This document provides information about the simple past tense in English. It discusses the meaning and use of the simple past tense, how to form regular and irregular past tense verbs, and some examples. It explains that the simple past tense is used to express an action that started and finished in the past. It also provides examples of common time expressions used with the past tense, such as "yesterday" and "two years ago." It identifies regular past tense verbs as those ending in "-ed" and irregular verbs as those that do not follow a predictable pattern. The document provides examples of forming positive and negative sentences and yes/no questions in the simple past tense. It concludes with a student practice activity on a website.

1. UNIT: 8
THE SIMPLE PAST TENSE
 M E A N I N G & U S E
F O R M ( S T R U C T U R E )
E X E R C I S E
Estudiante: Diana Viteri

2. MEANING & USE
When do we use the Simple Past tense?
We use the Simple Past to express the idea
that an action started and finished at a
specific time in the past.
What are some common time expressions
used with the past tense?

3. EXAMPLES:
I saw Maria yesterday.
Last Friday, the students took their spelling
and vocabulary tests.
They got married two years ago.

4. English has two types of
verbs in the past tense: taught
walked
studied
gave
became
cried
lived
did
HOW DO WE FORM THE SIMPLE PAST TENSE . . .?
Look at the following
list of past tense
verbs…
which verbs are
regular, and which
are irregular?
 Regular verbs
 Irregular verbs

5. REGULAR VERBS ARE VERBS
THAT ….
Simple Form Past Tense
Walk
Study
Cry
Live
…end with –ed

6. IRREGULAR VERBS ARE VERBS
THAT . . . .
…DON’T end with –ed
some irregular verbs
Have a vowel change in the past tense:
Simple Form Past Tense
become became
give gave
drive drove
forget forgot

7. OTHER IRREGULAR VERBS
HAVE A DIFFERENT KIND OF CHANGE:
Simple Past
teach taught
bring brought
Leave left
Hear heard
Buy bought

8. AND SOME IRREGULAR VERBS
DON’T CHANGE AT ALL . . .
Simple Past
hit hit
put put
set set
The children set the table every Sunday.
The children set the table last night.

9. FOR REGULAR VERBS, SIMPLY USE THE –ED
FORM OF THE VERB IN A POSITIVE SENTENCE.
When I was a child, I ___________ the piano. (play)
Donna ______________ Paris. (visit)

10. FOR IRREGULAR VERBS, USE THE
CORRECT PAST TENSE FORM IN
POSITIVE SENTENCES. (WE USE THE SAME FORM WITH
DIFFERENT SUBJECTS .)
Last week, I ___________ you a letter. (send)
The students __________an English exam.
(have) They _______ a great job! (do)

11. FOR NEGATIVE SENTENCES,
USE
I went to work yesterday.
I didn’t go to work
yesterday.

12. EXCEPTION =
VERB BE!
The verb be is special.
Never use DID NOT or DIDN’T with the verb BE. Instead, just use:

13. FOR YES/NO QUESTIONS, USE
Did you go to work
yesterday?
Did you come yesterday?

14. PUT THE VERBS (BETWEEN BRACKETS) INTO
THE CORRECT FORM (SIMPLE PAST).
Last year, I (spend) ________my holiday in
Ireland.It (be) ________great. I
(travel)___________ around the city by car
with two friends and we (visit) ________lots
of interesting places. In the evenings, we
usually (go)_______ to a café.
We (be) ________very lucky with the
weather. It (not / rain)___________ a lot.
We(see) ________some beautiful rainbows.
I (have) ______ an amazing holiday!

15. STUDENT PRACTICE:
Go to this website with a classmate to practice what you have learned or
reviewed today:
http://www.quia.com/quiz/664418.html