SIMPLE PAST TENSE

1. Use the Simple Past to express the idea that an action or situation started and finished at a specific time in the past. We use the simple past tense to talk about things that are now finished.

Past.........X..................................Now...................................................Future He was a writer

Examples:
Edgar Allan was an American author, poet, editor and literary critic. Edgar Allan Poe lived in the nineteenth century. He wrote poetry.

2. You can use the simple past tense with time expressions that refer to the past (last night, last Monday, last week, last month, last year, last summer, by

1982, in the eighteenth century, three years ago, two days ago) Examples:
By 1845, he was famous He died more than one hundred years ago.

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3. The simple past tense of regular verbs is formed by adding (d ) or (ed).

Examples:

Simple form
Join Live Work Play

Simple Past
joined lived Worked Played

There are often spelling changes when you add ed to the verb.

Examples:

Hop Carry Prefer

Hopped Carried Preferred

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Many common verbs are irregular. Their past tense is not formed by adding d or ed.

Examples
Be Have Get Go Think Drink Buy Drive Take Eat Give Feel Know Make Do Wake Say was / were had got went thought drank bought drove took ate gave felt knew made did woke Said

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SPELLING RULES FOR THE SIMPLE PAST TENSE OF REGULAR VERBS
(Taken form Grammar Express for Self Study and Clasroom Use by Marjorie Fuchs and Margaret Bonner, Longman)

1. If the verbs ends in a consonant, add (ed). Return returned Help helped

2. If the verb ends in (e), add (d) Live lived Create Created Die Died

3. In one-syllable words, if the verb ends in a consonant vowel- consonant combinantion (CVC) double the final consonant and add (ed). CVC Hop Hopped Rub Rubbed However, do not double one-syllable words ending in (w, x or y) Bow Bowed Mix Mixed Play Played

SIMPLE PAST TENSE

SPELLING RULES FOR THE SIMPLE PAST TENSE OF REGULAR VERBS
(Taken form Grammar Express for Self Study and Clasroom Use by Marjorie Fuchs and Margaret Bonner, Longman)

4. In words of two or more syllables that end in a consonant-vowel-consonat combinantion, double the last consonant only if the last syllable is stressed. Prefer Visit preferred visited (The last syllable is stressed, so you double the r ) (The last syllable isnt stressed, so yo dont double the t)

5. If the verb ends in a consonant + y, change the y to i and add (ed) Worry worried Carry carried 6. If the verb ends in a vowel + y, add (ed). (Dont change the y to i ) Play played Annoy annoyed

Exceptions: Irregular verbs

pay paid lay laid say - said

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CONJUGATION OF REGULAR VERBS : Simple past of the Verb Work Affirmative form I worked you worked He worked She worked It worked We worked You worked They worked Negative Form I didnt work You didnt work He didnt work She didnt work It didnt work We didnt work You didnt work They didnt work Yes/ no questions Did Did Did Did Did Did Did Did I work? you work? he work? she work? it work? we work? you work? they work? Wh questions Where did you work? When did you work? Who did you work with? Why did you work? How did you work? What did you work?

Examples:
Yesterday, I worked with my boss until 8 pm. Yesterday, I didnt work with my boss. Did you work with your boss yesterday? Who did your work with yesterday? Affirmative Negative Y/N question Wh question

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CONJUGATION OF IRREGULAR VERBS :

Simple past of verb Be

Affirmative form Negative Form Yes/ no questions Wh questions

I was You were He was She was It was We were You were They were

I wasnt you werent he wasnt she wasnt it wasnt we werent you werent They werent

Was I? Were you? Was he? Was she? Was it? Were we? Were you? Were they?

How was I today? Where were you? When was he here? Why was she happy? What was it? Who were we with?

Examples:
Last night, I was in a very cool party. We werent in London two years ago. Was that you mother? When were your born? Affirmative Negative Y/N question Wh question

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CONJUGATION OF IRREGULAR VERBS : Simple past of Verb Go Affirmative form Negative Form Yes/ no questions Wh questions

I went You went He went She went It went We went You went They went

I didnt go you didnt go he didnt go she didnt go it didnt go we didnt go you didnt go they didnt go

Did Did Did Did Did Did Did Did

I go? you go? he go? she go? it go? we go? you go? they go?

Where did you go? Who did you go with? Why did he go? How did she go? When did we go?

Examples:
Last year I went to Italy. We didnt go to the university last fall. Did you go to the library yesterday evening? Where did they go? Affirmative Negative Y/N question Wh question

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MORE GRAMMAR REFERENCES 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. http://esl.about.com/library/beginner/blwas.htm http://www.ompersonal.com.ar/omverbs/verbtobe-past.htm http://www.theyellowpencil.com/gramatobepast.html http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/simplepast.html http://www.englishclub.com/grammar/verb-tenses_past.htm http://www.aprenderinglesfacil.es/2008/04/pasado-simple-simple-pasttense.html 7. http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/grammar/simple_past_use.htm

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BIBLIOGRAPHY: 1. Grammar Express : https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbn xkZXBhcnRhbWVudG9sZW5ndWFzdWNlbnRyYWx8Z3g6MWI2ZWFmMDliMTJk ZDY5NQ

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