9 Be: Past Simple 1 We form the Past Simple of be like this: Here are some examples with was and were: Twas in New York last week. We were at home yesterday evening, They weren’t late this morning. Was it @ good film? 2. Look at these examples of how we use the Past Simple of be: > was/were + facts about the past: John F. Kennedy was an American president. Our first house was in the centre of town. A: Were your answers correct? B: No, they were all wrong! Paula wasn’t at the party. > was/were + place and time: George and Joanna weren't in London at the weekend. They were in Brighton. Steve and Mary were here at six o'clock. > was/were + adjective (e.g. cold, tired): It was cold yesterday. They were tired after the journey. The train was late again this morning. A: Were your exams easy? B: The first examt was easy, but the second one wasn't. k= 0 @=—Stt—“Cit A Complete the sentences using was or were. > Today | am happy but yesterday | 1va2 1. Now Jane is at home but last week she .. on holiday. 2 Today it's raining but yesterday it .. . sunny, 3. This year there is a jaz festival here and last year there a pop festival 4 Today Mr Brown is at work but yesterday he .. a 5 These days there are houses here but a hundred years ago there . trees, 6 Today | feel fine but yesterday | ... in bed alll day. 7 My mother is a manageress now but she . . just a shop assistant last year. 8 Today is Saturday and we are at home, but yesterday we at school. 9 This summer we are staying at home but last summer we . in Greece. 10 Today Tina and Jack are tired because yesterday they ... at the gym.B Mary spent last weekend in Madrid. Ask her some questions using was or were. > (your hotel/good?) (your room/comfortable?) (the weatherinice?) (the streets/full of people?) (the shopsiexpensive?) (the city/exciting at night?) (the museums/interesting?) (the people/friendly?) (your flightOK?) eNYOnRens © George and Sally have been married for fifty years. They are talking about their first house. Use wasn't or weren't with George's word and was or were with one word from the box to complete their conversation. new talian big green cheap cold bad > George: The house was warm. Sally; No, i , was. cold. 1 George: The garden was small. Sally: No, it 2 Sally: The neighbours were French. George: No, they 3 George: The living-room was red. Sally: No, it... ; oer eae 4 Sally: Our first chairs were expensive. George: No, they 5 George: The kitchen was old Sally: No, it, ecossessonettavnnrine set eiiaaets 6 George: The local shops were good. Sally: No, they ... D Put was, wasn't, were or weren't in the gaps in these conversations. Peter: (») Ne Julie: No, he (1 Paul at work today? . in the office. | think he’s sick. Henry: (2)... .. you in South America last year? Steve: Yes. | (3) _ in Bolivia on business, and then my wife and | (4)..... in Brazil for a holiday. Paula: Philip and | (5) . at home in London last week. We (6)... aa a Mike's house in Cornwall. It was lovely there. Do you know Mike? Jane: Yes, | (7) Lass. at Mike's party in Oxford in the summer. (8)... there? Paula: No, we weren't there. Philip and | (9)... in Portugal in the summer.1 O Past Simple 1 We form the Past Simple of regular verbs by 3. We form the negative with didn't and the adding -ed to the verb: infinitive (e.g. do, take, understand): as I didn’t understand. (sor did't == saderstood) We form questions with did and the infinitive (e.g. watch): > verbs ending with -e Did you watch the film? There are some exceptions: 4 We use the Past Simple to talk about an action or situation in the past which is finished. We often say when it happened (e.g. yesterday, last night): Chris phoned me yesterday. He wanted 10 > most verbs ending with one vowel and ask me something. ‘one consonant: Did you enjoy the concert last night? 5 We can use the Past Simple with for to talk about something that continued for a period (For more details on the form of the Past of time, and ended in the past: Simple, see Appendix 2 on page 243.) lived in Rome for two years, Then I went to work in Japan, 2 Many verbs have an irregular Past Simple _ form: past 1 2 3 4 © Gow) for2 years| (For more details, see Appendix 3, page 244.) x= = = ——t—t A Puta tick (7) next to the correct forms of the Past Simple, and cross out those which are incorrect. You can look at Appendix 3, page 244, before you do the exercise. walked ¥ — drinked went played writed swam taked wrote cooked ——gived spent finded drank asked flew made sended —_buyed gave meeted took left found winned met passed stoped followed sent eated won cryed comed drove bought brought leaved swimmed cried stopped ate crossedComplete the sentences using the Past Simple form and the words in brackets ( ). > We went, (go) on holiday to Scotland last year. (take) a taxi from the airport to the city centre. ._ (walk) to the park and then we ...... (play) tennis. ._ (say) something to the woman, but she .. 3 The man in the shop ......... (nothear) him. (ring) the doorbell and a woman ... ... (open) the door. (write) a letter to a friend, and then | ................ (post) it. (you/understand) the film? (try) to understand it, but the actors ... .-. (Speak) very (you/buy) some clothes at the market? .. (buy) 2 pair of trousers and a shirt (youlenjoy) the festival? ... (Not/rain) and We ................. (listen) to some good music. C Make sentences using the correct form of the Past Simple. > (When/you/leave/the party?) Wher didyou leave the party? 1 (When/you/finish/your exams?) 2 (\/wait/for an hour, but he/not/phone.) (youlwatch/the news on TV last night?) eo (Mark/stop/smoking last month, and he/start/playing tennis again last week.) x 5 6 (\live/there for a few years, but I/notilike/the place.) D It's the beginning of a new term at university. Two students, Nick and Eric, are talking about the summer holidays. Complete their conversation using the correct Past Simple form of the words in brackets ( ). Nick: What (p>) @id.yo! . (you/do) in the summer? Eric: 1(1 (take) a trip around Europe by train. Nick: (2)... . (youlgo) on your own, or with some friends? Eric: A couple of friends (3)..... (come) with me. Nick: How many countries (4) (youlvisit)? Eric: 1 (5), (g0) to six or seven countries. I (6) great time, and | really (7), ._ (love) all of them. Nick: Which one (8) (youllike) most? Eric: Sweden, | think. | (9)... ... (enjoy) exploring the marvellous countryside and | (10)... (take) lots of photographs. Nick: When (11 (yoularrive) back home? Eric: Last week. I'm still rather tired. (have) a TENSES: PAST * PAGE 23