Unit 1 - Past Simple
Past Simple
Unit 1 - Past Simple
Kate: Where were you yesterday?
Jerry: I was at the store.
Kate: Was Ellen with you?
Jerry: No, she was at the concert.
Kate: I was at the concert! I went with my friends. We were in the front near the stage.
Jerry: Were your friends happy to be watching their favorite band?
Kate: Yes, we were all very happy!
Past Simple - Verb "to be"
The Past Simple is
used for facts and events that existed in the
past. For example:
- I was with my grandmother yesterday.
- They were at home last week.
The verb "to be" is irregular, it's past form is as follows:
|
Singular I was You were He was She was It was |
Plural We were You were They were |
Some examples of
past simple sentences with the verb "to
be" are:
- I was happy yesterday.
- We were teachers for 20 years.
- There was a lot of rain yesterday.
Past Simple sentences are always associated
with a certain time which is either stated or
implied. For example:
I was really busy yesterday. (The time is stated)
I was really busy. (The time isn't stated, but
in a conversation the time would be understood.)
Negatives
Past Simple negative
sentences are made by adding not after
the verb "to be". For example:
- It was not sunny yesterday.
- They were not in the library.
We often contract
negatives, especially in spoken English:
- She was not hungry. -> She wasn't
hungry.
- They were not abroad last year. ->
They weren't abroad last year.
Questions
Questions are made
by inverting the subject and verb. For example:
- He was a teacher.
- Was he a teacher?
- We were happy to see your family.
- Were you happy to see my family?
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Grammar Exercises
1. When _____ the news first broadcast?
a) was
b) were
2. Both the boy and the kitten _____ asleep.
a) was
b) were
3. Who _____ your best friends in high school?
a) was
b) were
4. It was a really long day, so we _____
exhausted.
a) was
b) were
5. What _____ the name of the Beatles’
first movie?
a) was
b) were
6. The houses in my neighborhood _____ built
in the 1890s.
a) was
b) were
7. Sue _____ only twenty when she graduated
from university.
a) was
b) were
8. Why_____ the United States able to grow
from a few colonies?
a) was
b) were
9. One mother _____ surprised to learn that
her kids were always late.
a) was
b) were
10. Because Pat and I _____ underage, we
didn’t vote in last year’s election.
a) was
b) were
Answers
"a", "b", "b", "b", "a", "b", "a", "a", "a", "b"
Rick: I went to dinner with Frank last night. Stacy: You ate dinner with Frank? I thought you liked Greg. Rick: I liked Greg when I worked at the restaurant with him. Stacy: Did Frank call you to plan your date last night? Rick: Yes, he called me and asked me very nicely. I had fun! Stacy: I hope he talked about interested topics! Rick: He did. I enjoyed dinner.
The Past Simple is
used for facts and events that existed in the
past. For example:
- I played tennis with some guys from
work yesterday.
- We stayed in Shanghai for five days.
Regular past simple
verbs are formed by adding "-ed" to
the verb. For example:
- jump -> jumped: The dog jumped over
the fence.
- walk -> walked: I walked 22 kilometers
yesterday.
- work -> worked: We worked together
as lawyers for 15 years.
Usage
The past simple is
used for a completed action. For example:
- We watched a movie at the weekend.
- She arrived on Thursday.
A specific time must
be given or implied. For example:
- I walked to work this morning. - A specific
time is given.
- I walked to work. - A specific time is not
given, but in context we would understand what
time is being referred to.
Negatives
Past simple negatives
are made with did and not. Did
is the past form of the verb to do. Did
and not are often contracted to didn't.
For example:
- I arrived in London on Monday. I didn't
arrive on Sunday.
- They stayed at the Vivaldi Hotel. They didn't
stay at the Carlton Hotel.
Because "did"
is a past form, the main verb doesn't change.
For example:
- We didn't live in Italy. Did
is a past form so live is unchanged.
- We didn't lived in Italy. Incorrect
Questions
Questions are made
by putting did before the subject. For
example:
- You lived in Japan. Did you live in
Japan?
- They stayed at the Vivaldi Hotel. Did
they stay at the Vivaldi Hotel?
Again the main verb
doesn't change, for example:
- You lived in Japan. Did you lived
in Japan? Incorrect
- You lived in Japan. Did you live in
Japan? Correct
Irregular Verbs
There are many irregular past simple verbs in English, these do not add -ed. Below are some of the most common ones but there are many more.
|
|
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Grammar Exercises
Use the past tense forms of the verbs in the box to complete the sentences.
| wish | bathe | catch | put | become |
| rain | teach | forget | buy | work |
Example: The waiter the plates on the table.