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Simple Past Tense

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13 views

Simple Past Tense

Uploaded by

andychavesch
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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SIMPLE PAST TENSE

Uses (Actions or States Completed in the Past)

1. Use the simple past for actions or states that started and ended in the past. Use time expressions to
describe the time period.

I lived in New York in 2000. We went shopping last week.


They played soccer on Fridays. The weather was great yesterday.

2. The actions or states can happen in the recent past (a short time ago) or the distant past (a long time
ago).

Recent Past Distant Past


He called half an hour ago. They moved in 1980.
She felt bad last night. He was in college ten years ago.

3. The actions or state can last for a long or a short period of time.

Long Period of Time Short Period of Time


I lived in Mexico for 20 years. It rained hard for five minutes.
She was away for 10 months. He stayed in bed all afternoon.

4. The actions or states can happen once or repeatedly.

Happened Once Happened Repeatedly


I met my best friend in elementary school. We often did many things together.
Structure

Affirmative Statements Negative Statements

Base Form of Verb + –d / –ed Did not Base Form Complement


Subject Complement Subject
or Irregular Form (Didn’t) of Verb
I I
You You
He He
arrived arrive
She She did not
worked yesterday. work yesterday.
It It /didn’t
came come
We We
You You
They They

Yes / No Questions

Did Subject Base Form of Verb Complement + ?


you arrive
Did he work yesterday?
they come
Short Answers

Yes Subject Did No Subject Did not (Didn’t)


I I
Yes, he did. No, he did not.
they they

Information Questions (Wh – Questions)

“Wh” Word Did Subject Base Form of Verb “Wh” Word Base Form of Verb + –d / –ed
Who you call? (Subject) or Irregular Form
What he do? Who called?
When What happened?
did
Where
they go?
Why
How

Do not use did in information questions when “who” or “what” is the subject:

• What did happen yesterday? (Incorrect)


• What happened yesterday? (Correct)

Simple Past with the Verb “To Be”

Affirmative Statements Negative Statements

Subject Was / Were Complement Was (Wasn´t) /


Subject Complement
I Were not (Weren’t)
He I
was He
She was not
It home yesterday. She
We It home yesterday.
You were We
They You were not
They
Yes / No Questions

Was / Were Subject Complement + ?


Were you
Was he home yesterday?
Were they

Short Answers

Yes Subject Was / Were No Subject Was (Wasn´t) / Were not (Weren’t)
I we
Yes, he was. No, you were not.
she they
Information Questions

“Wh” Word Was / Were Subject Complement + ? “Wh” Word Complement + ?


Was / Were
Who was she? - (Subject)
What those? - Who with you?
was
When What that?
they home?
Why were
Where -
you?
How -

Do not use did in negative statements or questions with “was/were”:

• I wasn’t there.
• Why was she late?
• We weren’t angry.
• Were you at the concert?

Regular Verbs

Spelling Rules for Adding –ed Endings

1. For many verbs, you only need to add the –ed ending.

Work Worked
Help Helped

2. When a verb end with a silent e, add –d to the end of the world.

Live Lived Like Liked

3. When a verb ends in y, change the y to i and add –ed.

Study Studied Copy Copied

Exception: If the y comes after a vowel, do not change the y to i.

Enjoy Enjoyed Delay Delayed

4. If a verb ends in a “consonant + vowel + consonant”, double the final consonant and add –ed.

Stop Stopped Admit Admitted

Exception #1: Do not double the final consonant for words ending in w, x, or y.

Mix Mixed Snow Snowed

Exception #2: If a two-syllable verb ends in a “Consonant + Vowel + Consonant”, do not double the final
consonant when the stress is on the first syllable.

Happen Happened Offer Offered


Enter Entered
Pronunciation of Verbs Ending in –ed

Voiceless/Unvoiced

Voiced

Voiced

Note that it is the sound that is important, no the letter or spelling. For example, “fax” ends in the letter “x” but
the sound /s/; “like” ends in the letter “e” but the sound /k/.

List of Irregular Verbs

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