PAST SIMPLE

PAST SIMPLE

FORM

a) AFFIRMATIVE: SUBJECT + VERB IN THE PAST. There are REGULAR VERBS and IRREGULAR VERBS. We use the same form for all persons.

Regular verbs add ed to form the past

to work worked; to play- played; to stay- stayed

Spelling- -ed

1. Verbs ending in e add d: to like- liked; to hate- hated; to close- closed

2. Verbs ending in consonant + vowel+ consonant double the final consonant when adding ed: to prefer- preferred; to stop- stopped; to travel- travelled

3. Verbs ending in consonant + -y ---- ied: to carry- carried; to study- studied; to tidy- tidied.

The verbal ending ED can be said in three ways:

/id/ after /t/ and/d/ : wanted needed.

/t/ after voiceless consonants such as /k/, /s/ /t/,/f/, /p/: kissed laughed- watched- looked- stopped

/d/ after other sounds: lived- opened- tidied- hurried.

Irregular verbs have a special past form. You must check the list of irregular verbs and you must know them by heart.

to go- went; to be- was/were; to drink- drank.

b) INTERROGATIVE: DID + SUBJECT + INFINITIVE?

I wanted to learn Japanese. Did you want to learn Japanese? Yes, I did/NO,I didntThe children swam in the river. Did the children swim in the river? Yes, they did/ No, they didntc) NEGATIVE: SUBJECT + DID NOT (DIDNT) + INFINITIVE

I didnt want to learn Japanese.

The children didnt swim in the river.

USE. The past simple is used:

1. For actions which happened at a stated time in the past.

He sold his car two weeks ago.

2. To express a past state or habit

When she was young she lived in a small flat.

3. for past actions which happened one after the other

She put on her coat, took her bag and left the house.

4. for a past action whose time is not mentioned and which is not connected with the present.

I saw Elvis Presley. (I wont see him again; hes dead period of time now finished)

TIME ADVERBS AND EXPRESSIONS USED WITH THE PAST SIMPLE

yesterday, last week/month/year/Monday, etc, ago, how long ago, then, when, in 1980, etc.

PAST CONTINUOUS

FORM

A) AFFIRMATIVE: SUBJECT + WAS/WERE + VERB-ING

I was helping her.

Pat and Jim were watching TV

B) INTERROGATIVE: WAS/WERE + SUBJECT + VERB-ING?

Were you helping her? Yes, I was/No, I wasnt

Were Pat and Jim watching TV? Yes, they were/ No, they werent

C) NEGATIVE: SUBJECT + WAS NOT (WASNT) / WERE NOT (WERENT) + VERB- ING

I wasnt helping her.

Pat and Jim werent watching TV

USE. The past continuous is used:

1. For an action that was happening/in the middle of happening at a stated time in the past.

What were you doing at eight oclock last night? I was listening to the radio.

2. For two or more actions which were happening at the same time in the past (simultaneous actions)

They were dancing while he was playing the guitar.

3. For a past action which was in progress when another action interrupted it. We use Past Continuous for the interrupted action and Past Simple for the action which interrupts it.

He was painting the bedroom when suddenly he fell off the ladder.

4. To describe the background to the events in a story

We were walking in the woods. It was raining hard..

Note: We cannot use this tense with stative verbs

TIME EXPRESSIONS USED WITH THE PAST CONTINUOUS

when, while, as

PRACTICE

1. Write the verbs in the PAST SIMPLE/ PAST CONTINUOUS

1. When I . (do) the washing up, I (break) a plate.

2. While Tom (play) the piano, his mother .. (do) the washing-up

3. He (drink) some juice and then he (eat) a few chips.

4. I .. (have) dinner when I suddenly . (hear) a loud bang.

5. When my father (work) in the garden, an old friend .. (pass) by to say hello.

6. She (go) to school, .. (take) out her textbook and ..(begin) to learn.

7. When it (start) to rain, our dog .. (want) to come inside.

8. When Jane . (do) a language course in Ireland, she .(visit) Blarney Castle.

9. When I .. (be) on my way home, I .(see) an accident.

10. I .. (not/understand) what they .. (talk) about.

11. When he . (hurt) his back, he . (go) to see the doctor.

12. When she ..(hear) the news she .(begin) to cry.

13. We (listen) to the radio when Fred .. (come) home.

14. I .. (hear) a strange noise and the dog . (begin) to bark.

15. Everyone .. (talk) and suddenly the lights (go) out.

16. I . (have) a nice hot shower when I . (get) home.

17. The children .. (play) happily when mother .. (arrive) home.

18. I (meet) Peter while I . (shop) this morning.

19. I (stay) in Oxford, so I . (go) to see Tim.

20. Ken . (do) his homework last night and he .. (forget) to telephone home.

2. Put the verbs in brackets into the PAST SIMPLE/ PAST CONTINUOUS1. A: What (you, do) when the accident occurred? B: I (try) to change a light bulb that had burnt out. 2. After I (find) the wallet full of money, I (go, immediately) to the police and (turn) it in. 3. The doctor (say) that Tom (be) too sick to go to work and that he (need) to stay at home for a couple of days. 4. Sebastian (arrive) at Susan's house a little before 9:00 pm, but she (be, not) there. She (study, at the library) for her final examination in French. 5. Sandy is in the living room watching television. At this time yesterday, she (watch, also) television. That's all she ever does! 6. A: I (call) you last night after dinner, but you (be, not) there. Where were you? B: I (work) out at the fitness centre. 7. When I (walk) into the busy office, the secretary (talk) on the phone with a customer, several clerks (work, busily) at their desks, and two managers (discuss, quietly) methods to improve customer service.

8. I (watch) a mystery movie on T.V. when the electricity went out. Now I am never going to find out how the movie ends. 9. Sharon (be) in the room when John told me what happened, but she didn't hear anything because she (listen, not) . 10. It's strange that you (call) because I (think, just) about you. 11. The Titanic (cross) the Atlantic when it (strike) an iceberg. 12. When I entered the bazaar, a couple of merchants (bargain, busily) and (try) to sell their goods to naive tourists who (hunt) for souvenirs. Some young boys (lead) their donkeys through the narrow streets on their way home. A couple of men (argue) over the price of a leather belt. I (walk) over to a man who (sell) fruit and (buy) a banana. 13. The firemen (rescue) the old woman who (be) trapped on the third floor of the burning building.

14. She was so annoying! She (leave, always) her dirty dishes in the sink. I think she (expect, actually) me to do them for her.

15. Samantha (live) in Berlin for more than two years. In fact, she (live) there when the Berlin wall came down.

3. a) Choose the correct tense for each verb

Dyson (a) was entering / entered the office quietly and (b) was shutting/shut the door. First, he (c) was pulling/pulled the blind. Next, he (d) was switching/switched on his torch. Then he (e) was taking/took some papers out of the desk. While he (f) was reading/read them, he (g) was hearing/heard a car door outside the building.

The police? No, not yet. Kelly it must be Kelly!

Quickly, Dyson (h) was switching/switched off his torch and (i) was listening/listened. What (j) was happening/happened? Kelly (k) was looking/looked in other rooms. She (l) was walking/ walked along the corridor. Dyson was ready. He (m) was standing/stood behind the door with his gun in his hand when Kelly (n) was coming/came into the room.

And then....

b) Put the verbs in the past simple or the past continuous

Kelly (a) ............... (hit) Dysons arm and (b) .................... (try) to take the gun. A bullet (c) ............................. (hit) Dysons foot and he (d) ...................... (fall) to the floor. Kelly (e) .......................... (try) to decide what to do when she (f) ..................... (hear) the police car. She (g) ........................... (run) out of the building, (h) .................... (jump) into her car and (i) ............ (drive) away.

Dyson (j) ...................... (still/lie) on the floor of the office when the police (k) .............. (arrive).

SIMPLE PRESENT / PRESENT CONTINUOUS / PAST SIMPLE / PAST CONTINUOUS

Put the verbs in the right tense

1. She .............................. (always/borrow) from me and ............................ (never/remember) to pay me back.

2. Detective: Im afraid I must ask you both. What ............................... (you/do) at 10.20 yesterday?

Mr X.: I ................................ (play) chess with my wife.

Mr. Y: I .............................. (listen) to a speech on the radio.

3. ...................................... (you/need) another blanket or ...................... (you/feel) warm enough? No, I .........................

4. Tom ........................................... (usually/ feed) the hens but I ................... (do) it today as he ............................... (not/feel) well.

5. The boys ..................................... (play) cards when they ............................ (hear) their fathers step. They immediately .................................. (hide) the cards and .......................(take) out their lesson books.

6. a: Have you read his last book? B: Yes, I have. A: What .......................................... (you/think) of it? B: I ............................... (like) it very much.

7. a: .......................................................(you/dream) at night? Yes, I ............... I ................................ (always/dream) and if I ........................... (eat) too much supper, I ............................... (have) nightmares.

8. a: ............................................. (you/do) anything at the moment? B: Yes, I ..........

I .......................... (pack). I ................................. (catch) a plane to NYC in three hours time.

A: Lucky girl! How long ......................................... (you/stay) in New York?

9. a: The house next to yours ..................................... (be) full of policemen and police dogs yesterday. B: What .............................................. (they/do)? A: I ..............................(hear) that they ............................................ (look) for drugs.

B: ............................................ (they/find) any? Yes, I believe one of the dogs ............................. (discover) some cannabis.

10. a: What ............................................. (you/do) when the doorbell ...............................(ring)? B: I ................................. (do) my homework.

A: and what .......................................... (you/do) when you ..................... (hear) the bell? B: I .......................... (go) to answer it of course. But when I ............................. (open) the door there ........................... (be) nobody there.

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