PAST SIMPLE

Yesterday, I
studied
grammar.
A .- We form the Past Simple of regular verbs by adding – ed
to the basic verb:
I/ you/ he / she/ it/ we/ you/ they worked

B.- Spelling: Here are some spelling rules for regular verbs:

1. some verbs already end in – e. To form the Past simple,

add -d.
For example: escape: They escaped
hope: We hoped
live: I lived
rescue: They rescued
2. Some verbs end in consonant + -y. The y changes to i +
-ed.
For example: carry: He carried
cry: He cried
hurry: They hurried
marry: She married
But remember that verbs ending in vowel + -y end in –ed.

Play: played stay: stayed

3.- Some verbs end in consonant + vowel + consonant ( a

vowel sandwich) Most double the final consonant.

Can cel: cancelled

p lan : planned
rob : robbed
s top : stopped
tra vel : travelled
fit : fitted
However there are some exceptions to 3.

happen: happened open: opened

visit: visited

D.- But not all the verbs in English are regular in

the past. There is a list of irregular verbs.

Go: went have: had , etc

E.- We use the Past Simple to talk about the past. We use it
to tell a story.

Harry and Michelle robbed the bank. Inspector Clark followed

them.
We use it to talk about sth which was true in the past.
Rome ruled a great empire.

My grandfather liked wine.

 CHANGE TO PAST TENSE
1.- It is a nice day.
_____________________________________
2.- You are late for class.
__________________________________
3.- The dog is hungry.
________________________________
4.- Sunday is her birthday.
_____________________________________
5.- The teacher is very angry.
__________________________________
6.- The children are in the park.
_________________________________
7.- They are in the same class.
__________________________________
8.- He is a good student.
__________________________________
9.- She is a nice person.
__________________________________
10.- We are in the kitchen.
__________________________________
 CHANGE THESE SENTENCES TO THE SIMPLE PAST
TENSE

1.- Sarah buys a bicycle.

_________________________________________
2.- We work at SIDEM Institute.
_________________________________________
3.- I always walk to school.
_________________________________________
4.- He comes home by bus.
____________________________________________
5.- They eat lunch together.
_____________________________________________
6.- You never play soccer.
____________________________________________
7.- David finishes cooking quickly
____________________________________________
8.- The babies stop crying when they listen to that music
____________________________________________
9.- They omit her name in the list
____________________________________________
10.- They enjoy listening the tales
____________________________________________
11.- Sue visits her mother every month
____________________________________________
12.- My family try to push the car
___________________________________________
13.- We study all night to pass the exam
___________________________________________
14.- He looks through the telescope
___________________________________________
15.- My guests stay at home
___________________________________________
16.- My boyfriend talks to my father
___________________________________________
We use it when we are speaking about a particular time in
the past.

One hour ago/ Two years ago/ Last night/ Yesterday/ Last
month/ In 1992, I visited the President of the USA in 2001.
E.- We use did to form questions in the Past Simple.

Did + S/P + V ( Base form) + ?

Did you go to the cinema yesterday?

Did Milena take a shower yesterday?
Did your father have a beard
when he was young?

Did your parents live in Cajamarca

when they were teenagers?

Did it rain a lot in Chiclayo last year?
F.- We use did not or didn’t ( informal) to make the verb
negative in the Past Simple.

S/ P + did not (didn’t) + V( base form) + C

He didn’t work well.

Shirley didn’t study English,
that’s why she failed the exam.
The students didn’t do the exercises.
I didn’t go to the Halloween party last year.
G.- Short answers to questions are like this:

Did you work yesterday? Yes, I did. / No, I didn’t.

Did I leave my bag here? Yes, you did. / No, you
didn’t.
Did he/ she/ it hurt you? Yes, He/ she/ it did. /
No, he/ she/ it didn’t.
 Did we buy the ticket? Yes, we did. / No, we
didn’t.
Did they catch the bus? Yes, they did. / no, they
didn’t.
 EXERCISES
 CHANGE TO INTERROGATIVE FORM IN THE
PAST
1.- They are both in the same class.(-)
_______________________________
2.- There were many students absent from class.
(+)
_______________________________
3.- We are Peruvians. (-)
__________________________________
4.- The teacher was very angry.(+)
___________________________________
5.- The bus was late. (-)
___________________________________
6.-The meals here are very good.(+)
_______________________________
7.- It was a nice day.(-)
_______________________________
8.- My mother is in the living room.(+)
________________________________
9.- Mr. Peralta was in Mexico last year.(-)
______________________________
10.-She´s hungry.(+)
_______________________________
 CHANGE THESE SENTENCES TO INTERROGATIVE
 They sent you a letter
_________________________________________
 She brought the cake
__________________________________________
 Peter watched TV all
night_____________________________________
 Your husband told me the truth
___________________________________
 My daughter arrived late to the meeting
____________________________
 Mark bought a new car
_________________________________________
 XXXI COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING
EXPRESSIONS WITH PAST TENSES

 ______ you at home at 6:00 pm last night?

 ______ Harry in London yesterday?
 ______ she have lunch on time?
 ______ you live next door to Mr. Smith?
 _____our team win the match?
 She ______ the train again!
 CHANGE THESE SENTENCES TO NEGATIVE
 The girl did her homework
____________________________________
 She woke up late
____________________________________________
 I went to the cinema
_________________________________________
 She lied to the police
_________________________________________
 James washed the dishes
_____________________________________
 The guests visited a friend
_____________________________________
 Quiz
 Fill in the Past Simple of the verbs.
1.- be ……. 9.- write……
2.- have ……. 10.- eat …..
3.- can ……. 11.- tidy …..
4.- play …… 12.- see …..
5.- swim …… 13.- speak ….
6.- draw …… 14.- understand …
7.- go …… 15.- allow ….
8.- visit …… 16.- apply ….
17.- lie …..
18.- wonder …..
19.- cry ….
20.- stand …..
WRITE THE PAST TENSE AFFRIMATIVE ,
INTERROGATIVE OR NEGATIVE
1.- Jack _________ thoroughly (not / study).
2.- He ____ an A in his chemistry quiz .(get)
3.- Betty ________ well. She couldn’t go to the ball game
on Saturday (not / be)
4.- Betty _________(not/ finish) her assignments. She
________(not/ have) time.
5.- The Second World War ____________in 1939 (start)
6.- We _______ this exercise on Monday (do)
7.- When ______ you ____ there? (get)
8.- We first _____ in 1999 (meet)
9.-We _____ in the country during my childhood (live)
10.- We ______ into this district eight years ago (not/
move)
11.- During our meal, we __________ what to do at the
weekend (discuss)
12.- It ______ a good idea to paint the walls pink (be)
13.- I _______my wrist yesterday playing volleyball (hurt)
14.- I _______ that I had a flu but then I ______ it was
only a cold (think/ realise)

15.- They ________ in love at first sight (fall)

16.- _______ He ________ using the dictionary?
(suggest)
 COMPLETE THE SENTENCES USING A VERB
FROM THE BOX IN THE PAST TENSE
Is, comb, brush, open, cause, want

 When I _____ a child, I ______ my hair twenty

times every night.
 Thomas _________ his teeth smoothly.
 Today the weather is nice but yesterday it _____
awful.
 It was hot in the room, so I ______ the window.
 El Niño _____ floods and drought.
 Jenny _____ a romantic honeymoon.
 Write the Past Simple of these
Verbs
 Ask  Come
 break  be
 Leave  Stop
 Buy  Meet
 Make  Write
 Hear  Continue
 Hurry  See
 Smile  Know
 Put  understand
 Run  Take
 Cost  Have
 Die  happen