The document describes the simple past tense in English. The simple past expresses actions that occurred in the past, either once, never, or several times. It provides examples of regular and irregular verb forms in the positive, negative, and interrogative. It also includes exercises for learners to practice forming simple past sentences based on prompts.

2. SIMPLE PAST

The simple past expresses an action in
the past taking place once, never,
several times.

3. Forms of Simple Past

Positive Negative Question
no differences I spoke. I did not speak. Did I speak?
Aux past verb in Aux past verb in
structure Verb in past
present present
For irregular verbs, use
the past form. For regular
verbs, just add “ed”.

4. Forms of verbs

Irregular verbs (change or
Regular verbs (ED) no change)
 Want ed  Take = took
 Need ed  Have = had
 Play ed  Get = got
 Like d  Go = went

5. Exceptions in Spelling
when Adding ‘ed’

Exceptions in spelling when adding ed Example
after a final e only add d love – loved
final consonant after a short,
stressed vowel admit – admitted
or l as final consonant after a vowel travel – travelled
is doubled
final y after a consonant becomes i hurry – hurried

6. EXERCISES

 Complete the sentences with was or were:
 I _______ happy (was/were)
 You _______ angry (was/were)
 She _______ (was/were) in London last week
 He _______ (was/were) on holiday
 It _______ (was/were) cold
 We ______ (was/were) at school
 You _____ (was/were) at the movies
 They _____(was/were) at home
 The cat _____ (was/were) on the roof

7. Exercise on positive
sentences

 Write positive sentences in simple past.
 He / the question / answer ________________________
 You / a question / ask ____________________________
 The dog / bark __________________________________
 They / us / call ____________________________________
 We / a mountain / climb __________________________
 John / stamps / collect _____________________________
 We / in London / live ______________________________
 I / hungry / be ____________________________________
 They / a hamster / have _____________________________
 He / to school / go ________________________________

8. Write questions in
simple past

 Ex: Anna / the window / open
Did Ana 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 ________________________

9. Rewrite the sentences in
the negative.

 Ex: They collected postcards.
They did not collect the 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. _____________________________

10. Answer the questions

 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.
Monday Tuesday Wednsday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
buy
football shopping meeting ring Jane concert sailing
flowers
Italian
cinema tennis English
restaurant

11. QUESTIONS

 Ex: When was his English course?
James English course was on Wednesday afternoon
 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? _____________________________