In this lesson, we are going to remember how to form the Past Simple and focus on its main uses.

Have you ever wondered how the Ancient Egyptians built the

pyramids? Scientists studied the remains of these structures for many

years. In the past, many thought that slaves worked on the pyramids

and carried the giant blocks of rock and sand across the desert. Others 

thought that men or oxen slid the rocks across the sand using water,

oil, sleds, and ramps. Some even said aliens from space came to Earth

and built them. However they did it, the Ancient Egyptians achieved a

staggering sight that has lasted for many years.

Past Simple: form

Adding -ed is the most common way to form a Past Simple verb. If the verb finishes in -e, simply write
one -e.

Verb Past Simple

help helped

prepare prepared
 The business leaders decided that the deal helped them both make more money, so they agreed 
to work together.

They hoped for the best but prepared for the worst when the horrible storm arrived in their city.

If the verb ends in a consonant and -y, change the -y into an -i before adding -ed. For example, hurry 
becomes hurried, and cry becomes cried. If the verb ends in a vowel and -y, then it doesn't change, as
in played and stayed.

Verb Past Simple

hurry hurried

play played

The students begged the teacher to postpone the exam until tomorrow because none of them 
studied last night.

Alice prayed for a new job. Her boss was rude and her colleagues annoyed her when they called in
sick too often.

If a verb of one syllable (shop, chat, fit, rob, drop, clap,...) or two when the second syllable is stressed (
kidnap, admit, ...) finishes in consonant + vowel + consonant, you need to double the last
consonant, as in shopped and chatted.

Verb Past Simple

plan planned

admit admitted

We planned to go to dinner for our anniversary, but because it rained, we stayed home and 
wrapped Christmas gifts instead.

When the rain stopped, we scanned through the listings in the newspaper and decided on a film at
the cinema.

As you know, for negative sentences, add didn't before the main verb and for interrogative sentences,
begin the sentence with did. In these cases, do not add -ed since did is already past tense.
 Negative Interrogative

you didn't read did you read?

you didn't find did you find?

Cory's CV didn't impress the company manager. He didn't have enough prior work experience.

Did you throw out the papers with the car information on them? I needed to show the paperwork
to the insurance company, but I couldn't find it.

How to pronounce the -ed

When pronouncing the -ed ending of past tense verbs, add a /d/ or /t/ sound to most words. Do not
pronounce the vowel e.

The doctor delivered the baby by Caesarean section, and it cried when it emerged from its

mother's stomach.

The small child begged the arrogant bully not to hurt him, but as the crowd gathered, the nasty
bully closed his hand into a fist.

I laughed at the young boy who watched the race cars in amazement. The bright colors and
sounds of fast cars impressed him.

As the speeding racecars passed the crowd quickly, the gust of air that rushed by with them was
staggering.

If the verb ends in -d or -t, pronounce the -ed as an additional syllable /ɪd/.

The arrogant athlete boasted to his teammates that no runner came within ten feet of him until
the race ended.

When the plane landed in Alaska, I expected it to be cold and snowy. Instead, I found it was sunny
and as warm as a spring day.

Past Simple: irregular verbs

 However, many English verbs are irregular in the past tense. Can you find the irregular verbs used in
some of the sentences in this lesson? Find the answers below.

Verb Past Simple

be was, were

leave left

meet met

make made

hear heard

do did

have had

write wrote

go went

see saw

can could

come came

find found

Here are some more examples of irregular verbs.

She didn't hold back her feelings this time; when he brought her home, Katherine finally told 
Ricardo how she felt.

Did you buy more eggs this morning? I already bought a dozen eggs yesterday when I went to the
grocery.

Past Simple: uses

Uses

Past Simple is used to describe an event that began and ended in the past. Whether the action
happened over a short, brief time period or was repeated over a longer period, Past Simple indicates
the action has now stopped.

When Julie visited Europe for a month last spring, her favorite city was Paris for its history and
culture.

As a child, John played the piano. In his twenties, he learned how to play the drums. Now he plays
the guitar.

Stories are also usually told in Past Simple.

Once upon a time, a beautiful princess left her mother and father's kingdom and traveled to a
foreign land.

After the two business leaders had met many times, they finally made a deal and combined their
companies.

In English, there are several phrases used to begin and end a story. Once
upon a time is the most popular opening line in most fairy tales, but here
are some others:

A long time ago in a land far, far away...

There once was a...

In the beginning of time...

Way back before I was born...

When I was a child...

There once was an ugly green giant who lived in a village far, far away.
He visited the homes of young children every spring and asked for
some food. One day, a brave young boy refused the giant's request.

When I was a child, we didn't have mobile phones. We had one phone
in our home, and you turned the rotary dial around and around to dial a
number.

 
To end a story or tale, many storytellers say, and they all lived happily ever
after. Here are some other possible endings:

The End.

...and so the story goes.

...but that's another story for another day.

All good things must come to an end...

Snip, snap, stout, this tale's told out.

That's all she wrote!

...and there you have it.

The prince and the princess had a lovely wedding, and the entire
kingdom was invited. The wicked witch was finally gone, and they all
lived happily ever after!

... and then we went to the circus and saw the lions, elephants, and
women on the trapeze. But that's another story for another day.