FORM

[VERB + ed] or irregular

verbs
Examples:

 You called Debbie.

 Did you call Debbie?
 You did not call Debbie.

There are five uses for the Past Simple Tense / Simple Past Tense. We will go through each.

USE 1 Completed Action in the Past

Use the Simple Past to express the idea that an action started and finished at a specific
time in the past. Sometimes, the speaker may not actually mention the specific time, but
they do have one specific time in mind.

Examples:

 I saw a movie yesterday.

 I didn't see a play yesterday.
 Last year, I traveled to Japan.
 Did you have dinner last night?

USE 2 A Series of Completed Actions

We use the Simple Past to list a series of completed actions in the past.
These actions happen 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and so on.

Examples:

 I finished work, walked to the beach, and found a nice place to swim.
 He arrived from the airport at 8:00, checked into the hotel at 9:00, and met
the others at 10:00.
 Did you add flour, pour in the milk, and then add the eggs?
 USE 3 Duration in Past

The Simple Past can be used with a duration which starts and stops in the past. A duration is a longer
action often indicated by expressions such as: for two years, for five minutes, all day, all year, etc.

Examples:

 I lived in Brazil for two years.

 Shauna studied Japanese for five years.
 They sat at the beach all day.
 They did not stay at the party the entire time.
 A: How long did you wait for them?
B: We waited for one hour.

USE 4 Habits in the

Past

The Simple Past can also be used to describe a habit which stopped in the past. It can have the
same meaning as "used to." To make it clear that we are talking about a habit, we often add
expressions such as: always, often, usually, never, when I was a child, when I was younger, etc.

Examples:

 I studied French when I was a child.

 He played the violin.
 He didn't play the piano.
 Did you play a musical instrument when you were a kid?
USE 5 Past Facts or Generalizations

The Simple Past can also be used to describe past facts or generalizations which are no longer
true. As in USE 4 above, this use of the Simple Past is quite similar to the expression "used to."

Examples:

 She was shy as a child, but now she is very outgoing.

 He didn't like tomatoes before.
 Did you live in Texas when you were a kid?
 People paid much more to make cell phone calls in the past.

Simple Past Forms

Most Verbs

Most verbs conjugate by adding -ed like the verb "wait" below.

Positive Negative Question

 I waited.  I did not wait.  Did I wait?
 You waited.  You did not wait.  Did you wait?
 We waited.  We did not wait.  Did we wait?
 They waited.  They did not wait.  Did they wait?
 He waited.  He did not wait.  Did he wait?
 She waited.  She did not wait.  Did she wait?
 It waited.  It did not wait.  Did it wait?
Exercises:

Put the verbs into the simple

past:

1. Last year I (go) _____________to England on holiday.

2. It (be) _________________fantastic.
3. I (visit) ____________lots of interesting places. I (be) _________with two friends of mine.
4. In the mornings we (walk) ______________in the streets of London.
5. In the evenings we (go) _____________to pubs.
6. The weather (be) ________________strangely fine.
7. It (not / rain) __________________a lot.
8. But we (see) ___________some beautiful rainbows.
9. Where (spend / you)______________your last holiday?

Write the past forms of the irregular verbs.

Infinitive Simple Past

1. meet
2. drive
3. speak
4. put
5. write
6. sing
7. do
8. sit
9. stand
10. run

Complete the table in simple past.

Affirmative Negative Interrogative

He wrote a book.

He did not sing

Was she pretty?

Put the sentences into simple past.

1. We move to a new house. → ______________________________________

2. They bring a sandwich. → ________________________________________
3. He doesn't do the homework. → ___________________________________
4. They sell cars. → ____________________________________________
5. Does he visit his friends? → ___________________________________

Write sentences in simple past.

1. Janet / miss / the bus → ______________________________________

2. she / tidy / her room → _______________________________________
3. Nancy / watch / not / television→ ______________________________
4. she / read / a book → _________________________________________

Choose "Was“ or "Were“:

1. The teacher _________ nice.

2. The students _________ very clever.
3. But one student ___________ in trouble.
4. We __________ sorry for him.
5. He _________ nice though.
 Answers:

Put the verbs into the simple past:

1. Last year I (go) went to England on holiday.

2. It (be) was fantastic.
3. I (visit) visited lots of interesting places. I (be) was with two friends of
mine.
4. In the mornings we (walk) walked in the streets of London.
5. In the evenings we (go) went to pubs.
6. The weather (be) was strangely fine.
7. It (not / rain) did not rain a lot.
8. But we (see) saw some beautiful rainbows.
9. Where (spend / you) did you spend your last holiday?

Write the past forms of the irregular verbs.

Infinitive Simple
Past
1. meet met
2. drive drove

3. speak spoke

4. put put
5. write wrote

6. sing sang
7. do did
8. sit sat
9. stand stood

10. run ran

Complete the table in simple past.

Affirmative Negative Interrogative

He wrote a book. He did not write a book. Did he write a book?

He sang. He did not sing Did he sing?

She was pretty. She was not pretty. Was she pretty?

Put the sentences into simple past.

1. We move to a new house. → We moved to a new house.

2. They bring a sandwich. → They brought a sandwich.
3. He doesn't do the homework. → He did not do the homework.
4. They sell cars. → They sold cars.
5. Does he visit his friends? → Did he visit his friends?

Write sentences in simple past.

1. Janet / the bus / miss →Janet missed the bus.

2. she / her room / tidy → She tidied her room.
3. Nancy / watch / not / television → Nancy did not watch television.
4. she / read / book → She read a book.

Choose "Was“ or "Were“:

1. The teacher was nice.

2. The students were very clever.
3. But one student was in trouble.
4. We were sorry for him.
5. He was nice though.