Past Simple & Past Continuous

Past Simple
- the action started and ended in the past
- there are 2 types of verbs regular v. ( we add ed at the end of the verb walk walked, talk talked)
- irregular v. (the whole word changes see-saw-seen, go went gone)
Spelling of regular verbs
when the verb ends in -e we add only d : change changed, close closed
vowel (vocala) + y = y : play played, stay stayed
consonant (consoana) + y = i: carry carried, study studied

Affirmative: S + V2

Past form of the verb to do

1. I visited my best friend yesterday.

2. Julia walked the dog 10 minutes ago.
3. Her friend wanted to eat a piece of pizza.
Negative:

S + did not + V

1. She did not play tennis today.

2. I didnt like that dress.
3. Your neighbor didnt clean the yard.
Interrogative:

Did + S + V?

Answers

1. Did you wash the car?

Yes, I did.

2. Did they go to the cinema?

No, I didnt.

3. Did he feed the animals?

Words used in Past Simple sentences: yesterday, the day before yesterday, last week, two weeks ago etc.

Past Continuous
- used to express an action in the past that took place during another action in the past; the first action was in
progress when another action took place.
I was reading the newspaper when the phone rang. (Citeam ziarul cand a sunat telefonul prima actiune: citeam
iar in timp ce citeam a sunat telefonul a doua actiune).
I was reading the newspaper (Past Continuous) when the phone rang (Past Simple).
Affirmative

S + was/were + V-ing

1. The cat was eating when I came home.

2. It was raining outside when I left the office.

Past form of the verb to be

3. The students were singing when the teacher entered the classroom.
Negative S + was/were + not + V-ing
1. I wasnt sleeping when you came home.
2. Our children werent playing inside when it started to snow.
3. Michael was not watching TV when I called him.
Interrogative Was/Were + S + V-ing?

Answers

1. Were you driving fast when the police pulled you over?

Yes, I was

2. Was she cooking while he was listening to music?

No, I wasnt

3. Were they talking while you were there?

Words used in Past Continuous sentences: while, when, all morning, all night, as.
Some irregular verbs do not change their spelling in the simple past tense: cut, shut, quit, hurt, put, hit, cost.

I. Write sentences in Past Simple:

1- Affirmative
2- Negative
3- Interrogative (Yes / No)
1. We / live / in New York / in 1997.

2. Tom / travel / to Dublin / last night.

1-

1-

2-

2-

3-

3-

3. I / clean / my teeth / twice / yesterday.

4. John / stay / at Marys house / last summer.

1-

1-

2-

2-

3-

3-

5. You / start / school / ten years ago.

6. The film / end / very late / last weekend.

1-

1-

2-

2-

3-

3-

II. Complete the sentences. Use the negative form of the underlined verbs.
Yesterday ...
- I drank coffee but I .................................................... tea.
- She found her purse but she ................................................... her keys.
- He had a shower but he .......................................................... breakfast.
- We spoke English and French but we ........................................................ German.
III. Fill in the spaces with the correct forms of these regular verbs in simple past tense.
1) I (dry) ________ the dishes after dinner.
2) You (worry) ________ about the last test.
3) We (copy) ________ Sallys notes from the lecture.
4) They (cry) ________ when their team lost.

5) He (discover) ________ a new star with his telescope Saturday.

6) She (fry) ________ all of her food until now.
7) It (bury) ________ the bone in the trash.
IV. Choose the correct forms of these irregular verbs in simple past tense.
1) I (be) [beed was] busy painting last night.
2) You (make) [maked made] a good cake for his birthday.
3) We (choose) [choosed chose] to ride the train yesterday.
4) They (fall) [falled fell] while skating together.
5) He (keep) [keeped kept] the profits for himself.
6) She (meet) [meeted met] her new coach on Monday.

V. Write questions using Past Continuous.

1 you / talk
______________________________________________________
2 they / laugh
______________________________________________________
3 she / take photos
______________________________________________________
4 you / shop
______________________________________________________
5 he / run
______________________________________________________
VI. Reading comprehension
Bens day.
When I woke up this morning, I found my dog, Fox, waiting for me. He wanted me to take him for a walk. I
was too hungry, so first I had breakfast. I had a glass of milk and a piece of toast. Then I washed my teeth and
put on a track-suit and a heavy coat, because it was really cold outside. Fox was already impatient. We both
went out, and walked to the park near home. He ran and jumped, and pursued some passers-by. He also
destroyed some pieces of furniture somebody left on the road. I sat on a bench all the time, wishing I could be
inside my warm bed. When my hands were frozen, I decided it was time to go back home. Fox didnt want to,
4

but I pulled hard and I managed to take him back. When we arrived at the front door, I realized I didnt have my
keys with me, so we stayed out in the cold for more than an hour! Fox was happy, but I was late for work!
1. Write all the verbs you find in the past simple tense. Which of them are regular? Which are irregular? Write
the infinitive of the irregular verbs:

2. Answer the questions:

a. Who was happy to stay outside?
b. What did Ben do in the park?
c. What did Fox do in the park?
d. What did Ben have for breakfast?
e. What was the weather like?
f. What was Ben wearing?
g. When did Ben decide it was time to go home?
VII. Complete the sentences with the words in parentheses using the simple past or the past Continuous:
1. Sally (eat) dinner last night when someone ..(knock) on the
door.
2. I began to study at seven last night. Fred (come) at seven thirty.
I (study) when Fred .. (come).
3. My mother called me around five. My husband came home a little after five. When he .. (come)
home, I .. (talk) to my mother on the phone.
4. While they (walk) home, it ... (begin) to rain, so they..
(stop) at a small cafe and (have) a cup of coffee.