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The Past Tense – Simple Past
I went to school today
There are three aspects of the past tense:
1) Simple past = action
2) Past progressive 8 am 12 pm 7pm
3) Past perfect (simple and progressive)
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now
The simple past tense is used to describe: A time in
the past
1. an action that happened in the past
2. a truth about a time in the past
• Add “ed” or “ied” to regular verb endings in simple past tense when used to describe
any subject (I, you, we, they, he, she, it).
Subject [verb + “ed” or “ied”]
The verb “to be” has an irregular conjugation:
I / he / she / it [was]
you / we / they [were]
Example: He walked to school yesterday.
Example: She was happy.
Directions: Write the correct form of the verb in the spaces below.
1) When I was in school, I _____ (to do) my homework everyday.
2) She _______ (to like) chocolate milk when she was a girl.
3) It always _______ (to rain) when we lived in Seattle.
4) Joey and Mike _______ (to be) friends a long time ago.
5) I _______ (to try) to make a snowman last winter.
6) Our favorite game when we were little ______ (to be) chess.
7) It ______ (to be) so sunny yesterday.
8) Jeremy ______ (to want) to go to the beach this summer.
9) Shelby ______ (to save) $100.
10) It ______ (to snow) last December.
Directions: Put the following sentences in simple past tense.
1) I talk to Anne on the phone.
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2) Nikko laughs at the joke.
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Directions: Now make your own sentences using the simple past tense.
1) _____________________________________________________________________
2) _____________________________________________________________________
Past Simple
A Write the Past Simple of each verb in the correct column.
open marry like try bake stop mix plan repeat worry decide travel
-ed -d -ied double consonant + -ed
opened liked Married stopped
mixed baked tried planned
repeated decided worried travelled
B Complete the sentences with the Past Simple of the verbs in brackets.
tried
1 My sister ..................... (try) to bake a cake 3 I ..................... (phone) my cousin in Canada
last Saturday. three days ago.
2 We ..................... (not order) steak and chips 4 The children ..................... (play) on the
at the restaurant yesterday. computer yesterday.
C Write the questions. Then answer them.
1 you / watch TV / last night 3 your mum / bake / a cake / last weekend
Did you watch TV last night?
....................................................................... .......................................................................
Yes, I did. / No, I didn’t.
......................................................... .........................................................
2 your friends / play football / yesterday 4 you / phone / a friend / an hour ago
....................................................................... .......................................................................
......................................................... .........................................................
D Write the Past Simple form of the verbs.
1 take took
..................... 4 give ..................... 7 go .....................
2 drink ..................... 5 think ..................... 8 wake .....................
3 ride ..................... 6 have ..................... 9 buy .....................
E Write questions with the words below. Then answer the questions according to the pictures.
Use the Past Simple.
1880s Good morning!
1 2 3 4
buy a jeep ride horses speak English
wear jeans
1 Rob / buy a small car 3 cowboys / drive cars / in the 1880s
Did Rob buy a small car?
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No, he didn’t. He bought a jeep.
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2 Jenny / wear a skirt / to the party 4 the teacher / speak Greek / in the lesson
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