(Level: Elementary to Pre-Intermediate / A2 to B1 / * to **)
Form:
Two types of verbs
1. Regular verbs
+
ED (to the infinitive)
work ---- worked answer --- answered ask --- asked
+ D (to the infinitive ending in -e)
love ---- loved like ---- liked
The rules about doubling the final consonant when adding -ing also apply when adding -ed (if the consonant is preceded by a short vowel)
stop ---- stopped chat ---- chatted
travel --- travelled (in British English) / traveled (in American English)
admit --- admitted (double 't' because stress on second syllable)
BUT: happen --- happened (one 'n' because stress on first syllable)
The verbs ending in -y following a consonant change the y into i before -ed
carry ----- carried bury
----- buried
BUT : obey ---- obeyed survey –
surveyed enjoy --- enjoyed
Example of a regular verb (to work) in the simple past
Note the use of DID + S + infinitive (questions) and DID NOT / DIDN'T + infinitive (negations)!
positive
|
negative
|
negative (contractions)
|
interrogative
|
I worked
You
worked
He /
She worked
We worked
You
worked
They
worked
|
I did not
work
You did
not work
He / She
did not work
We did
not work
You did
not work
They did
not work
|
I didn’t
work
You
didn’t work
He / She
didn’t work
We didn’t
work
You
didn’t work
They
didn’t work
|
Did I
work?
Did you
work?
Did he /
she work?
Did we
work?
Did you
work?
Did they
work?
|
The -ed (or -d) form is used only in positive sentences!
2. Irregular verbs
a) Auxiliaries and among them...
-BE
positive
|
negative
|
negative (contractions)
|
Interrogative
|
I was
You were
He / She
was
We were
You were
They were
|
I was not
You were
not
He / She
was not
We were
not
You were
not
They were
not
|
I wasn’t
You
weren’t
He / She
wasn’t
We
weren’t
You
weren’t
They
weren’t
|
Was I?
Were you?
Was he /
she?
Were we?
Were you?
Were
they?
|
-CAN
Present +
|
Present -
|
Idem (contr.)
|
Present ?
|
Past +
|
Past -
|
Idem (contr.)
|
Past ?
|
I / You / He / She / We / You / They
can |
I / You / He / She / We / You / They
cannot |
I / You / He / She / We / You / They
can’t |
Can I?
Can you?
Can he?
Can we?
Can you?
Can they?
|
I / you / he / she / we / you / they
could |
I / you / he / she / we / you / they
could not |
I / You / He / She / We / You / They
couldn’t |
Could I
Could you?
Could he?
Could we?
Could you?
Could they?
|
b) the strong verbs
speak ----- spoke eat ---- ate have ---- had see ----saw
positive
|
negative
|
negative (contractions)
|
interrogative
|
I
spoke
You
spoke
He
spoke
We
spoke
You
spoke
They
spoke
|
I did not
speak
You did
not speak
He did
not speak
We did
not speak
You did not
speak
They did
not speak
|
I didn’t
speak
You
didn’t speak
He didn’t
speak
We didn’t
speak
You
didn’t speak
They
didn’t speak
|
Did I
speak?
Did you
speak?
Did he
speak?
Did we
speak?
Did you
speak?
Did they
speak?
|
The irregular simple past forms of strong verbs are used only in positive sentences!
In negative sentences, you need DID NOT / DIDN'T + infinitive
In interrogative sentences, you need to use the structure DID + S + infinitive
BUT not for the auxiliaries: see CAN and BE above!
Here is two lists of irregular / strong verbs including archaic forms.
It may be time for you to have a good recap!
http://jiel.b.free.fr/languages_doc/englishstrongverbs.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_English_irregular_verbs
Use:
The Simple Past is used when two conditions are systematically fulfilled:
b) You know exactly when the action (or event) took place
When did you see her? / I saw her yesterday.
I met them last night.
How long ago did you write your essay? I wrote it two days ago.
When did you have your car repaired? I had it repaired last week.
When did you last go to the cinema? I last went to the cinema last month.
When did she meet her boyfriend? She met him when she was a student.
They got married in 1995.
I didn’t see my friends last weekend when I went to the football match.
He didn’t see his parents for four years.
How long were you a student? I was a student for four years, between 1983 and 1987.
Past time phrases
Prepositions
at
- for points of time in the past
What did you do at six o'clock?
She was in the office at 10.30.
I went shopping at the end of last week.
She saw her parents at the end of last month.
on
- for days and dates in the past
What did you do on Monday / on 15th May / on Wednesday 3rd June?
I phoned her on Tuesday / I moved out on 2 September.
in
- for other periods of time (in the past)
She was on holiday in July.
The accident happened in 2009.
No prepositions
- with last
They phoned us last month / last week / last weekend / last Friday ...
- with time adverbials / phrases yesterday / the day before yesterday
I saw her yesterday.
- ago (used to measure time back from now)
I met my best friends 26 years ago.
I met my best friends 30 years ago NOW ( = 2013)
(in 1983)
......................ò...........................................................ò.........
Pronunciation of final –ed: /t/; /d/ or /Id/
Verb ending
|
Pronunciation
|
Examples
|
- Voiced
consonants
/b/; /g /; /m/ ; /n/ ;
/
dʒ / ...
- Diphthongs
|
/d/
|
played
cleaned
breathed
phoned
showed
begged
saved
|
- Voiceless
consonants
/p/; /s/; /k/; /ʃ/; ...
|
/t/
|
stopped
missed
rushed
asked
fetched
|
- Final /t/
or /d/
|
/Id/
|
wanted
demanded
|
DRILLS (+ SEE FURTHER: Additional exercises)
1
Find the Simple Past form of the following regular verbs and write the way the ending is pronounced. Make sure you know how to pronounce the infinitive!
match
kiss
breathe
delete
fetch
delay
dub
listen
look
rush
telephone
download
repair
fell
walk
pack
dim
deploy
call
cough
laugh
grasp
recover
rip
clean
2
Find the Simple past form (affirmative)
1. He (answer) the question.
2. They (be) ________________ elsewhere
yesterday.
3. You (ask) a stupid question.
4. They (call) us.
5. We (leave) at 10pm.
6. She (come) to see you.
7.
They (go) home late.
8. She (forget) her name.
9. I (know) why she didn’t want to see me.
10. The police (catch) __________________ the
murderer before he (can)
_________________ kill again.
11. He (see) ____________ me and (recognise)
_________________ me at once.
Make negative sentences
1. They collected postcards.
2. You jumped high.
3. Fiona visited her grandma.
4. You were thirsty.
5. I bought bread.
6. You saw the house.
7. He caught the ball.
8. She wrote short stories. _______________________________
9. They drove all day long.
_______________________________
10. I got lost.
__________________________________________
11. She downloaded lots of films.
__________________________
4
Make
questions
1. She pushed her trolley.
2. She carried a suitcase.
3. We waited in the car park.
4. The police arrested the murderer.
5. We ate fish and chips.
6. She watched a film last weekend.
7. She asked her mum because she wanted to know how to use the machine.
8. I opened the window.
9. His dad was operated on last week.
10. She wanted a car.
Answer keys: see further
Additional exercises
Here are a few interesting sites to go to so as to practise the Simple Past (regular and irregular verbs). Have fun!
Simple Past of to be
http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/simple-past/exercises?03
Simple Past - Positive sentences
http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/simple-past/exercises?04
Simple Past - answering questions
http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/simple-past/exercises?02
Simple Past - Negative sentences
http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/simple-past/exercises?05
Simple Past - Questions
http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/simple-past/exercises?06
Simple Past - Questions
http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/simple-past/exercises?07
Simple Past - Mixed exercise
http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/simple-past/exercises
Strong / Irregular verbs - Mixed exercises
http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/irregular-verbs
Language game to practise your irregular verbs: Verb Dash
Have fun!
http://games.wordreference.com/language-games/verb-dash
Answer keys
1
matched /t/
kissed /t/
breathed /d/
deleted /Id/
fetched /t/
delayed /d/
dubbed /d/
listened /d/
looked /t/
rushed /t/
telephoned /d/
downloaded /Id/
repaired /d/
felled /d/
walked /t/
packed /t/
dimmed /d/
deployed /d/
called /d/
coughed /t/
laughed /t/
grasped /t/
recovered /d/
ripped /t/
cleaned /d/
2
1. He answered the question.
2. They were elsewhere yesterday.
3. You asked a stupid question.
4. They called us.
5. We left at 10pm.
6. She came to see you.
7. They went home late.
8. She forgot her name.
9. I knew why she didn’t want to see me.
10. The police caught the murderer before he could kill again.
11. He saw me and recognised me at once.
3
1. They collected postcards. They didn't collect postcards.
2. You jumped high. You didn't jump high.
3. Fiona visited her grandma. Fiona didn't visit her grandma.
4. You were thirsty. You weren't thirsty.
5. I bought bread. I didn't buy bread.
6. You saw the house. You didn't see the house.
7. He caught the ball. He didn't catch the ball.
8. She wrote short stories. She didn't write short stories.
9. They drove all day long. They didn't drive all day long.
10. I got lost. I didn't get lost.
11. She downloaded lots of films. She didn't download lots of films.
4
1. What did she push?
2. What did she carry?
3. Where did you wait?
4. Who did the police arrest?
5. What did you eat?
6. When did she watch the match?
7. Why did she ask her mum?
8. What did you open?
9. Who was operated on last week?
10. What did she want?
