Practice and uses of the simple past tense in ESL

1. The past ssiimmppllee oorr ssiimmppllee
ppaasstt
TThhee ppaasstt iiss nnoott aallwwaayyss tthhaatt ssiimmppllee
WWee tthhrrooww tthhee ppaasstt iinn tthhee aabbiissmm
BBuutt wwee ddoo nnoott bbeenndd
TToo sseeee iiff iitt iiss rreeaallllyy ddeeaadd..
WWiilllliiaamm sshhaakkeessppeeaarree..

3. How were they ffeeeelliinngg yyeesstteerrddaayy??
II wwaass
ssuurrpprriisseedd
WWee wweerree
eexxcciitteedd
IItt wwaass
sshhyy
HHee wwaass
ssccaarreedd
YYoouu wweerree
ccoonnffuusseedd
YYoouu wweerree
sslleeeeppyy
SShhee wwaass
lloonneellyy
TThheeyy wweerree
hhaappppyy

4. Read about the biography of the famous painter Henri RRoouusssseeaauu.. TThheenn mmaakkee
qquueessttiioonnss aanndd aannsswweerr tthheenn bbaasseedd oonn tthhee tteexxtt..
 Henri Rousseau’s Short Biography
 Henri Rousseau was born on May 21, 1844, in Laval, France. While
working as a toll collector in Paris, he taught himself to paint and
exhibited his work almost annually from 1886 until the end of his life.
He was given the nickname "Le Douanier" ("the customs officer") by his
acquaintances in the Parisian avant-garde. Despite his connections
with other artists and dealers, he never profited from his paintings;
however, works like "The Dream," "The Sleeping Gypsy" and "Carnival
Evening" influenced many artists who came after him. He died in Paris
on September 2, 1910.2
 1. When ___________________________________________________________?
 2. Where __________________________________________________________?
 3. What ___________________________________________________________?
 4. Who ____________________________________________________________?
 5. Why ____________________________________________________________?
 6. Did _____________________________________________________________?
 7. Were ___________________________________________________________?

5. Henri Rousseau was a painter (1844-1910) famous for his paintings about dreams. HHooww ddooeess tthhee ddrreeaamm
ccoonnttiinnuuee?? DDrraaww tthhee rreesstt ooff tthhee ssttoorryy,, tthheenn wwrriittee aa ppaarraaggrraapphh rreetteelllliinngg iitt.. FFiinnaallllyy,, tteellll yyoouu ssttoorryy ttoo ootthheerrss..
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8. The past simple oorr ssiimmppllee ppaasstt
My Pretty Rose Tree
by William Blake
A flower was offered to me:
Such a flower as May never bore. But I said
"I've a Pretty Rose-tree", And I passed the
sweet flower o'er. Then I went to my Pretty
Rose-tree: To tend her by day and by night.
But my Rose turned away with jealousy: And
her thorns were my only delight.

9. Did they identify the USA on tthhee mmaapp ccoorrrreeccttllyy??

10. AArree yyoouu aa
nnoossttaallggiicc
ppeerrssoonn??
IIss iitt ggoooodd ttoo bbee
nnoossttaallggiicc??

11. What were your favorite toys when yyoouu wweerree aa cchhiilldd??
 DDoollllss
 BBiikkeess
 RRooppee
 TTeeaa sseett
 MMaarrbblleess
 KKiitteess ......
 DDoo yyoouu ssttiillll
hhaavvee tthheemm??

12. What did you enjoy doing when yyoouu wweerree aa cchhiilldd??
FFiisshhiinngg
SSeeeekk aanndd hhiiddee

13. How old were you when you first fell iinn lloovvee//fflleerrtteedd??
HHooww oolldd wweerree yyoouu wwhheenn yyoouu ffiirrsstt kkiisssseedd??
HHooww oolldd wweerree yyoouu wwhheenn yyoouu ffiirrsstt ddaatteedd??

14. What wweerree yyoouurr wwoorrsstt ffeeaarrss??
 OOff bbeeiinngg aalloonnee
 TThhee ddaarrkk
 SSlleeeeppiinngg aalloonnee
 gghhoossttss

15. What did you hate most when yyoouu wweerree aa cchhiilldd??
Picture practice: Past continuous & simple past usage
Complete the sentences below using either the past progressive/continuous
(was/were + verb + ing) or simple past (2nd part of the verb, usually "-ed"
ending). Note: An action in the simple past often interrupts an action that
continues (past progressive/continuous). We often write "as", "while", or "when"
+ past progressive.

16. Simple Past Tense Quis
1. _____________________________________________________________
I was born in Brasília.
2. ___________________________________________________________?
He went to the hospital
3. ____________________________________________________________?
They took it easy.
4. ____________________________________________________________?
Yes, she did.
5. ____________________________________________________________?
No, it didn’t.
6.
______________________________________________________________?
She watched “Tropa de Elite II”.
7.
______________________________________________________________?
No, we didn’t.
8.
______________________________________________________________?
I bought a new book.

17. Practicing iinn tthhee ppaasstt
PPrreesseenntt
((TTooddaayy))
ttaallkk
wwaallkk
ppllaayy
llaauugghh
hheellpp
aasskk
aannsswweerr
sshhoouutt
ffiinniisshh
llooookk
PPaasstt TTeennssee::
((YYeesstteerrddaayy))
ttaallkkeedd
wwaallkkeedd
ppllaayyeedd
llaauugghheedd
hheellppeedd
aasskkeedd
aannsswweerreedd
sshhoouutteedd
ffiinniisshheedd
llooookkeedd
Change these sentences into the Past Tense.
For example:
Jane talks to the teacher.
Jane talked to the teacher.
1. The students walk to their lessons.
2. The children play in the park.
3. They laugh at the joke.
4. The good students help5 t.heir teacher with the books.
5. She asks him a question about the homework.
6. The student answers the question.
7. The angry teacher shouts at the naughty students.
8. When they finish reading, they look at the pictures.
PPrreesseenntt
((TTooddaayy))
aamm // aarree // iiss
ddoo
ccaann
hhaavvee // hhaass
ggoo
rruunn
ssppeeaakk
lleeaarrnn
ddrriivvee
eeaatt
ccrryy
hhuurrrryy
ssttoopp
PPaasstt TTeennssee::
((YYeesstteerrddaayy))
WWaass//wweerree
ddiidd
ccoouulldd
hhaadd
wweenntt
rraann
ssppookkee
lleeaarrnntt
ddrroovvee
aattee
ccrriieedd
hhuurrrriieedd
ssttooppppeedd

18. Picture practice: Past continuous & simple past usage
Complete the sentences below using either the past progressive/continuous
(was/were + verb + ing) or simple past (2nd part of the verb, usually "-ed" ending).
Note: An action in the simple past often interrupts an action that continues (past
progressive/continuous). We often write "as", "while", or "when" + past
progressive.

19. What ddiidd DDaavviidd ddoo yyeesstteerrddaayy??
Well, he ____________ (to have) a
meeting at 9:00 a.m, 11:30 a.m, at
2:00 p.m and at 3:30 p.m. At 1:1 he
_________ (to have) lunch with
Susan and _____________ (to call)
Stephen. He __________ (to finish)
his report, ____________ (to type)
a memo, ______ (to call) Jana and
he ______________ (to buy) office
supplies. Finally, he ____________
(to follow) up with Joanne and he
___________________ (to pick up)
John at 5:00 at school. So, as you
can see, he ___________ (to have) a
really busy day yesterday.
1. Did John take it easy yesterday?

20. When did you first hear about the influenza vviirruuss?? HHooww ddiidd yyoouu
ffiirrsstt hheeaarr aabboouutt iitt?? HHooww ddiidd yyoouu rreeaacctt?? WWhhaatt ccaarree ddiidd yyoouu ttaakkee??

21. OOnnee nniigghhtt II ddrreeaammeedd II wwaass wwaallkkiinngg aalloonngg tthhee bbeeaacchh wwiitthh tthhee LLoorrdd.. MMaannyy
sscceenneess ffrroomm mmyy lliiffee ffllaasshheedd aaccrroossss tthhee sskkyy.. IInn eeaacchh sscceennee II nnoottiicceedd ffoooottpprriinnttss
iinn tthhee ssaanndd.. SSoommeettiimmeess tthheerree wweerree ttwwoo sseettss ooff ffoooottpprriinnttss,, ootthheerr ttiimmeess tthheerree
wwaass oonnee oonnllyy.. TThhiiss bbootthheerreedd mmee bbeeccaauussee II nnoottiicceedd tthhaatt dduurriinngg tthhee llooww ppeerriiooddss
ooff mmyy lliiffee,, wwhheenn II wwaass ssuuffffeerriinngg ffrroomm aanngguuiisshh,, ssoorrrrooww oorr ddeeffeeaatt,, II ccoouulldd sseeee
oonnllyy oonnee sseett ooff ffoooottpprriinnttss,, ssoo II ssaaiidd ttoo tthhee LLoorrdd,, ““YYoouu pprroommiisseedd mmee LLoorrdd,, tthhaatt
iiff II ffoolllloowweedd yyoouu,, yyoouu wwoouulldd wwaallkk wwiitthh mmee aallwwaayyss.. BBuutt II hhaavvee nnoottiicceedd tthhaatt
dduurriinngg tthhee mmoosstt ttrryyiinngg ppeerriiooddss ooff mmyy lliiffee
tthheerree hhaass oonnllyy bbeeeenn oonnee sseett ooff ffoooottpprriinnttss iinn
tthhee ssaanndd.. WWhhyy,, wwhheenn II nneeeeddeedd yyoouu mmoosstt,,
hhaavvee yyoouu nnoott bbeeeenn tthheerree ffoorr mmee??”” TThhee
LLoorrdd rreepplliieedd,, ““TThhee yyeeaarrss wwhheenn yyoouu hhaavvee
sseeeenn oonnllyy oonnee sseett ooff ffoooottpprriinnttss,, mmyy cchhiilldd,,
IItt iiss wwhheenn II ccaarrrriieedd yyoouu..””

22. The GGoooodd ssaammaarriittaann PPaarraabbllee
 OOnnccee tthheerree ____________ wwaass//wweerree aa
ggoooodd SSaammaarriittaann wwhhoo ______________________
hheellppss//hheellppeedd aannootthheerr mmaann ffrroomm
aannootthheerr rreelliiggiioonn iinnccoonnddiittiioonnaallllyy..
WWhhiillee tthhee ttwwoo ootthheerr mmeenn wwhhoo ________
ppaasssseess//ppaasssseedd bbeeffoorree hhiimm
______________
iiggnnoorree//iiggnnoorreedd ccoommpplleettllyy tthhee mmaann
iinn nneeeedd.. TThhee ffiirrsstt oonnee __________
ddiidd//ddoo
nnoott hheellpp bbeeccaauussee hhee ______ wweerree//wwaass
ffrroomm aa ddiiffffeerreenntt cciittyy aanndd rreelliiggiioonn..
TThhee sseeccoonndd oonnee ________
aarrgguuee//aarrgguueedd
tthhaatt iitt wwaass bbeeccaauussee hhee wwaass aa
ssttrraannggeerr..
11.. WWhhoo wwaass ccoonnssiiddeerreedd aa ttrruuee
CChhrriissttiiaann?? WWhhyy??
22.. WWhhaatt wwoouulldd yyoouu hhaavvee ddoonnee??
WWhhyy??
33.. WWhhyy ddoo wwee ffiinndd ssoo ddiiffffiiccuulltt ttoo

23. As they approached tthhee wweellll,, ......
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