Prepared :Abdikhaalaq Hussein H. Ali

The simple past tense

Meaning & UseForm (structure)Regular and irregular verbsExercise

Meaning & UseWhen do we use the Simple Past tense? We use the Simple Past to express the idea that an action started and finished at a specific time in the past.What are some common time expressions used with the past tense?

Examples:I saw Maria yesterdayyesterday.

Last FridayLast Friday, the students took their spelling and vocabulary tests.

They got married two years agotwo years ago.

How do we form the simple past tense . . .?

English has two typestwo types of verbs in the past tense: taught

walked studied gave became cried lived did

Look at the following list of past tense verbs… which verbs are regular, and which are irregular?

Regular verbs Irregular verbs

Regular Verbs Most verbs ( + ed)

walk→walked play →played Verbs ending in e (+d)

live →lived use →used Verbs ending in a consonant + y

(-y + ied) (consonant: p, t, r, etc)cry →cried carry →carried

Short verbs ending in a vowel + a consonant (vowel: a, e, i, o, u)(double the consonant + ed)stop →stopped shop →shopped

Irregular Verbs

No changecost →cost put →put

Change the vowel or the consonantcome →came ring →rangmake →made sit →sat

Change the whole wordbuy →bought do →did

RegularRegular verbs are verbs that ….

Simple Form Past TenseWalkStudy CryLive

…end with –eded

IrregularIrregular verbs are verbs that . . . .…DON’T end with –eded

some irregular verbsHave a vowel change in the past tense:

Simple Form Past Tensebecome becamegive gavedrive droveforget forgot

other irregular verbsHave a different kind of change:

SimpleSimple PastPastteach taughttaughtbring broughtbroughtLeave leftleftHear heardheardBuy boughtbought

And some irregular verbsdon’t change at all . . .

SimpleSimple PastPasthit hitput putset set

The children set the table every Sunday.The children set the table last night.

For regularregular verbs, simply use the –ed–ed form of the verb in a positive sentence.

When I was a child, I ___________ the piano. (play)

Donna ______________ Paris. (visit)

For irregularirregular verbs, use the correct past tense form in positive sentences. (We use the same form with different subjects .)

Last week, I ___________ you a letter. (send)

The students __________an English exam. (have) They _______ a great job! (do)

For negative sentences, USEFor negative sentences, USE

I went to work yesterday. I didn’t godidn’t go to work yesterday.

Exception = VERB BE!

The verb be is special. Never use DID NOT or DIDN’T with the verb BE. Instead, just use:

For Yes/No questions, USEFor Yes/No questions, USE

Did you go to work yesterday?Did you come yesterday?

Put the verbs (between brackets) (between brackets) into the correct form (simple past).(simple past).

Last year, I (spend) ________my holiday in Ireland. It (be) ________great. I (travel)___________ around the city by car with two friends and we (visit) ________lots of interesting places. In the evenings, we usually (go)_______ to a café. We (be) ________very lucky with the weather. It (not / rain)___________ a lot. We(see) ________some beautiful rainbows. I (have) ______ an amazing holiday!

SummeryForms of simple past tense

Subject + verb(past form)He went to school yesterday.

Negation:Subject + did not/(didn’t) + verb(basic form)

He didn’t go to school yesterday.Yes/ No Question:

did+ subject + verb(basic form) ?Did he go to school yesterday?

Information Question:(WH) + did+ subject + verb(basic form) ?

Why did he go to school yesterday?