Simple Past Tense

(a) I walked to school yesterday. The simple past indicates that an

(b) He lived in Paris for ten years, but
now he is living in Rome.
(c) I bought a new car three days ago.
(d) Bob stayed home yesterday
x morning
(e) Our plane arrived on time last night.
(f) I ate breakfast this morning.
(g) Sue took a taxi to the airport
yesterday.
(h) I was busy yesterday.
(i) They were at home last night.
activity or situation began and ended at
a particular time in the past (e.g.
yesterday, last night, two days ago, in
1999, etc)
Most simple past are formed by adding
–ed to a verb, as in (d) and (e).
Some verbs have irregular past forms,
as in (c), (f) and (g).
The simple past forms of be are was
and were.

FORMS OF THE SIMPLE PAST

USING “BE” was - were (NON-VERBAL)
Present Time Past Time
(a) I am in class today. (d) I was in class yesterday.
(b) Alice is at the library today. (e) Alice was at the library yesterday.
(c) My friends are at home today. (f) My friends were at home yesterday.
STATEMENT I–She–He–It was in class yesterday.
We-You-They were in class yesterday.
NEGATIVE I–She–He–It was not (wasn’t) in class yesterday.
We-You-They were not (weren’t) in class yesterday.
QUESTION Yes/No Questions
Was I–She–He–It in class yesterday?
Were We-You-They in class yesterday?

INFORMATION QUESTIONS
Where were you yesterday  In Class
(I was in class yesterday.)
Where was Jennifer last night?  At home
(She was at home last night.
SHORT Yes, I–She–He–It was Yes, We-You-They were
ANSWER No, I–She–He–It wasn’t No, We-You-They weren’t
SIMPLE PAST TENSE OF BE I
Singular Plural She + was
I was We were He
She was You were It
He was They were
It was We
You + were
They
EXERCISE 1
Change the sentences to the past!
1. Bob is in class today.  He was in class yesterday too.
2. I’m in class today.
3. Mary is at the library today.
4. Tom is in his office today.
5. Ann and Tom are in their offices today.
EXERCISE 2
Study the time expressions. Then complete the sentences. Use “wasn’t” or “weren’t”. Use past time expression!

PRESENT PAST
Today  Yesterday
This afternoon  Yesterday afternoon
Tonight  Last night
This week  Last week

1. Ken is here today, but he wasn’t here yesterday.

2. I’m at home tonight, but _________________
3. Olga is busy today, but _________________
4. Mr. and Mrs. Jones are at home tonight, but _________________
5. Dr. Erick is in his office this afternoon, but _________________

EXERCISE 3
Make questions and give short answers!
1. (you \ at home \ last night)
A : Were you at home last night?
B : No, I wasn’t.
2. (Mr. Yamamoto \ absent from class \ yesterday)
A : ____________________________________________________
B : Yes, ________________________________________________
3. (You \ nervous \ the first day of class)
A : ____________________________________________________
B : No, ________________________________________________
4. (you and your wife \ in Canada \ last year)
A : ____________________________________________________
B : No, ________________________________________________
A : Where ______________________________________________
B : In Ireland.

FORMS OF THE SIMPLE PAST

REGULAR VERBS (VERBAL)
Present Time Past Time
(a) I walk to school every day. (c) I walked to school yesterday.
(b) Ann walks to school every day. (d) Ann walked to school yesterday.
STATEMENT I–You–She–He–It–We–They worked yesterday. I
I–You–She–He–It–We–They came yesterday. You
She
He + Verb -ed
It
We
they
NEGATIVE I–You–She–He–It–We–They did not (didn’t) work I
yesterday. You
I–You–She–He–It–We–They did not (didn’t) come She
yesterday. He + didn’t + Verb-1
It
We
they
QUESTION Yes/No Questions
DID + SUBJECT + VERB -1
Did they work yesterday?
Did Mary walk to school?
SHORT Yes, I–You–She–He–It–We–They did.
ANSWER No, I–You–She–He–It–We–They didn’t.

EXERCISE 4
Complete the sentences. Use the words in the list; use the SIMPLE PRESENT or the SIMPLE PAST!

Ask rain wait

Cook shave walk
Dream smile watch
Erase stay work

1. It often rains in the morning. It rained yesterday.

2. I _____________ to school every morning. I _____________ to school yesterday morning.
3. Sue often _____________ questions. She _____________ a question in class yesterday.
4. I _____________ a movie on television last night. I usually _____________ TV in the evening because I want
to improve my English.
5. Mike _____________ his own dinner yesterday evening. He _____________ his own dinner every evening.
6. I usually _____________ home at night because I have to study. I _____________ home last night.
7. I have a job at the library. I _____________ at the library every evening. I _____________ there yesterday
evening.
8. When I am asleep, I often _____________. I _____________ about my family last night.
9. Linda usually _____________ for the bus at a bus stop in front of her apartment building. She
_____________ for the bus there yesterday morning.
10. The teacher _____________ some words from the board a couple of minutes ago. He used his hand instead
of an eraser.

EXERCISE 5
Directions: All the following sentences have inaccurate information. Correct them by :
(a) Making a negative statement, and
(b) Making an affirmative statement with accurate information.

1. Thomas Edison invented the telephone.

(a) Thomas Edison didn’t invent the telephone.
(b) Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone.
2. Our ancestors lived in a tree.
(a) __________________________________________________
(b) __________________________________________________
3. You took a taxi to school yesterday.
(a) __________________________________________________
(b) __________________________________________________
4. Our teacher wrote Romeo and Juliet.
(a) __________________________________________________
(b) __________________________________________________

EXERCISE 6
Practice Present and Past Negative. Do as the example!
Example : walk to school every morning
Answer :
I don’t walk to school every morning. I didn’t walk to school yesterday morning
1. Eat breakfast every morning
2. Watch TV every night
 3. Write to my parents every week
4. Read the newspaper every morning
5. Pay all of my bills every month

EXERCISE 7
Make questions. Give short answers.
1. A: Did you walk downtown yesterday?
B: Yes, I did. (I walked downtown yesterday.)
2. A: Did it rain last week?
B: No, it didn’t. (It didn’t rain last week.)
3. A: ___________________________________________________________________
B: _________________ (I ate lunch at the cafeteria.)
4. A: ___________________________________________________________________
B: _________________ (Yoko and Ali didn’t do their homework last night.)
5. A: ___________________________________________________________________
B: _________________ (I didn’t dream in English last night.)

EXERCISE 8
Complete the sentences with was, were or did.
1. I did not go to work yesterday. I was sick, so I stayed home from the office.
2. Tom _________ not in his office yesterday. He _________ not go to work.
3. A: _________ Mr. Chan in his office yesterday?
B: Yes.
A: _________ you tell him about your problem?
4. A: _________ you at the meeting yesterday?
B: What meeting?
A: The meeting with the president of the company about employee benefits.
B : Oh. Now I remember. No, I _________ not there. _________ you?
A: Yes. I can tell you about it.
B: Thanks.
5. A: Where _________ you yesterday?
B: I _________ at the zoo.
A: _________ you enjoy it?
B: Yes, but the weather _________ very hot. I tried to stay out of the sun. most of the animals _________
in their houses or in the shade. The sun _________ too hot for them, too. They _________ not want to
be outside in the hot sun.

PAST TIME WORDS : YESTERDAY, LAST and AGO

Notice:
In (a) : yesterday is used with morning, afternoon, and evening.
In (b) : last is used with night, with long periods of time (week, month, year), with seasons (spring, summer, etc),
and with days of the week.
In (c) : ago means “in the past”. It follows specific lengths of time (e.g., two minutes+ago, five years+ago).
yesterday last ago
(a) Bob was here …. (b) Sue was here …. (c) Tom was here ….
Yesterday Last night Five minutes ago
Yesterday morning Last week Two hours ago
Yesterday afternoon Last month Three days ago
Yesterday evening Last year A (one) week ago
Six months ago
Last spring A (one) year ago
Last summer
Last fall
Last winter

Last Monday
Last Tuesday
Last Wednesday
etc
EXERCISE 9
Use yesterday, last OR ago.
1. I dreamed about you last (night). 6. Ann wasn’t at home (night).
2. Tom was at the library (half of an hour). 7. Ann wasn’t at home (evening).
3. I was downtown (morning). 8. The singer was in this town (two months).
4. Two students were absent (Friday). 9. Carmen was out of town (week).
5. I visited my aunt and uncle (fall). 10. Roberto walked home (afternoon).

INFORMATIONAL QUESTIONS
USING where, why, what, when and what time
question short answer
(a) Did you go downtown?  Yes, I did / No, I didn’t
(b) Where did you go?  Downtown
(c) Did you run because you were late?  Yes, I did / No, I didn’t
(d) Why did you run?  Because I was late
(e) Did Carol buy a car?  Yes, she did / No, she didn’t
(f) What did Carol buy?  A car
(g) Did Ann come at six?  Yes, she did / No, she didn’t
(h) When did Ann come?  At six
What time
COMPARE:
(i) What time did Ann come?  At six What time usually asks specifically for time
 seven o’clock on a clock.
 around 9:30
(j) When did Ann come>  At six. The answer to when can be various
 Friday expressions of time
 June 15th
 Last week
 Three days ago

EXERCISE 11
Make questions. Use where, when, what time, why or what.
1. A: Where did you go yesterday?
B: To the zoo. (I went to the zoo yesterday.)
2. A: _________________________________________________________________
B: A new tape recorder. (I bought a new tape recorder.)
3. A: _________________________________________________________________
B: Last month. (Jason arrived in Canada last month.)
4. A: _________________________________________________________________
B: At 7:05. (My plane arrived at 7:05.)
5. A: _________________________________________________________________
B: Because I was tired. (I stayed home last night because I was tired.
6. A: _________________________________________________________________
B: At the library. (I studied at the library last night.)
7. A: _________________________________________________________________
B: A suitcase. (Mary carried a suitcase.)
8. A: _________________________________________________________________
B: Because it’s dark in here. (I turned on the light because it’s dark in here.)
9. A: _________________________________________________________________
B: To Greece. (Sara went to Greece for her vacation.)
10. A: _________________________________________________________________
B: Around midnight. (I finished my homework around midnight)

QUESTIONS WITH “WHO”

Question answer
(a) What did they see?  A boat What is used to ask questions about things.
(They saw a boat.) Who is used to ask questions about people.
(b) Who did they see?  Jim
(They saw Jim.)
(c) Who did they see?  Jim (c) and (d) have the same meaning.
(They saw Jim) Whom is used in formal English as the object of a
(d) Whom did they see?  Jim verb or a preposition.
(They saw Jim) In (c): who, not whom, is usually used in every day
English.
In (d): whom is used in very formal English. Whom is
rarely used in everyday spoken English.
O O In (e): who(m) is the object of the verb. Usual
(e) Who(m) did they see?  Jim (They saw Jim). question word order
(QW + subject + main verb) is used.
S S In (f), (g), and (h): who is the subject of the question.
(f) Who came?  Mary. (Mary came) Usual question word order is NOT used. When who
(g) Who lived there?  Ed. (Ed lived there) is the subject of a question, do NOT change the verb
(h) Who saw Jim?  Ann. (Ann saw Jim) in any way: the verb form in the question is the same
as the verb form in the answer.
INCORRECT: Who did come?

EXERCISE 12: Make questions

1. A: _________________________________________________________________
B: Mary. (I saw Mary at the party)
2. A: _________________________________________________________________
B: Mary. (Mary came to the party)
3. A: _________________________________________________________________
B: John. (John lived in that house)
4. A: _________________________________________________________________
B: John. (I called John)
5. A: _________________________________________________________________
B: Bob. (Bob helped Ann)
6. A: _________________________________________________________________
B: Ann. (Bob helped Ann)

PRESENT PERFECT Tense

(a) They have moved into a new apartment. The present perfect expresses the idea that
(b) Have you ever visited Mexico? something happened (or never happened) before
(c) I have already seen that movie. now, at an unspecified time in the past. The exact
(d) I have never seen snow. time it happened is not important.
If there is a specific mention of time, the simple past is
used.
I saw that movie last night.
(e) We have had four tests so far this semester. The present perfect also expresses the repetition of
(f) I have written my wife a letter every other day for an activity before now. The exact time of each
the last two weeks. repetition is not important.
(g) I have met many people since I came here in June.
(h) I have flown on an airplane many times.
(i) I have known Tom for five years. Notice the examples:
(j) Sue has had a bad cold for three days. The present perfect is formed by:
(k) They have lived here since 1994. Have/has + past participle
(l) We have owned our own home since 1989.
(m) I’ve Have and has are contracted with subject pronouns as
We’ve shown in the examples.
You’ve
They’ve been here for two months
She’s
He’s
It’s
COMPARE
(n) She’s been here for two months. In (n): she’s = she has
(o) She’s in my class. In (o): she’s = she is
EXERCISE 13
Complete the sentences with the given verbs. Use the Present Perfect.
1. teach Mr. Jackson is a teacher. He has taught biology for twenty years.
2. know I ___________________ Mary Adams since I was child.
3. be She ___________________ a good friend for a long time.
4. live My parents live in a suburb of Mexico City. They ___________________ in the same
apartment for twenty-five years.
5. have Janet and Sam ___________________ their dog Fido for three years.

USING “FOR” and “SINCE”

SITUATION:
I came to this city on February 1st. It is now April 1st. I am
still in this city.
(a) I have been here since February 1st.
(b) I have been here for two months.
Have been expresses the idea that a situation began
in the past and still exists at present. Have been is
used with since or for to tell how long the situation
has existed. (a) and (b) have the same meaning.

SITUATION:
Kim came to this city on January 1st. It is now April 1st. Kim
is still in this city.
(c) Kim has been here since January.
(d) Kim has been here for three months.
SITUATION: Since is followed by a specific time:
I came to the classroom at nine o’clock. Since February (specific month)
I am in the classroom now. It’s nine-thirty now. Since nine o’clock (specific clock time)
(e) I have been here since nine o’clock. Since 1995 (specific year)
(f) I have been here for 30 minutes.
For is followed by a length/duration of time:
SITUATION: For two months (number of months)
Ann lives in another city. She came to visit me Monday For 30 minutes (length of clock time)
morning. Now it is Friday morning. She is still here. For four days (number of days
(g) Ann has been here since Monday. For three years (number of years)
(h) Ann has been here for four days.

EXERCISE 14
Complete the sentences with since or for.
1. I came to this city six months ago. I am still here. I have been in this city __________ six months.
2. Kim has been in this city __________ January.
3. It’s now two o’clock. Carmen has been in class __________ one o’clock.
4. Carmen has been in class __________ an hour.
5. Erica has been a teacher __________ 1994.
6. Mr. Gow has been a plumber __________ 20 years.

present perfect: negatives and questions

(a) I have not (haven’t) lived here for a long time. Negative form of the present perfect:
(b) Ken has not (hasn’t) been in the class since the Have/has + not + past participle
beginning of the term. Negative contractions:
have not = haven’t
has not = hasn’t
(c) Have you lived here for a long time? Question form of the present perfect:
(d) Has Ken been in this class since the beginning or Have/has+ subject + past participle
the term?

EXERCISE 15
Complete the sentences with the PRESENT PERFECT.
1. (Mr. Jackson, teach) __Has Mr. Jackson taught__ biology for a long time?
2. Ms. Smith is a new teacher. She (teach, not) __hasn’t taught__ biology for a long time.
3. (you, know) ___________________ Mary Adams since you were a child?
 4. I met Mary Adam only two months ago. I (know, not) ___________________ her for a long time. I’ve known
her for only a short time.
5. (Janet and Sam, have) ___________________ their dog Fido for a long time?
6. Pedro got his new bicycle a few months ago. He (have, not) ___________________ his bicycle for a long time.

Using “since” clause

(a) I’ve been afraid of dogs since I was child. Since can be followed by a subject and verb.
Main clause since-clause In (a): since I was child = since-clause.
(b) Mr. Lo has been a teacher since he graduated from college Notice the examples: the verb in the main
(c) Sue and I have been friends since we were children. clause is present perfect. The verb in the
since-clause is simple past.

EXERCISE 16
Complete the sentences with the words in parentheses. Use the PRESENT PERFECT or SIMPLE PAST.
1. Maria got some bad news last week. She (be) __has been__ sad since she (get) __got__ the bad news.
2. I started school when I was five years. I (be) _______________ in school since I (be) _______________ five
years old.
3. Ann’s brother arrived five days ago to visit her. She loves her brother and is happy to be with him. She (be)
_______________ happy since her brother (come) _______________
4. Jim moved to Hong Kong after he graduated from the university. Jim (be) _______________ in Hong Kong
since he (graduate) _______________ from the university.
5. The weather was hot and dry for many weeks. Two days ago it rained. The weather (be) _______________
cool and wet since it (rain) _______________ two days ago.
6. Jack broke his leg five days ago. He’s in the hospital. He (be) _______________ in the hospital since he
(break) _______________ his leg.

Using “never” with the present perfect

(a) I’ve never touched an elephant.
(b) Anna has never seen the Pacific Ocean.
Using “ever” with the present perfect
(a) Have you ever been in Hawaii?
(b) Has Pedro ever had a job (in his lifetime)?
(c) A: Have you ever been in London?
B: Yes, I have. (I have been in London)
No, I haven’t. (I have never been in London)
(d) A: Has Tom ever lived in Chicago?
B: Yes he has. (He has lived in Chicago)
No, he hasn’t. (He has never lived in Chicago)
Never is frequently used with the present perfect.
In (a): the speaker is saying, “From the beginning of my
life to the present moment, I have never touched an
elephant. In my entire lifetime, since I was born, I have
never touched an elephant.”
In (a): ever means “in your lifetime, from the time you
were born to the present moment.”
Questions with ever frequently use the present perfect.
In a short answer to a yes/no question with the present
perfect, the helping verb (have or has) is used.
In (c): Speaker B is saying that he has been in London at
some time in his lifetime.

EXERCISE 17
Answer the questions. Use short answers.
1. A: (you, be, ever) __Have you ever been__ in Russia?
B: No, __I haven’t__. I (be, never) ‘ve never been__ in Russia.
2. A: (you, be, ever) ______________________________ in Turkey?
B: Yes, I _______________. I (be) _______________ in Turkey several times.
3. A: (you, visit, ever) ______________________________ the Metropolitan museum of Art in New York
City?
B: No, I _______________. I (visit, never) ______________________________ that museum.
4. A: (Sam, be, ever) ______________________________ in Argentina?
B: No, he _______________. He (be, never) ______________________________ in Argentina.
5. A: (Carmen, be, ever) ______________________________ in Canada?
B: Yes, she _______________. She (be) _______________ there many times.
the present perfect: questions with “how long”
(a) A : How long have you been in this city? Informational Question form of the present perfect:
B : For five months QW +have/has + Subject + past participle
(b) A : How long has Ali had a mustache?
B : Since he was twenty-one years old.
(c) A : How long have you known Maria?
B : Since the beginning of the school term

EXERCISE 18
Pair up with a classmate. Do as the example.
Example : have a mustache
Student A : How long have you had a mustache?
Student B : I’ve had a mustache since I was seventeen years old.

1. Be in (this city/country)
2. Be in this class
3. Know (name of a classmate)
4. Be a student at (this school)

Simple Past vs. Present Perfect

SIMPLE PAST
(a) I finished my work two hours ago.
PRESENT PERFECT
(b) I have already finished my work.
SIMPLE PAST
(c) I was in Europe last year.
(d) I was in Europe three years ago.
(e) I was in Europe in 1999.
(f) I was in Europe when I was ten years old.
PRESENT PERFECT
(g) I have been in Europe many times.
(h) I have been in Europe several times.
(i) I have been in Europe a couple of times.
(j) I have been in Europe once (no mention of time).
SIMPLE PAST
(k) Ann was in Miami for two weeks.
PRESENT PERFECT
(l) Bob has been in Miami for two weeks/ since May
first.
In (a): I finished my work at a specific time in the past
(two hours ago).
In (b): I finished my work at an Unspecified time in the
past (sometime before now).
The Simple Past expresses an activity that occurred at a
specific time (or times) in the past, as in (a), (c), (d), (e),
and (f).
The Present Perfect expresses an activity that occurred
at an unspecified time (or times) in the past, as in (b),
(g), (h), (i), and (j).
In (e): In sentences where for is used in a time
expression, the simple past expresses an activity that
began and ended in the past.
In (f): In sentences with for or since, the present perfect
expresses an activity that began in the past and
continues to the present.

EXERCISE 19
Directions: Discuss the meanings of the verb tenses.
1. All of the verbs in the following talk about past tense, but the verb in (a) is different from the other three
verbs. What is the difference?
(a) I have had several bicycles in my lifetime.
(b) I had a red bicycle when I was in elementary school.
(c) I had a blue bicycle when I was a teenager.
(d) I had a green bicycle when I lived and worked in Hong Kong.
2. What are the differences in the ideas the verb tenses express?
(e) I had a wonderful bicycle last year.
(f) I’ve had many wonderful bicycles.
3. What are the differences in the ideas the verb tenses express?
(g) Ann had a red bike.
(h) Sue has had a red bike for two years.
4. Who is still alive, and who is dead?
(i) In his lifetime, Uncle Alex had several red bicycles.
(j) In his lifetime, Grandpa has had several red bicycles.
EXERCISE 21
Ask and answer questions, using the Present Perfect and the Simple Past.
Example:
A : Ron, what countries have you been in?
B : Well, I’ve been in Norway, and I’ve been in Peru.
A : Oh? When were you in Norway?
B : I was in Norway three years ago.

1. What countries have you been in?

When were you in _______________?
2. What cities in Indonesia have you been in?
When were you in _______________?
3. What are some of the things you have done since you came to this city?
When did you _______________?
4. What are some of the things we’ve done in class since the beginning of the term?
When did we _______________?

EXERCISE 22
Use the SIMPLE PAST or PRESENT PERFECT. In some sentences, either tense is possible but the meaning is different.
1. I (attend, not) ___________________ any parties since I came here.
2. Al (go) ___________________ to a party at Sally’s apartment last Saturday night.
3. Bill (arrive) ___________________ here three days ago.
4. Bill (be) ___________________ here since the 22nd.
5. Try not to be absent from class for the rest of the term. You (miss, already) ___________________ too many
classes. You (miss) ___________________ two classes just last week.
6. Last January, I (see) ___________________ snow for the first time in my life.
7. In her whole lifetime, Anna (see, never) ___________________ snow.
8. I (know) ___________________ Greg Adams for ten years.
9. So far this week, I (have) ___________________ two tests and a quiz.
10. Up to now, Professor Williams (give) ___________________ our class five tests.

EXERCISE 23
Use the SIMPLE PAST or PRESENT PERFECT.
1. What (learn, you) ___________________ since you (come) ___________________ here? How many new
friends (make, you) ___________________? I hope you (meet, already) ___________________ a lot of
interesting people.
2. Since classes began, I (have, not) ___________________ much free time. I (have) ___________________
several big tests to study for.
3. Last night my roommate and I (have) ___________________ some free time, so we (go)
___________________ to a show.
4. I admit that I (get) ___________________ older since I last (see) ____________ you, but with any luck at all, I
(get, also)____________ wiser.
5. The science of medicine (advance) ___________________ a great deal in the nineteenth century.
6. Since the beginning of the twentieth century, medical scientists (make) ___________________ many
important discoveries.
7. Libraries today are different from those in the 1800s. for example, the contents of libraries (change)
___________________ greatly through the years. In the 1800s, libraries (be) ___________________ simply
collections of books. However, today most libraries (become) ___________________ multimedia centers that
contain tapes, computers, disks, films, magazines, music and paintings. The role of the library in society
(change, also) ___________________. In the 1800s, libraries (be) ___________________open only to certain
people, such as scholars or the wealthy. Today libraries serve everyone.
8. A: Are you taking Chemistry 101 this semester?
B: No, I (take, already) ___________________ it. I (take) ___________________ it last semester. This
semester I’m in 102.
9. A: Hi, Judy. Welcome to the party. (meet, you, ever) ___________________ my cousin?
B: No, I ___________________.
10. A: Do you like lobster?
B: I don’t know. I (eat, never) ___________________ it.