Simple Past/Past Simple - Brief version

Simple Past
Use
1) action finished in the past
I visited Berlin last week.
2) series of completed actions in the past
First I got up, then I had breakfast
3) together with the Past Progressive/Continuous - The Simple Past
interrupted an action which was in progress in the past
They were pla!ing cards when the telephone rang.
Signal words
!esterda!" last wee#" a month ago" in 2$$2
Form
- with regular verbs: infinitive + -ed
- with irregular verbs: 2nd column of the table of the irregular verbs
Examples
%ffirmative sentences&
regular ver's irregular ver's
I pla!ed football. I went to the cinea.
!e visited "laska last
year.
!e were in #oe
yesterday.
(egative sentences&
$ou ust not negate a full verb in %nglish. "lways use the
au&iliary did '(iple )ast of to do* for negations.
I pla!ed football.
I didn)t pla! football.
+e didn)t pla! football.
*uestions&
,se the au&iliary did '(iple )ast of to do*.
+id you pla! football-
+id he pla! football-
Simple Past - Signal words
These words tell you what tense you have to use. For the (iple )ast these
are e&pressions of tie in the past.
!esterda!
last wee#
a month ago
in 2$$2
Form of the Simple Past
For the (iple )ast:
- with regular verbs: infinitive + -ed
- with irregular verbs: 2nd column of the table of the irregular verbs
Affirmative sentences:
,se the sae for of the verb every tie regardless the sub.ect.
regular ver's irregular ver's
I pla!ed football. I went to the superarket.
Negative sentences:
,se the au&iliary did '(iple )ast of do* every tie regardless the sub.ect.
regular ver's irregular ver's
I did not pla! football. I did not go to the superarket.
(,T-& (hort fors in negative sentences in the (iple )ast are used /uite
often.
regular ver's irregular ver's
I didn)t pla! football. I didn)t go to the superarket.
Questions:
,se the au&iliary did '(iple )ast of do* every tie regardless the sub.ect.
regular ver's irregular ver's
+id you pla! football- +id I go to the superarket-
Simple Past - Spelling
$ou have to know all fors of the irregular verbs very well. For the (iple
)ast you need the for of the verb which can be found in the 0nd colun of
the table of the irregular verbs.
go - went - gone
"dd -ed with regular verbs.
regular ver's
infinitive + -ed
(oeties the are e&ceptions in spelling when adding -ed.
1) consonant after short" stressed vowel at the end of the word
ou!le the consonant"
stop 1 stopped
swap - swapped
If the consonant is not stressed, we do not double it:
benefit - benefited '+ere we stress the first 2e2, not the 2i2.* In British %nglish
we double one -l at the end of the word:
travel - travelled
2) one -e at the end of the word
Add onl# -d"
love 1 loved
save 1 saved
3) ver's ending in -!
ver!s ending in $#$ preceded !# a vowel %a& e& i& o& u': "dd -ed.
%&aple:
I play - he played
ver!s ending in $#$ preceded !# a consonant: 3hange 2y2 to 2i2 Then add
-ed.
%&aple:
I hurry - he hurried
irregular ver's
2nd column of the table of the irregular verbs
Special ver!s in the Simple Past
4any fre/uently used verbs are irregular. $ou find these words in the
appendi& of a dictionary or in your %nglish book. $ou ust learn these words
by heart.
+ave a look at the following lists which can be downloaded and printed.
'5.pdf files*
1) have as a full ver'
affirmative sentence negative sentence (uestion
every tie regardless the sub.ect 'I, he, she, it, we, you, they*:
I had a book. I did not have a book. +id I have a book-
2) 'e as a full ver'
affirmative sentence negative sentence (uestion
I, he, she, it:
I was in #oe. I was not in #oe. .as I in #oe-
we, you, they:
!e were in #oe. !e were not in #oe. .ere we in #oe-
3) do as a full ver'
affirmative sentence negative sentence (uestion
every tie regardless the sub.ect 'I, he, she, it, we, you, they*:
I did an e&ercise. I did not do an e&ercise. +id I do an e&ercise-
!e often use short fors6contracted fors with these verbs.
Simple Past - iagram
!e use the (iple )ast when we talk about soething which started and
finished in the past.
!e use the (iple )ast to describe a series of actions in the past.
!e use the (iple )ast 'red* together with the )ast )rogressive 'grey*. The
action in the (iple )ast interrupted the action in the )ast )rogressive 'the
one which was in progress*.
Pronunciation of the ending -ed in the Simple Past
In the (iple )ast we add -ed to regular verbs. Be careful pronuncing the
verbs:
7* verbs ending in -ed preceded by a voiceless consonant 8p, k, f, , , s, 9
-: speak 8t9.
The -e is silent. %&aple: I stop - I stopped 8stpt9
0* verbs ending in -ed preceded by a voiced consonant 8b, g, v, , , z, , l,
m, n9 or a vowel
-: speak 8d9.
The -e is silent. %&aple: I clean - I cleaned 8kli:nd9
;* verbs ending in -ed preceded by 8t9 or 8d9
-: speak 8d9.
The -e changes to 89. %&aple: I visit - I visited 8v<td9