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The Past Tense – Simple Past

There are three aspects of the past tense:
1) Simple past = action
2) Past progressive
3) Past perfect (simple and progressive)
_____________________________________________
now
The simple past tense is used to describe: A time in
the past
1. an action that happened in the past
2. a truth about a time in the past
• Add “ed” or “ied” to regular verb endings in simple past tense when used to describe
any subject (I, you, we, they, he, she, it).
Subject [verb + “ed” or “ied”]
The verb “to be” has an irregular conjugation:
I / he / she / it [was]
you / we / they [were]

Example: He walked to school yesterday.

Example: She was happy.
Directions: Write the correct form of the verb in the spaces below.
1) When I was in school, I _____ (to do) my homework everyday.
2) She _______ (to like) chocolate milk when she was a girl.
3) It always _______ (to rain) when we lived in Seattle.
4) Joey and Mike _______ (to be) friends a long time ago.
5) I _______ (to try) to make a snowman last winter.
6) Our favorite game when we were little ______ (to be) chess.
7) It ______ (to be) so sunny yesterday.
8) Jeremy ______ (to want) to go to the beach this summer.
9) Shelby ______ (to save) $100.
10) It ______ (to snow) last December.
Directions: Put the following sentences in simple past tense.
1) I talk to Anne on the phone.
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2) Nikko laughs at the joke.
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Directions: Now make your own sentences using the simple past tense.
1) _____________________________________________________________________

2) _____________________________________________________________________
NAME: ________________________ DATE: ________________________
GRAMMAR WORKSHEET
PAST SIMPLE: Irregular
I I
You You
He He
She ate dinner. She didn’t eat dinner.
It It
We We
They They
Yes, No,
I I I
you you you
he he he
Did she eat dinner? she did. she didn’t.
it it it
we we we
they they they

 Fill in the blanks below to complete the sentences. Study the boxes above.

1. I (eat)___________ dinner at six o’clock yesterday.

2. A: ___________ Helen (drive)___________ to work? B: Yes, she ___________.
3. My neighbor (buy)___________ a new car last week.
4. They (go)___________ to Italy on their last summer holiday.
5. A: ___________ they (swim)___________ at the beach? B: No, they __________.
6. My family and I (see)___________ a comedy movie last night.
7. First, we (do)___________ exercise, and then we (drink)___________ some water.
8. Suddenly, the animal jumped and (bite)___________ my hand.
9. What time (do)___________ you (get up)___________ this morning?
10. The Wright brothers (fly)___________ the first airplane in 1903.
11. I think I (hear)___________ a strange sound outside the door one minute ago.
12. When I was ten years old, I (break)___________ my arm. It really (hurt) __________.
13. The police (catch)___________ all three of the bank robbers last week.
14. How many times (do)___________ you (read)___________ that book?
15. Unfortunately, I (forget)___________ to (bring)___________ my money.

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GRAMMAR WORKSHEET ALL Things Grammar

Grammar Focus Past Simple: Irregular

Level Intermediate

ANSWER KEY My Notes

1. ate 9. did / get up

2. Did / drive / did 10. flew
3. bought 11. heard
4. went 12. broke / hurt
5. Did / swim / didn’t 13. caught
6. saw 14. did / read
7. did / drank 15. forgot / bring
8. bit

Grades as
percentages
15 / 15 = 100%
14 / 15 = 93
13 / 15 = 87
12 / 15 = 80
11 / 15 = 73
10 / 15 = 67
9 / 15 = 60
8 / 15 = 53
7 / 15 = 47
6 / 15 = 40
5 / 15 = 33
4 / 15 = 27
3 / 15 = 20
2 / 15 = 13
1 / 15 = 7
0 / 15 = 0%

Permission granted to reproduce for classroom use. © www.allthingsgrammar.com

Name:_____________________
___________
_____ Date: ____________
_______________________

Read the clues and then complete the puzzle.

____________ ____________

____________

Across: Down:

3 the past tense of break _________ 1 the past tense of write _________
4 the past tense of have _________ 2 the past tense of begin _________
5 the past tense of jump _________ 6 last year he _________ football
8 the past tense of run _________ 7 the past tense of watch _________
9 yesterday I __________ to music 10 the past tense of rain _________
11 the past tense of dream _________ 12 the past tense of eat _________
14 the past tense of sleep _________ 13 the past tense of stand _________
15 this morning many birds __________ in the 14 the past tense of swim _________
sky 16 He used to love his girlfriend ___
_________
19 the past tense of drive _________ 17 the past tense of go _________
18 the team __________ a lot of trophies

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 Teacher’s answers

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 Past Simple

A Write the Past Simple of each verb in the correct column.

open marry like try bake stop mix plan repeat worry decide travel

-ed -d -ied double consonant + -ed

opened

B Complete the sentences with the Past Simple of the verbs in brackets.
tried
1 My sister ..................... (try) to bake a cake 3 I ..................... (phone) my cousin in Canada
last Saturday. three days ago.
2 We ..................... (not order) steak and chips 4 The children ..................... (play) on the
at the restaurant yesterday. computer yesterday.

C Write the questions. Then answer them.

1 you / watch TV / last night 3 your mum / bake / a cake / last weekend
Did you watch TV last night?
....................................................................... .......................................................................
Yes, I did. / No, I didn’t.
......................................................... .........................................................
2 your friends / play football / yesterday 4 you / phone / a friend / an hour ago
....................................................................... .......................................................................
......................................................... .........................................................

D Write the Past Simple form of the verbs.

1 take took
..................... 4 give ..................... 7 go .....................
2 drink ..................... 5 think ..................... 8 wake .....................
3 ride ..................... 6 have ..................... 9 buy .....................

E Write questions with the words below. Then answer the questions according to the pictures.
Use the Past Simple.
1880s Good morning!
1 2 3 4

buy a jeep ride horses speak English

wear jeans
1 Rob / buy a small car 3 cowboys / drive cars / in the 1880s
Did Rob buy a small car?
.......................................................................... ..........................................................................
No, he didn’t. He bought a jeep.
.......................................................................... ..........................................................................

2 Jenny / wear a skirt / to the party 4 the teacher / speak Greek / in the lesson
.......................................................................... ..........................................................................
.......................................................................... ..........................................................................

ESO 1 Photocopiable © B Burlington Books

Past Simple – Answers
A -ed: opened, mixed, repeated
-d: liked, baked, decided
-ied: married, tried, worried
double consonant + -ed: stopped, planned, travelled

B 1 tried 3 phoned
2 didn’t order 4 played

C 1 Did you watch TV last night?

Yes, I did. / No, I didn’t.
2 Did your friends play football yesterday?
Yes, they did. / No, they didn’t.
3 Did your mum bake a cake last weekend?
Yes, she did. / No, she didn’t.
4 Did you phone a friend an hour ago?
Yes, I did. / No, I didn’t.

D 1 took 6 had
2 drank 7 went
3 rode 8 woke
4 gave 9 bought
5 thought

E 1 Did Rob buy a small car?

No, he didn’t. He bought a jeep.
2 Did Jenny wear a skirt to the party?
No, she didn’t. She wore jeans.
3 Did cowboys drive cars in the 1880s?
No, they didn’t. They rode horses.
4 Did the teacher speak Greek in the lesson?
No, she didn’t. She spoke English.

ESO 1 Photocopiable © B Burlington Books

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Simple Past (interrogative)

1. Write these questions in the past.

1. Does she buy the newspaper in the shop over there? ...............................................
2. Do they do their homework in the evening? ...............................................................
3. Do they have a good holiday? ....................................................................................
4. Do they find any animal in the forest? ........................................................................
5. Is it dark when she gets up in the morning? ...............................................................

2. Write questions for these answers.

1. Where did you go yesterday?

I went to the park

2. ...............................................?

My friend arrived at five o´clock

3. ................................................?

He said “hello!”

4. .................................................?

The film started at seven.

5. .................................................?

We went on a excursion.

6. ..................................................?

She visited her aunt.

7. ................................................. ?

My grandparents lived in Italy.

3. Write questions in the past with these words.

1. when / study English / you .........................................................?

2. what / do / yesterday / she .........................................................?
3. like / the film / he .........................................................?
4. live / in Paris / your parents .........................................................?
5. walk / down / the road / they .........................................................?

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Answers

Exercise 1:

1. Did she buy the newspaper in the shop over there?

2. Did they do their homework in the evening?
3. Did they have a good holiday?
4. Did they find any animal in the forest?
5. Was it dark when she got up in the morning?

Exercise 2:

2. What time / when did your friend arrive?

3. What did he say?
4. What time / when did they film start?
5. Where did you go?
6. Who did she visit?
7. Where did your grandparents live?

Exercise 3:

1. When did you study English?

2. What did she do yesterday?
3. Did he like the film?
4. Did your parents live in Paris?
5. Did they walk down the road?

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Simple Past (negative and affirmative)

1. Write these sentences in the past.

1. He goes to the swimming pool because he likes swimming.

…………………………………………………………………………………………
2. They have dinner at nine o´clock.
…………………………………………………………………………………………
3. Adam runs 500 m
…………………………………………………………………………………………
4. Helen eats too many sweets.
…………………………………………………………………………………………
5. I buy the newspaper in the shop.
…………………………………………………………………………………………
6. We get up at eight o´clock and go to school.
…………………………………………………………………………………………

2. Write the sentences in exercise 1 in the negative form.

1. …………………………………………………………………………………………
2. …………………………………………………………………………………………
3. …………………………………………………………………………………………
4. …………………………………………………………………………………………
5. …………………………………………………………………………………………
6. …………………………………………………………………………………………

3. Write about what Jim did and didn´t do yesterday, as in the examples.

1. Go to the bank (yes) 1. He went to the bank

2. Buy some shoes (no) 2. He didn´t buy any shoes.
3. Write to Sally (yes) ……………………………………..
4. Buy a shirt (yes) ……………………………………..
5. Have lunch with Adam (no) ……………………………………..
6. Write to Peter (yes) ……………………………………..
7. Go to the hospital (no) ……………………………………..
8. Have dinner with Susie (yes) ……………………………………..
9. Play football (no) ……………………………………..
10.Make dinner (yes) ……………………………………..

4. Write the past form of these verbs.

1. to get ……… 6. to play ………

2. to buy ……… 7. to come ………
3. to study ……… 8. to go ………
4. to watch ……… 9. to pay ………
5. to begin ……… 10. to walk ………

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Answers

Exercise 1:

1. He went to the swimming pool because he liked swimming.

2. They had dinner at nine o´clock.
3. Adam ran 500 m
4. Helen ate too many sweets.
5. I bought the newspaper in the shop.
6. We got up at eight o´clock and went to school.

Exercise 2:
1. He didn´t go to the swimming pool because he didn´t like swimming.
2. They didn´t have dinner at nine o´clock.
3. Adam didn´t run 500 m
4. Helen didn´t eat too many sweets.
5. I didn´t buy the newspaper in the shop.
6. We didn´t get up at eight o´clock and went to school.

Exercise 3:

3. He wrote to Sally
4. He bought a shirt
5. He didn´t have lunch with Adam
6. He wrote to Peter
7. He didn´t go to the hospital
8. He had dinner with Susie
9. He didn´t play football
10. He made dinner

Exercise 4:

1. got 6. played
2. bought 7. came
3. studied 8. went
4. watched 9. paid
5. began 10. walked

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