Simple Past
The past tense of “be” 
Present Past Present Past 
I am I was We are We were 
You are You were You are You were 
He is He was They are They were 
She is She was 
It is It was
Examples: 
I was at home yesterday. 
John was there last night. 
It was hot yesterday. 
There was a man here. 
They were absent yesterday. 
She was a student last year. 
We were here last week. 
There were some men here.
Statements, Questions and Negatives 
He was sick Yesterday 
Was He sick Yesterday? 
He was not sick yesterday
• FORM 
• Verb II (regular) or (irregular) 
Statement, Question and Negatives 
They walked To school 
yesterday 
Did They walk To school 
yesterday? 
They did not walk To school 
yesterday.
• FORM 
• Verb II (regular) or (irregular) 
Statement, Question and Negatives 
They went To school 
yesterday 
Did They go To school 
yesterday? 
They did not go To school 
yesterday.
• Simple Past has 5 different functions : 
1. Completed Action in the Past 
2. A Series of Completed Actions 
3. Duration in Past 
4. Habits in the Past 
5. Past Facts or Generalizations
USE 1 Completed Action in the Past 
Past Present Future 
• We use the Simple Past to express the idea 
that an action started and finished at a 
specific time in the past. Sometimes, the 
speaker may not actually mention the 
specific time, but they do have one specific 
time in mind.
Examples: 
• I saw a movie yesterday. 
• I didn't see a play yesterday. 
• Last year, I traveled to Japan. 
• Last year, I didn't travel to Korea. 
• Did you have dinner last night? 
• She washed her car. 
• He didn't wash his car.
1 2 3 
Past Present Future 
USE 2 A Series of Completed Actions 
• We use the Simple Past to list a series of 
completed actions in the past. These 
actions happen 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and so 
on.
Examples: 
• I finished work, walked to the beach, and 
found a nice place to swim. 
• He arrived from the airport at 8:00, checked 
into the hotel at 9:00, and met the others at 
10:00. 
• Did you add flour, pour in the milk, and then 
add the eggs?
Past Present Future 
USE 3 Duration in Past 
• The Simple Past can be used with a 
duration which starts and stops in the past. 
A duration is a longer action often indicated 
by expressions such as: for two years, for 
five minutes, all day, all year, etc.
Examples: 
• I lived in Brazil for two years. 
• Shauna studied Japanese for five years. 
• They sat at the beach all day. 
• They did not stay at the party the entire 
time. 
• We talked on the phone for thirty minutes. 
• A: How long did you wait for them? 
B: We waited for one hour.
USE 4 Habits in the Past 
Past Present Future 
The Simple Past can also be used to describe a habit 
which stopped in the past. It can have the same 
meaning as "used to." To make it clear that we are 
talking about a habit, we often add expressions 
such as: always, often, usually, never, when I was 
a child, when I was younger, etc.
Examples: 
• I studied French when I was a child. 
• He played the violin. 
• He didn't play the piano. 
• Did you play a musical instrument when 
you were a kid? 
• She worked at the movie theater after 
school. 
• They never went to school, they always 
skipped class.
USE 5 Past Facts or Generalizations 
Past Present Future 
The Simple Past can also be used to describe past 
facts or generalizations which are no longer true. 
As in USE 4 above, this use of the Simple Past is 
quite similar to the expression "used to."
Examples: 
• She was shy as a child, but now she is very 
outgoing. 
• He didn't like tomatoes before. 
• Did you live in Jakarta when you were a 
kid? 
• People paid much more to make cell phone 
calls in the past.
Study the following verbs 
Verbs 
1. Regular verbs (kata kerja berarturan) 
2. Irregular verbs (kata kerja tdk beraturan)
Present Past Past Participle 
learn learned learned 
live lived lived 
move moved moved 
need needed needed 
marry marry married 
want wanted wanted 
study studied studied
Present Past Past participle 
stop stopped stopped 
permit permitted permitted
2. Irregular verbs 
A. ABB 
build built built 
catch caught caught 
deal dealt dealt
b. AAA 
cut cut cut 
cost cost cost 
let let let
c. ABA 
come came come 
run ran run 
overcome overcame overcome
d. ABC 
break broke broken 
fly flew flown 
write wrote written
Study the following time expressions 
Yesterday 
Yesterday morning 
Yesterday afternoon 
Last night Last Year 
Last evening Last June 
Last Thursday Last June 10th 
Last Thursday morning 
Last week 
Last month
a minute ago 
Several hours ago 
A day ago 
Two days ago 
A week ago 
A week ago today 
A week ago yesterday 
The day before last 
The day before yesterday 
The week before last 
The month before last 
The year before last
Exercise: 
Write was or were in each blank space! 
1.He ____ in the library this morning. 
2. I ____ quite tire last night. 
3.The boy ____ at school yesterday. 
4.The sun ____ hot yesterday. 
5.Mr. Smith ____ sick two days ago. 
6.The weather ____ good last week. 
7.The children ____ here yesterday. 
8.The boys ____ at the meeting last night. 
9. It ____ very warm yesterday. 
10.There ___ a fire downtown last night.
Change these statements into questions! 
1. He was in class yesterday. Was He is class yesterday? 
2. They were here last night. 
3. The doctor was very tired. 
4. There were many people at the party. 
5. There was a party here last night. 
6. It was very interesting. 
7. John was sick last week. 
8. John and Mary were here yesterday. 
9. They were at the meeting last night. 
10.It was warm yesterday.
Change these statements into negatives! 
1. The men were in the room. The men weren’t in the room. 
2. You were there yesterday. 
3. The boy from Chile was there. 
4. There were some chairs in the room. 
5. It was very cold last night. 
6. John was absent from class yesterday.
• Write the correct past tense form of each verb in the 
following blank space! 
1. (study) John studied French last year. 
2. (live) They ______ in New York for one year. 
3. (walk) Mr. Smith _____ in the park last Sunday. 
4. (watch) We ______ a baseball game on television. 
5. (Smoke) I ______ two cigars yesterday. 
6. (wash) Mrs. Smith _____ the clothes last Monday. 
7. (see) Bob ______ the movie last night. 
8. (stop) The car ______ in the middle of Main Street. 
9. (listen) We _____ to the radio last night. 
10.(rain) It ______ very hard the night before last.
Change these statements into questions! 
1. He worked at the office. Did he work at the office? 
2. She opened the door carefully. 
3. They looked at the pictures. 
4. John asked many questions in class. 
5. Mr. Smith added the numbers carefully. 
6. Mr. and Mrs. Brown invited the students. 
7. You lived in Miami for a year. 
8. The men moved the furniture into the room. 
9. The girls visited Mrs. Smith last week. 
10.You worked very hard yesterday.
Change these statements into negatives! 
1. I looked at the pictures. I didn’t look at the pictures. 
2. They counted the money carefully. 
3. We needed some money last week. 
4. They watched the baseball game yesterday. 
5. John carried the box into the room. 
6. Mr. Smith wanted some coffee. 
7. The students used the book last night. 
8. The Japanese student listened to the teacher. 
9. He repeated the question for the student. 
10.Mary played the piano at the party.

Simple past

  • 1.
  • 2.
    The past tenseof “be” Present Past Present Past I am I was We are We were You are You were You are You were He is He was They are They were She is She was It is It was
  • 3.
    Examples: I wasat home yesterday. John was there last night. It was hot yesterday. There was a man here. They were absent yesterday. She was a student last year. We were here last week. There were some men here.
  • 4.
    Statements, Questions andNegatives He was sick Yesterday Was He sick Yesterday? He was not sick yesterday
  • 5.
    • FORM •Verb II (regular) or (irregular) Statement, Question and Negatives They walked To school yesterday Did They walk To school yesterday? They did not walk To school yesterday.
  • 6.
    • FORM •Verb II (regular) or (irregular) Statement, Question and Negatives They went To school yesterday Did They go To school yesterday? They did not go To school yesterday.
  • 7.
    • Simple Pasthas 5 different functions : 1. Completed Action in the Past 2. A Series of Completed Actions 3. Duration in Past 4. Habits in the Past 5. Past Facts or Generalizations
  • 8.
    USE 1 CompletedAction in the Past Past Present Future • We use the Simple Past to express the idea that an action started and finished at a specific time in the past. Sometimes, the speaker may not actually mention the specific time, but they do have one specific time in mind.
  • 9.
    Examples: • Isaw a movie yesterday. • I didn't see a play yesterday. • Last year, I traveled to Japan. • Last year, I didn't travel to Korea. • Did you have dinner last night? • She washed her car. • He didn't wash his car.
  • 10.
    1 2 3 Past Present Future USE 2 A Series of Completed Actions • We use the Simple Past to list a series of completed actions in the past. These actions happen 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and so on.
  • 11.
    Examples: • Ifinished work, walked to the beach, and found a nice place to swim. • He arrived from the airport at 8:00, checked into the hotel at 9:00, and met the others at 10:00. • Did you add flour, pour in the milk, and then add the eggs?
  • 12.
    Past Present Future USE 3 Duration in Past • The Simple Past can be used with a duration which starts and stops in the past. A duration is a longer action often indicated by expressions such as: for two years, for five minutes, all day, all year, etc.
  • 13.
    Examples: • Ilived in Brazil for two years. • Shauna studied Japanese for five years. • They sat at the beach all day. • They did not stay at the party the entire time. • We talked on the phone for thirty minutes. • A: How long did you wait for them? B: We waited for one hour.
  • 14.
    USE 4 Habitsin the Past Past Present Future The Simple Past can also be used to describe a habit which stopped in the past. It can have the same meaning as "used to." To make it clear that we are talking about a habit, we often add expressions such as: always, often, usually, never, when I was a child, when I was younger, etc.
  • 15.
    Examples: • Istudied French when I was a child. • He played the violin. • He didn't play the piano. • Did you play a musical instrument when you were a kid? • She worked at the movie theater after school. • They never went to school, they always skipped class.
  • 16.
    USE 5 PastFacts or Generalizations Past Present Future The Simple Past can also be used to describe past facts or generalizations which are no longer true. As in USE 4 above, this use of the Simple Past is quite similar to the expression "used to."
  • 17.
    Examples: • Shewas shy as a child, but now she is very outgoing. • He didn't like tomatoes before. • Did you live in Jakarta when you were a kid? • People paid much more to make cell phone calls in the past.
  • 18.
    Study the followingverbs Verbs 1. Regular verbs (kata kerja berarturan) 2. Irregular verbs (kata kerja tdk beraturan)
  • 19.
    Present Past PastParticiple learn learned learned live lived lived move moved moved need needed needed marry marry married want wanted wanted study studied studied
  • 20.
    Present Past Pastparticiple stop stopped stopped permit permitted permitted
  • 21.
    2. Irregular verbs A. ABB build built built catch caught caught deal dealt dealt
  • 22.
    b. AAA cutcut cut cost cost cost let let let
  • 23.
    c. ABA comecame come run ran run overcome overcame overcome
  • 24.
    d. ABC breakbroke broken fly flew flown write wrote written
  • 25.
    Study the followingtime expressions Yesterday Yesterday morning Yesterday afternoon Last night Last Year Last evening Last June Last Thursday Last June 10th Last Thursday morning Last week Last month
  • 26.
    a minute ago Several hours ago A day ago Two days ago A week ago A week ago today A week ago yesterday The day before last The day before yesterday The week before last The month before last The year before last
  • 27.
    Exercise: Write wasor were in each blank space! 1.He ____ in the library this morning. 2. I ____ quite tire last night. 3.The boy ____ at school yesterday. 4.The sun ____ hot yesterday. 5.Mr. Smith ____ sick two days ago. 6.The weather ____ good last week. 7.The children ____ here yesterday. 8.The boys ____ at the meeting last night. 9. It ____ very warm yesterday. 10.There ___ a fire downtown last night.
  • 28.
    Change these statementsinto questions! 1. He was in class yesterday. Was He is class yesterday? 2. They were here last night. 3. The doctor was very tired. 4. There were many people at the party. 5. There was a party here last night. 6. It was very interesting. 7. John was sick last week. 8. John and Mary were here yesterday. 9. They were at the meeting last night. 10.It was warm yesterday.
  • 29.
    Change these statementsinto negatives! 1. The men were in the room. The men weren’t in the room. 2. You were there yesterday. 3. The boy from Chile was there. 4. There were some chairs in the room. 5. It was very cold last night. 6. John was absent from class yesterday.
  • 30.
    • Write thecorrect past tense form of each verb in the following blank space! 1. (study) John studied French last year. 2. (live) They ______ in New York for one year. 3. (walk) Mr. Smith _____ in the park last Sunday. 4. (watch) We ______ a baseball game on television. 5. (Smoke) I ______ two cigars yesterday. 6. (wash) Mrs. Smith _____ the clothes last Monday. 7. (see) Bob ______ the movie last night. 8. (stop) The car ______ in the middle of Main Street. 9. (listen) We _____ to the radio last night. 10.(rain) It ______ very hard the night before last.
  • 31.
    Change these statementsinto questions! 1. He worked at the office. Did he work at the office? 2. She opened the door carefully. 3. They looked at the pictures. 4. John asked many questions in class. 5. Mr. Smith added the numbers carefully. 6. Mr. and Mrs. Brown invited the students. 7. You lived in Miami for a year. 8. The men moved the furniture into the room. 9. The girls visited Mrs. Smith last week. 10.You worked very hard yesterday.
  • 32.
    Change these statementsinto negatives! 1. I looked at the pictures. I didn’t look at the pictures. 2. They counted the money carefully. 3. We needed some money last week. 4. They watched the baseball game yesterday. 5. John carried the box into the room. 6. Mr. Smith wanted some coffee. 7. The students used the book last night. 8. The Japanese student listened to the teacher. 9. He repeated the question for the student. 10.Mary played the piano at the party.