Simple Past Tense

Simple Past Tense

FORM: [VERB+ed] or irregular verbs.

Examples:

You calledKadir. (Positive Form)
Did you callKadir? (Question Form)
You did not callKadir. (Negative Form)

Most Verbs:

Most 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.
Theydid 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?
Didit wait?

Irregular Verbs

Many verbs, such as "have," take irregular forms in the Simple Past.

Positive / Negative / Question

Ihad.
You had.
Wehad.
Theyhad.
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?

To Be

The verb "be" is also irregular in the Simple Past. There are two Simple Past forms: "was" and "were."

Positive / Negative / Question

I was.
You were.
We were.
They were.
He was.
She was.
It was.

I was not.
You were not.
We were not.
Theywere not.
He was not.
She was not.
It was not.

Was I?
Were you?
Were we?
Werethey?
Was he?
Was she?
Was it?

LİST OF SOME İRREGULAR VERBS:

become - became break - broke bring - brought

build - built catch - caught choose -chose

come - came cut - cut do - did

draw - drew drive - drove eat - ate

fall - fell fight - fought find - found

forget - forgot get - got give - gave

go - went hide - hid know - knew

leave - left lend - lent let - let

lose - lost make - made meet - met

put - put read - read ring - rang

run - ran send - sent sing - sang

sit - sat sleep - slept spend - spent

take - took teach - taught tell - told

think - thought throw - threw wake - woke

wear - wore win - won write - wrote

SİMPLE PAST TENSE

USE 1:

Completed Action in the Past

Use the Simple Past to express the idea or an action started and finished in the past.

Examples:

I saw a movie yesterday.
Last year, I didn't traveltoTurkey.
Did you have dinner last night?
She washed her car.

USE 2:

A Series of Completed Actions

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 in Cyprus.
Kadir arivedfrom the airport at 8:00, checked into the hotel at 9:00, and met the other students at 10:00.
Did you add flour, pour in the milk, and then add the eggs?

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 Cyprus for four years.
Kadir studiedLiterature for four years.
They satat the beach all day.
We talked on the phone for one hour.

USE 4:

Habits in the Past

The Simple Past can also be used to describe a habit which stopped in the past. when 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:

Kadir wasa good goalkeeper when he was a child.
Kadir always sleptwith his goalkeeper gloves when he was 10.
He didn't playthe piano.
She workedat the movie theater after school.

USE 5:

Past Facts or Generalizations

The Simple Past can also be used to describe past facts or generalizations which are no longer true.

She was shy as a child, but now she is very outgoing.
He didn't liketomatoes before.

USE 6:

When-Clauses

İmportant: When Clauses happen first

Clauses are groups of words which have meaning but are often not complete sentences.

Some clauses begin with the word "when" such as "when I dropped my pen..." or "when class began..." These clauses are called when-clauses, and they are very important. The examples below:

When I paid her one dollar, she answered my question.
She answered my question when I paid her one dollar.

When-clauses are important, because they always happen first when both clauses are in the Simple Past. Both of the examples above mean the same thing:

first, I paid her one dollar, and then, she answered my question. It is not important whether "when I paid her one dollar" is at the beginning of the sentenceor at the end of the sentence. However, the example below has a different meaning. First, she answered my question, and then, I paid her one dollar.

I paid her one dollar when she answered my question.

EXERCİSES:

SİMPLE PAST / COMPLEX TESTS

A) Use the verbs in the Simple Past.
1) we sleep - we ______
2) we eat - we ______
3) you enjoy - you ______
4) they work - they ______

B) Which sentences/questions are correct?
1) In which sentence is the Simple Past used correctly?

The hotel room was very nice. ______
The hotel room were very nice. ______
2) In which sentence is the Simple Past used correctly?

Steven forgetted his homework. ______
Steven forgot his homework. ______
Steven forgots his homework. ______
3) Which question is in the Simple Past?

Did you saw her? ______
Did you see her? ______
Have you seen her? ______
4) Which sentence is in the Simple Past?

She has read a book. ______
She read a book. ______
She reads a book. ______

C) Negate the given sentence.
Example: He walked to the park.
He did not walk to the park.
1) Kadir invited his friends to his dormitory.
______
2) She was late this morning.
______
3) My parents were in the restaurant.
______

4) The boys watched TV last night.

______
D)Which answers are correct?
1)Which sentences are in the Simple Past?
He didn't learn for school. ____
I fell from the tree. ____
I like pets. ____
She was in Hamburg. ____
We were watching a film. ____
2)Which verb forms are correct?
lived _____ liveed _____
planed _____ planned _____
tryed _____ tried _____
3)Which of the following words are used with the Simple Past (signal words)?
at the moment _____ when _____

yesterday _____ in 2002 _____

two weeks ago _____ now _____

E) Which form is correct?
1) I was / were
2) we was / were
3) they spended / spent
4) I studyed / studied

Bottom of Form 1

SİMPLE PAST / GAP - FİLL EXERCİSE

Fill in all the gaps, with the right form of the verb in brackets.

William Shakespeare ______(be) born in Stratford-on-Avon on April 23, 1564.

He ______(go) to the local StratfordGrammar School. His teacher's name ______(be) Top of Form 1

Master Walter Roche. Lessons began at six o'clock in the morning in the summer. His father's

name ______(be) John Shakespeare, he ______(be) a glow-maker. He ______(send)

William to the local grammar school in 1571, but when William ______(be) only 14 years old

his fortunes fell so low! William ______(have) to leave school. Some historians say he

______(work) in his father's shop. At the age of 19 William ______(to marry) Anne

Hathaway the daughter of a rich farmer near Stratford. Three years later Shakespeare

______(go) to London. How he ______(live) there we do not know. In about 1587 he

______(become) a member of the theatrical companies which ______(exist) in those days.

Around 1590 he ______(begin) to write plays. There ______(be) no female actors in those

days. It is thought that he ______(write) his first major play, Henry VI.,Part One, in 1592.His

most famous play, Hamlet, ______(be) probably first seen in 1601 at the Globe Theatre.

Shakespeare ______(continue) to write about 2 plays a year.He ______(return) to Stratford

in 1612, where he ______(live) the life of a country gentleman. He ______(die) of a fever

on his birthday in 1616.

Composition:

FUNNY SAND MONSTERS
I missed the summer days! My summer was full of enjoyable memories.

After the lunch time, I often found myself on the beach. We swam in the see, we made football matches... But the the most exciting activitywas the beach volley matches!

We organized a Beach Volley Tournament in the town. Each team chose a name. Our name was ‘’Black Pearl’’. Some names were very comic, one of them was Real Samsun, the other is Red Devils. We prepared and cleaned the play ground by ourselves. We were players, at the same time we were the referees!
Finally, the referee started the matches. Playing on the sand was very hard and it was very hot! We usually watered the ground. We beated most of the teams. Red Devils was the champion of 2009, and finally we played with them. We played like a brave heart, we sweated so much. Many times we threw ourselves inside the sand to catch the ball. We had so much effort to win, but unfortunately Red Devils beated us! They were the finalist again! I am waiting for the next summer to take our revenge! At the end of the match we looked like sand monsters! Girls similed at us, I similed too. I knew that we were looking so funny!

The tournament was so fun, both the players and the supporters enjoyed! I really like playing volleyball. I hope we can be the champions of the following tournament.

RESOURCES:

ANSWER KEY:

Simple Past / Complex Tests

A) 1. Slept 2. Ate 3. Enjoyed 4. Worked

B) 1. Tick – Cross

2. Cross – Tick – Cross

3. Cross – Tick – Cross

4. Cross – Cross – Tick

C) 1. Kadir did not invite his friends to his dormitory.

2. She did not late this morning.

3. My parents were not in the restaurant.

4. The boys did not watch TV last night.

D) 1. Tick –Tick– Cross – Tick – Cross

2. Tick – Cross

Cross – Tick

3.Cross – Tick

Tick – Tick

Tick – Cross

E) 1. Was 2. Were 3. Spent 4. Studied

Simple Past / Gap - Fill Exercise

William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-on-Avon on April 23, 1564. He went to the local

StratfordGrammar School. His teacher's namewasTop of Form 1Master Walter Roche. Lessons began at six

o'clock in the morning in the summer. His father's name wasJohn Shakespeare, he wasa

glow-maker. He sent William to the local grammar school in 1571, but whenWilliamwas

only 14 years old his fortunes fell so low! Williamhadto leave school. Some historians say he

worked in his father's shop. At the age of 19 Williammarried Anne Hathaway the daughter of

a rich farmer near Stratford. Three years later Shakespeare went to London. How helivedthere

we do not know. In about 1587 he became a member of the theatrical companies which existed

in those days. Around 1590 he beganto write plays. Therewasno female actors in those days.

It is thought that he wrotehis first major play, Henry VI.,Part One, in 1592.His most famous

play, Hamletwas probably first seen in 1601 at the Globe Theatre. Shakespeare continued to

write about 2 plays a year.He returned to Stratford in 1612, where helived the life of a country

gentleman. Hediedof a fever on his birthday in 1616.