THE SIMPLE PAST TENSE By Carolina de Castro Nyerges.

THE SIMPLE PAST TENSE

By Carolina de Castro Nyerges

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THE USESUSE 1: Completed Action in the Past • 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.

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THE USESUSE 2: A Series of Completed Actions We use the Simple Past to list a series of completedactions 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?

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THE USESUSE 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.

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THE USESUSE 4: Habits in the Past                                                                                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

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THE USESUSE 5: Past Facts or GeneralizationsThe Simple Past can also be used to describe pastfacts or generalizations which are no longer true. Asin USE 4 above, this use of the Simple Past is quitesimilar 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 Texas when you were a kid? • People paid much more to make cell phone calls in the past.

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THE FORMSMost VerbsMost verbs conjugate by adding -ed like the verb "wait" below.

Positive Negative Question

•I waited. •You waited. •We waited. •They waited. •He waited. •She waited. •It waited.

I did not wait. •You did not wait. •We did not wait. •They did not wait. •He did not wait. •She did not wait. •It did not wait.

Did I wait? •Did you wait? •Did we wait? •Did they wait? •Did he wait? •Did she wait? •Did it wait?

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SPELLING RULES

If a regular verb ends in CVC, and the

vowel has a strong stress, the final

consonant is doubled before adding -ed .

Examples:

• Stop - stopped

• Permit - permitted

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SPELLING RULES

In the case of verbs that end in -e, we

only add -d to form the past tense, and we omit the -e before adding -ing.

Examples:

• Grate - grated

• hope - hoped

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SPELLING RULES

There are two rules for verbs that end in -y: a. If the verb ends in a vowel plus y , we simply

add -ed. Example: • play - played b. If the verb ends in a consonant plus y , we

change the y to i and add -ed. Example: • study - studied

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SPELLING RULES

Verbs that end in -c add -ked.

Examples:

• mimic - mimicked

• panic - panicked

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SPELLING RULES

Verbs that end in w, x, or y do not double the final consonant.

Examples: box - boxed tow - towed

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EXERCISE 1- What´s the past of...?

• Date – dated• Copy – copied• Fix – fixed• Listen – listened• Travel – traveled• Arrive – arrived• Change – changed• Carry – carried• Help – helped• Bake - baked• Cry – cried• Permit – permitted• Worry – worried• Transfer – transferred• Phone - phoned

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THE FORMSIrregular Verbs Many verbs, such as "have," take irregular forms in the Simple Past. Notice that you only use the irregular verbs in statements. In negative forms and questions, "did" indicates Simple Past.

Positive Negative Question

•I had. •You had. •We had. •They had. •He had. •She had. •It had.

•I did not have. •You did not have. •We did not have. •They did not have. •He did not have. •She did not have. •It did not have.

•Did I have? •Did you have? •Did we have? •Did they have? •Did he have? •Did she have? •Did it have?

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EXERCISE 2 – What´s the past of...?

• Drink • See • Do • Have• Bring• Run • Say • Tell • Make• Put • Begin• Forgett

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EXERCISE 3 –Change the sentences to negative and interrogative forms

1. Mary went to school this week.

N.: Mary didn´t go to school this week.

I.: Did Mary go to school this week?

2. The kids played volleyball during the break.

N.: The kids didn´t play volleyball during the break.

I.: Did the kids play volleyball during the break?

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3. I liked the show a lot.N.: I didn´t like the show.I.: Did I like the show?

4. Bob received the Oscar for best actor.N.: Bob didn´t receive the Oscar for best actor.I.: Did Bob receive the Oscar for best actor?

5. The students had a good mark on the exam.N.: The students didn´t have a good mark on the

exam.I.: Did the students have a good mark on the

exam?

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THE FORMSTo Be

The verb "be" is also irregular in the Simple Past. Unlike other irregular verbs, there are two Simple Past forms: "was" and "were." It also has different question forms and negative forms. Always remember that you DO NOT use "did" with the verb "be" in the Simple Past.

Aff Neg InterrI was

You were

He was

She was

It was

We were

You were

They were

I wasn´t

You weren´t

He wasn´t

She wasn´t

It wasn´t

We weren´t

You weren´t

They weren´t

Was I....?

Were you...?

Was he...?

Was she....?

Was it....?

Were we....?

Were you....?

Were they....?

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EXERCISE 4 – Complete the sentences using TO BE in the past. Then, change to

negative and interrogative forms.1. We _______ at the club in the morning.N.: We weren´t at the club in the morning.I.: Were we at the club in the morning?

2. Susan _____ a good player when she ____ younger.

N.: Susan wasn´t a good player when she was younger.

I.: Was Susan a good player when she was younger?