SIMPLE PAST

FORM

Affirmative Sentence Negative Sentence Question

You called Debbie. You did not call Debbie. Did you call Debbie?

USES OF THE SIMPLE PAST

USE 1: TO TALK ABOUT A COMPLETED ACTION IN THE PAST

Use the Simple Past to express the idea that an action started and finished at a specific time in the past.
Sometimes, the speaker may not actually mention the specific time, but they do have one specific time
in mind.

Examples:
• I saw a movie yesterday.
• I didn't see a play yesterday.
• Last year, I traveled to Japan.
• Last year, I didn't travel to Korea.
• Did you have dinner last night?
• She washed her car.
• He didn't wash his car.

USE 2: TO TALK ABOUT A SERIES OF COMPLETED ACTIONS

We use the Simple Past to list a series of completed actions in the past. These actions happen 1st, 2nd,
3rd, 4th, and so on.

Examples:
• I finished work, walked to the beach, and found a nice place to swim.
• He arrived from the airport at 8:00, checked into the hotel at 9:00, and met the others at 10:00.
• Did you add flour, pour in the milk, and then add the eggs?
USE 3: TO TALK ABOUT DURATION IN PAST

The Simple Past can be used with a duration which starts and stops in the past. A duration is a longer
action often indicated by expressions such as: for two years, for five minutes, all day, all year, etc.

Examples:
• I lived in Brazil for two years.
• Shauna studied Japanese for five years.
• They sat at the beach all day.
• They did not stay at the party the entire time.
• We talked on the phone for thirty minutes.
• A: How long did you wait for them?
B: We waited for one hour.

USE 4: TO TALK ABOUT HABITS IN THE PAST

The Simple Past can also be used to describe a habit which stopped in the past. It can have the same
meaning as "Used To." To make it clear that we are talking about a habit, we often add expressions
such as: always, often, usually, never, when I was a child, when I was younger, etc.

Examples:
• I studied French when I was a child.
• He played the violin.
• He didn't play the piano.
• Did you play a musical instrument when you were a kid?
• She worked at the movie theater after school.
• They never went to school, they always skipped class.

USE 5: TO TALK ABOUT PAST FACTS OR GENERALIZATIONS

The Simple Past can also be used to describe past facts or generalizations which are no longer true. As
in USE 4 above, this use of the Simple Past is quite similar to the expression "used to."

Examples:
• She was shy as a child, but now she is very outgoing.
• He didn't like tomatoes before.
• Did you live in Texas when you were a kid?
• People paid much more to make cell phone calls in the past.
 SIMPLE PAST FORMS

For Most Verbs

Most verbs conjugate by adding -ed like the verb "wait" below. See Spelling Rules for the “ED”
Ending of Regular Verbs.

Positive Negative Question

I waited. I did not wait. Did I wait?
You waited. You did not wait. Did you wait?
We waited. We did not wait. Did we wait?
They waited. They did not wait. Did they wait?
He waited. He did not wait. Did he wait?
She waited. She did not wait. Did she wait?
It waited. It did not wait. Did it wait?

For Irregular Verbs

Many verbs, such as "have," take irregular forms in the Simple Past. Notice that you only use the
irregular verbs in statements. In negative forms and questions, "did" indicates Simple Past. See
Irregular Verbs List

Positive Negative Question

I had. I did not have. Did I have?
You had. You did not have. Did you have?
We had. We did not have. Did we have?
They had. They did not have. Did they have?
He had. He did not have. Did he have?
She had. She did not have. Did she have?
It had. It did not have. Did it have?

To Be

The verb "be" is also irregular in the Simple Past. Unlike other irregular verbs, there are two Simple
Past forms: "was" and "were." It also has different question forms and negative forms. Always
remember that you DO NOT use "did" with the verb "be" in the Simple Past.

Positive Negative Question

I was. I was not. Was I?
You were. You were not. Were you?
We were. We were not. Were we?
They were. They were not. Were they?
He was. He was not. Was he?
She was. She was not. Was she?
It was. It was not. Was it?
 REGULAR VERBS

Spelling rules for the “ED” form of regular verbs

REGULAR VERBS PRONUNTIATION

When the final sound in the simple present is T or D, the ED ending is pronounced /id/

Added Accepted Painted

Commanded Elected Predicted
Decided Elected Repeated
Ended Graduated Started

When the final sound in the simple present is F, L, S, SH, CH, P, the ED ending is pronounced /t/

Stuffed Erased Expressed

Fixed Danced Cooked
Brushed Reached Helped
Released Pushed Typed

When the final sound in the simple present is V, L, M, N, B, Z, K, Y, or W, the ED ending is

pronounced /d/

Called Arrived Explained

Robbed Lived Answered
Followed Used Changed
Carried
 IRREGULAR VERBS
GROUP I: verbs that have the same form in infinitive, past and participle.

INFINITIVE PAST PARTICIPLE SPANISH

Bet Bet Bet
Cost Cost
Cut Cut Cut
Hit Hit
Hurt Hurt
Let Let
Quit Quit
Set Set
Shut Shut

GROUP II: Verbs that have the same form in past and participle, but different infinitive form.

INFINITIVE PAST PARTICIPLE SPANISH

Bend Bent Bent
Build Built
Buy Bought
Bring Brought
Catch Caught
Feed Fed
Find Found
Feel Felt
Fight Fought
Get Got / Gotten
Have Had
Hang Hung
Hear Heard
Hold Held
Leave Left
Lend Lent
Lose Lost
Make Made
Mean Meant
Meet Met
Pay Paid
Send Sent
Spend Spent
Sit Sat
Shoot Shot
Stand Stood
Sleep Slept
Sell Sold
Say Said
Tell Told
Think Thought
Teach Taught
Win Won
GROUP III: Verbs that have different infinitive, past and participle forms.

INFINITIVE PAST PARTICIPLE SPANISH

Be Was / Were Been
Break Broke Broken
Choose Chose Chosen
Forget Forgotten
Speak Spoke
Steal Stolen
Swear Swore
Tear Torn
Wear Wore
Begin Begun
Drink Drank
Ring Rung
Sing Sang
Swim Swum
Drive Drove
Ride Ridden
Rise Rose
Write Written
Go Went
Do Done
Blow Blew
Grow Grown
Know Knew
Throw Thrown
Take Took
Draw Drawn
Fly Flew
Give Given
See Saw
Fall Fallen
Eat Ate

GROUP IV: Verbs that have the same form in participle and infinitive.

INFINITIVE PAST PARTICIPLE SPANISH

Come Came
Run Ran
 EXERCISES

Exercise 1: Past form of regular verbs. Write the “ED” form of the following verbs.

Show _____________ Permit _____________ Bathe _____________

Rely _____________ Play _____________ Fail _____________
Trap _____________ Marry _____________ Share _____________
Depart _____________ Achieve _____________ Admire _____________
Advise _____________ Bake _____________ Believe _____________
Blame _____________ Call _____________ Clean _____________
Continue _____________ Describe _____________ Disagree _____________

Exercise 2: Exercise on negative sentences. Rewrite the sentences in the negative.

• They collected postcards. They did not collect postcards

• You jumped high. ________________________________________________________________
• Albert played squash. ________________________________________________________________
• The teacher tested our English. _________________________________________________________
• Fiona visited her grandma. ________________________________________________________________
• He washed the car. ________________________________________________________________
• You were thirsty. ________________________________________________________________
• He had a computer. ________________________________________________________________
• I bought bread. ________________________________________________________________
• You saw the house. ________________________________________________________________

Exercise 3: Exercise on questions. Write questions in simple past.

• Anna / the window / open Did Anna open the window?

• she / home / walk ________________________________________________________________
• you / in the garden / work ________________________________________________________________
• you / a song / sing ________________________________________________________________
• she / on a chair / sit ________________________________________________________________
• you / the castle / visit ________________________________________________________________
• Jenny / the door / lock ________________________________________________________________
• she / happy / be ________________________________________________________________
• Greg / the ball / kick ________________________________________________________________
• the car / at the corner / stop ________________________________________________________________

Exercise 4: Past form of regular and irregular verbs. Put the verbs into the correct form (simple past).

• Last year I (spend) spent my holiday in Ireland.

• It (be) ____________ great.
• I (travel) ____________ around by car with two friends and we (visit) ____________ lots of interesting
places.
• In the evenings we usually (go) ____________ to a pub.
• One night we even (learn) ____________ some Irish dances.
• We (be) ____________ very lucky with the weather.
• It (not / rain) ____________ a lot.
• But we (see) ____________ some beautiful rainbows.
• Where (spend / you) ____________ your last holiday?
Exercise 5: Giving information using past tense.

Have a look at James's last week's diary and answer the questions in complete sentences. Put the time expression
at the end of the sentence. Look at the example.

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

Football Shopping Meeting Ring Jane Buy flowers Concert Sailing

Cinema Tennis English Italian

restaurant

• When was his English course? His English course was on Thursday.
• When did he go shopping? __________________________________________________________
• When did he buy flowers? __________________________________________________________
• When was his meeting? __________________________________________________________
• When did he play football? __________________________________________________________
• When did he go to the Italian restaurant? ____________________________________________________
• When did he ring Jane? __________________________________________________________
• When did he go to the cinema? __________________________________________________________
• When did he play tennis? __________________________________________________________
• When was the concert? __________________________________________________________
• When did he go sailing? __________________________________________________________

Exercise 6: Forming the Simple Past Tense (Regular Verbs). Write the correct form of each verb.

My grandfather had a very exciting life. When he was young, he ____________ (live) on a farm in the country.
His parents ____________ (raise) cattle, and he ____________ (look) after the cows. When he was eighteen, he
went to university, where he ____________ (study) Philosophy. He also ____________ (play) the trumpet in a
jazz band. When the war started, he ____________ (try) to join the Air Force, but he ____________ (end) up in
the Navy. In the Atlantic, a German torpedo ____________ (rip) a hole in the side of his ship, and the ship sank.
Only five men ____________ (escape). They ____________ (sail) in a lifeboat back to England. Then he met
my grandmother, and they ____________ (marry) after only three weeks. He says now that he ____________
(want) to marry her very quickly in case he ____________ (die) in the war.

Exercise 7: Forming the Simple Past Tense (Regular and Irregular Verbs). Write the correct form of each
verb.

Emily Carr, British Columbia's most famous artist, ____________ (be) born in 1871. Her parents ____________
(die) when she was still a teenager. She ____________ (study) art in San Francisco and Paris, but when she
____________ (come) back to Victoria, she ____________ (keep) a house called "The House of All Sorts",
where she ____________ (be) the landlady. Many years later, she ____________ (begin) painting again. To find
subjects for her paintings, she ____________ (take) trips into the forests of British Columbia, and she often
____________ (meet) with the First Nations people and ____________ (paint) them too. Emily Carr also
____________ (write) several books, and she ____________ (win) the Governor General's Award for one of
them.