is still common today in spite of the fact that snowboarding appeals to men, women, and children of all
nationalities and social groups. At most major ski resorts you can find snowboarding gear, information, and lessons. Olympic and world
wide snowboarding events are among the most popular of winter sports and the competition to be the best is fierce.
Retailers nation wide and around the world carry many types of snowboards, and the choice in specially made snowboarding gear is
immense. Snowboarders have participated in the X Games and even charity events such as Boarding for Breast Cancer. From its early
meager beginnings snowboarding has progressed into a fully recognized sport, and large numbers of people are turning to snowboarding
for adventure, fun, and professional recognition.
Keith Kingston is a professional web publisher offering information on snowboards, skiing

Write the past forms of the irregular verbs.

1.

go

2.

come

3.

buy

4.

have

5.

do
Complete the table in simple past.

positive

negative

question

Jane was tired.

Sean did not work.

Did I have a cat?

Mary did not sing.

Put the sentences into simple past.

1.

We open the door.

2.

You write poems.

3.

Richard plays in the garden.

4.

Kerry does not speak English.

5.

Do you see the bird?

Write sentences in simple past.

1.

you / cards / play

2.

I / a car / want

3.

we / the game / lose

4.

not / I / early / get up

5.

not / Jeff and Linda / home / cycle

Was or Were?

1.

hungry.

2.

You

in Australia last year.

3.

She

not there.

4.

Charly Chaplin

a famous actor.

5.

Lisa and James

at home.

Ask for the bold part of the sentence.

1.

Billy ate an apple.

2.

The children played in the garden.

3.

Laura came home at six o'clock.

4.

The boy read a book.

5.

The girl wrote five letters.

Aufgaben
Write the past forms of the irregular verbs.
1.

leave

2.

sell

3.

bring

4.

shut

5.

spend
Complete the table in simple past.

Put the sentences into simple past.

1.

We move house.

2.

They catch the ball.

3.

He crosses the street.

4.

They do not sell furniture.

5.

Does she practise her English?

Write sentences in simple past.

1.

Janet / the bus / miss

2.

she / her room / tidy

3.

not / Rupert / the number / dial

4.

she / a friend / phone

5.

not / Andy / the ball / pass

Was or Were?
1.

The book

on the

table.
2.

You

very clever.

3.

He

4.

George Washington

in trouble.

the first US president.

5.

The cars

new.

Ask for the bold part of the sentence.

1.

My friends swam in the lake.

2.

He paid the bill.

3.

The teacher pointed to the board.

4.

They felt good.

5.

He hurt his leg because he was not careful.

Write the past forms of the irregular verbs.

1.

feel

2.

cost

3.

drive

4.

catch

5.

feed
Complete the table in simple past.
Put the sentences into simple past.

1.

They repeat the question.

2.

She hugs her little brother.

3.

The snowman melts in the sun.

4.

The candle does not burn.

5.

Do they chat in a forum?

Write sentences in simple past.

1.

Jim / his head / cover

2.

she / the chapter / copy

3.

not / the clouds / disappear

4.

he / to our question / refer

5.

not / we / our punishment / escape

Was or Were?

1.

It

the right thing to do.

2.

The shop

open.

3.

The men

very strong.

4.

The weather

5.

My father and I

great.
in the car.

Ask for the bold part of the sentence.

1.

He clicked the mouse button.

2.

Robby Robber robbed a bank.

3.

The house burnt down.

4.

The children respected their teacher.

5.

They welcomed the new pupil warmly.

Before submitting the test, check the following:

Put the verbs into the correct form (simple past).

1. Last year I (spend)
2. It (be)
3. I (travel)

spent

my holiday in Ireland.

great.
around by car with two friends and we (visit)

4. In the evenings we usually (go)

lots of interesting places.

to a pub.
9

5. One night we even (learn)

6. We (be)

some Irish dances.

very lucky with the weather.

7. It (not / rain)

a lot.

8. But we (see)

some beautiful rainbows.

9. Where (spend / you)

your last holiday?

Hello everybody! My name is Past Simple Boy because 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 Javi 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.
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!
Hello dears! My name is Lady Past Continuous.

I'm also very nostalgic like my friend the Past Simple Boy
. We were together in many occassions when
we were young. While I was studying to be a secretary he was studying to be a teacher and we lived on the same
street in Granada.
When I was going out with his best friend Javi, the Past Simple Boy was going out with my best friend Margarita.
This is an old story but I like thinking about the past.
I met the Past Simple Boy again two years ago in our English Club in Mijas called The Happy Verby Gang. We were
talking for hours about the past times.

These days, I usually go out with another guy, the Present Perfect Man,
we work in the same company
and he is also a member of the club. He surprised me last evening; we were having dinner when he invited me to go on
holidays together.

10