Past Simple
- When you can use Past Simple
- Time markers in Past Simple
- How to build Past Simple with the verb to be (was/were)
- How to build Past Simple with verbs (except for to be)
- Regular and irregular verbs
- Spelling rules of regular verbs
- The top 50 irregular verbs
When you can use Past Simple
-
You use Past Simple for finished past action. Past tense is usually specified with the following words: yesterday, ago, the day before yesterday, in 2017, last week/month/year, etc.
- They called me a minute ago.
- She went to the park yesterday.
- My family visited me last month.
-
You use Past Simple for situations which started and finished in the past. (finished time period)
- He taught English at primary school. /he doesn’t teach English in primary school any more ➔ finished time period/
- We lived in New York. /we don’t live in New York any more ➔ finished time period/
- I studied economics at university. /I don’t study at university any more ➔ finished time period/
-
You use Past Simple for past state or past habit.
- They rode bikes a lot when they were children. /past state because they are not children anymore/
- We often relaxed in the pub after work. /past habit because we don’t relax in the pub anymore/
- I used to like this TV series. /past habit because I don’t like this series anymore/
-
You use Past Simple for past actions, which happened one after the other.
- Emily came to the cafe, ordered a cup of coffee, and drank it with pleasure.
- He put on his clothes, took the key, and went outside.
- We met at the cinema and watched a movie.
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You use Past Simple in second conditional.
- If she knew French, she would apply for this job.
- We would buy a car if we had some money.
- Children would play computer games if they were on holiday.
- If Adam watched the news, we would discuss the recent events.
Time markers in Past Simple
- yesterday
- last week/month/year/Monday etc.
- ago
- then
- in 2016
- the day before yesterday
How to build Past Simple with the verb to be (was/were)
+
|
|
I/he/she/it
+
was
|
We/you/they
+
were
|
−
|
|
I/he/she/it
+
wasn’t
|
We/you/they
+
weren’t
|
?
|
|
Was
+
I/he/she/it
|
Were
+
we/you/they
|
Wh-?
|
|
Wh
+
was
+
I/he/she/it
|
Wh
+
were
+
we/you/they
|
Practice!
- Past Simple with to be (was/were) — Positive
- Past Simple — Changing the verb to be into the Past Simple
- Past Simple with to be (wasn’t/weren’t) — Negative
- Past Simple with to be (wasn’t/weren’t) — Negative — Short forms
- Past Simple with to be (was/were) — Yes/No questions
- Past Simple with to be (was/were) — Wh-questions
- Past Simple with to be (was/were) — Mixed
How to build Past Simple with verbs (except for to be)
+
|
Subject + regular verb + ed
Subject + irregular verb
|
−
|
Subject + didn’t + verb
|
?
|
Did + subject + verb?
|
Wh-?
|
Wh + did + subject + verb?
|
Practice!
- Past Simple — Positive — regular verbs — Exercise 1
- Past Simple — Positive — regular verbs — Exercise 2
- Past Simple — Positive — irregular verbs — Exercise 1
- Past Simple — Positive — irregular verbs — Exercise 2
- Change sentences into the Past Simple
- Past Simple — Negative — regular and irregular verbs — Exercise 1
- Past Simple — Negative — regular and irregular verbs — Exercise 2
- Past Simple — Negative — regular and irregular verbs — Exercise 3
- Past Simple — Yes/No question — regular and irregular verbs — Exercise 1
- Past Simple — Yes/No question — regular and irregular verbs — Exercise 2
- Past Simple — Yes/No question — regular and irregular verbs — Exercise 3
- Past Simple — Short answers
- Past Simple — Wh-question — regular and irregular verbs — Exercise 1
- Past Simple — Wh-question — regular and irregular verbs — Exercise 2
- Past Simple — Put the Wh-question to the word/phrase in bold
- Past Simple — Mixed
- Past Simple — Mixed — All verbs and to be (was/were)
Regular and irregular verbs
There are two kinds of verbs in Past Simple: regular and irregular.
|
|
Regular
Irregular
Formed by adding -ed:
You need to study them as irregular verbs have special forms in the past:
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Spelling rules of regular verbs
verbs ending with a consonant + Y ➔
Y + ied
|
|
verbs ending with a vowel (a, o, e, u, i) + y
➔ + ed
|
|
one-syllable verbs with a vowel + one consonant
in the end ➔ double the last consonant + ed
|
work — worked (don’t double “k”, because there are two consonants after the vowel)
|
one-syllable verb with a vowel + X
in the end ➔ DO NOT double X.
Just add -ed
|
|
if the two-syllable verb with a vowel + consonant
in the end has stress on the
second syllable ➔
double the last consonant + ed
|
These verbs have:
|
if the two-syllable verb with a vowel + consonant
in the end has stress on the
first syllable ➔
DO NOT double the last consonant.
Just add -ed
|
These verbs have:
|
verbs ending with e ➔
add only -d
|
|
verbs ending with c ➔
add k + ed
|
|
verbs ending with L
|
|
all other verbs
(not mentioned above) ➔
just add -ed
|
|
The top 50 irregular verbs
Verb | Past Simple | Past Participle |
---|---|---|
be | was/were | been |
become | became | become |
begin | began | begun |
break | broke | broken |
bring | brought | brought |
buy | bought | bought |
choose | chose | chosen |
come | came | come |
cost | cost | cost |
do | did | done |
drink | drank | drunk |
drive | drove | driven |
eat | ate | eaten |
feel | felt | felt |
find | found | found |
fly | flew | flown |
forget | forgot | forgotten |
get | got | got |
give | gave | given |
go | went | gone |
have | had | had |
hear | heard | heard |
keep | kept | kept |
know | knew | known |
leave | left | left |
lose | lost | lost |
make | made | made |
meet | met | met |
pay | paid | paid |
put | put | put |
read | read | read |
run | run | run |
say | said | said |
see | saw | seen |
sell | sold | sold |
send | sent | sent |
sing | sang | sung |
sit | sat | sat |
sleep | slept | slept |
speak | spoke | spoken |
spend | spent | spent |
stand | stood | stood |
swim | swam | swum |
take | took | taken |
teach | taught | taught |
tell | told | told |
think | thought | thought |
understand | understood | understood |
wear | wore | worn |
write | wrote | written |