An explanation of how to make positive sentences, questions and negative sentences using the past simple tense.

1. Past Simple Tense
Mini Tutorial
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2. The past simple tense is used to talk about
things that happened in the past.
• It is important to know that there are two
types of verbs in English:
regular verbs
and
irregular verbs
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3. Regular Verbs
In the past simple tense, a regular verb is
formed by adding ‘d’ or ‘ed’ to the end of the
verb, for example:
talk talked
look looked
help helped
type typed
carve carved
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4. Regular Verbs
When you are writing sentences using the past
simple tense, the verb does not change with the
subject pronoun:
I helped him with his homework.
She helped him with his homework.
We helped him with his homework.
They helped him with his homework.
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5. Regular Verbs- making questions
To make questions in the past tense with regular
verbs, you use the auxiliary verb ‘did’. It is
important to remember that when you are making
a question, the auxiliary verb is in the past
tense, but the main verb stays in the infinitive.
Did they help him with his homework?
How did they help him?
What did he do yesterday?
Did he thank you?
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6. Regular Verbs- making negative sentences
To make negative sentences in the past simple
tense, you also use the auxiliary verb ‘did’ + ‘not’. This
is usually used in the contracted form, ‘didn’t’.
Again, you must remember that the auxiliary verb is in
the past tense, but the main verb stays in the infinitive.
I didn’t help him with his homework.
They didn’t do their homework.
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7. Irregular verbs
In the past tense, irregular verbs are different
from regular verbs. Their spelling changes, and
they DO NOT have the ‘ed’ ending.
Here are some examples:
go went
say said
teach taught
write wrote
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8. Common Irregular Verbs:
We use the verb ‘to be’ in many sentences. Here is
how to form it:
Present tense: Past Tense:
I am was
You are were
He is was
She is was
It is was
We are were
You are were
They are were
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9. Here are some example sentences using the
verb ‘to be’ in the past tense:
• I was really pleased when I got a distinction for my essay.
• Despite the cold weather, the classrooms were nice and
warm.
Question form:
• Were you on time for class this morning?
• What was she saying? I didn’t hear her.
Negative form:
• She wasn’t at home when I called her.
• We weren’t too hot because the windows were open.
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Learning & Language Support) West Suffolk 9
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10. More Common Irregular Verbs in the Past
Simple Tense:
have had take took
do did give gave
make made speak spoke
get got buy bought
drink drank fly flew
come came drive drove
Know knew sell sold
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Learning & Language Support) West Suffolk 10
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11. Irregular Verbs: making questions and negatives
To make questions in the past tense with irregular verbs, you use
the auxiliary verb ‘did’. It is important to remember that the
auxiliary verb is in the past tense, but the main verb stays in the
infinitive. To make a negative sentence, use ‘did’ and
‘not’, usually in the contracted form ‘didn’t’.
Positive sentence:
I drove to college today.
Question:
Did you drive to college today?
Negative sentence:
I didn’t drive to college today.
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Learning & Language Support) West Suffolk 11
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12. Practice!
Now click on the links below this tutorial to
practice using regular and irregular verbs in the
past simple tense.
Created by Heather Hava TLA (Additional
Learning & Language Support) West Suffolk 12
College