The simple past

They watched TV last night.

AffirmativeNegative

IYouHeShe + verb (past) + complement.ItWeYouThey IYouHeShe + didnt + verb + complement.ItWeYouThey

I went to the gym yesterday morning. Jenny studied Portuguese six years ago. Kim didnt drink a coke last night. They didnt play soccer last Saturday.

Yes/NO Question

I you he Did she + verb (simple form) + complement? it we you they

Did Sara study English with you? Did your parents go to the movies last weekend? Did Karla and Donny eat pasta yesterday? Did they play soccer last Saturday? We use the simple past to talk about an action that began and finished in the past, this action was completed. We normally say or know when this action occurred. The moment in the past is clearly specified:

YesterdayThe day before yesterdayLast night Last weekLast weekendLast FridayLast monthLast DecemberLast HalloweenLast ChristmasLast summerLast vacationLast yearAn hour agoTwo days agoThree weeks agoFour months agoFive years agoLong time ago

When we use the simple past form, we have to talk about regular and irregular verbs. We form the simple past and the past participle of regular verbs by adding d, ed, ied to the verb. The irregular verbsare those verbs that fall outside the standard patterns ofconjugation in the past, sometimes their simple past form and the past participle change and other times they stay the same.

Ed spelling form:

Verbs ending in eDanceCloseDie Smile Add dDancedClosedDied Smiled

Verbs ending in one vowel + a consonant (not w, x, y)StopPlanJogHop Double the consonant + edStoppedPlannedJogged Hopped ExceptionsOpenedListenedHappenedVisitedoffered

Verbs ending in two consonantsWorkCall Start Just add edWorkedcalledStarted

Verbs ending in two vowels + a consonantCleanLook Wait Just add ed. Do not double the consonant.CleanedLooked Waited

Verbs ending in one vowel + w, x, or ySnow FixStayPlay Just add ed. Do not double the consonant.SnowedFixedStayedPlayed

Verbs ending in a consonant + yStudyCryFrytryChange y to iedStudiedCriedFriedTried

(ed) Pronunciations:

There are three different ed pronunciations:

/d/

Verbs ending in t, te, d, deVisit Visited /d/Invite Invited /d/Pretend Pretended /d/Decide Decided /d/

/t/Verbs ending in ce, ch, f, k, ke, p, pe, se, sh, ss, x, z, ze

Dance Danced /t/Watch watched /t/Surf Surfed /t/Park Parked /t/Like Liked /t/

/d/The rest of the verbsClean Cleaned /d/Call Called /d/Study Studied /d/Live Lived /d/

Exercise 1: complete the following story about Romeo and Juliet with the verbs in parentheses.Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and Juliet (live) __________ in Italy hundreds of years ago. He (meet) __________ her at a party one night and (fall) __________ in love with her as soon as he (see) __________ her. She also (fall) __________ in love with him. When her family (find out) __________ that Romeo (love) __________ their daughter, they (be) __________ very upset. Both families (not like) __________ each other and they (not want) __________ Romeo and Juliet to be together. Her family (want) __________ her to marry someone else, but she (tell) __________ them that she wouldnt. She (pretend) __________ to be dead so that she wouldnt have to marry the man her parents have chosen. When Romeo (see) _________ her, he (be) __________ heartbroken, and (drink) __________ some poison and (die)__________. When she (wake up) __________ she (realize) __________ that Romeo (be) __________ dead, so she (kill) __________ herself, too.

Exercise 2: fill in the gaps and finish the following story with the verbs in the box.

Knock Recover Start Point Die

Follow Pull Cry Lift Stop

Look Thank Smile Treat recognize

The helper from beyond the grave.

It was late at night, October 31st, 1878. Dr. Bruce Banner, a well- known Philadelphia doctor was still in his office. At about 9:30 p.m. somebody ____________ at the door. On the doorstep there was a little boy of about 12 wearing dirty pants and no shoes. There was a light green scarf around his neck. Doctor! he ____________ please come with me. My mothers sick! I think shes dying.Then, the doctor ____________ the boy to a street near his office. The boy ____________ to a woman on the ground. She was unconscious. The doctor ____________ at the woman immediately and then ____________ a passing horse cab. The doctor and boy ____________ the woman into the cab.At the hospital the doctor ____________ the woman for pneumonia and luckily she ____________ completely.Some weeks later, the woman ____________ Doctor Banner for saving her life. He ____________ and said that the real person to thank was her son. My son? she said, no, not my son! and she ____________ to cry. My son ____________ of cancer three years ago.Doctor Banner was astonished. She continued, this is all I have to remember him by, and she ____________ out a light green scarf from around her neck. It was his. I always wear it in winter. Doctor Banner ____________ the scarf immediately. It was the barefoot boys scarf. Exercise 3: write the verbs in parentheses in the correct form: affirmative, negative or question.

1. Benjamin cut his finger this morning. How (do) _____________________________________________________ that?2. Did Natalie go to the gym last night? No, (have) ____________________________________________________ time.3. It was very hot in here this morning, so I (open) __________________ a window.4. The party wasnt very good, so Cody (stay) __________________________ long.5. (rain) _________________________ last weekend? No, it was a terrific weekend.6. Sophia (buy) ___________________________ two blouses and a skirt yesterday.7. I went to the movies with Brooke but the film wasnt very good. We (enjoy) __________________________ it very much.8. William Shakespeare (write) _____________________ The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. He (write) ____________________ Romeo and Juliet.