1. PAST SIMPLE
o We use this tense to talk about something that happened and finished in the past (completed
action). The moment in the past is clearly defined:
last night, last Monday, last week, last month…
a week ago, a month ago, a year ago…
in1980
when…
yesterday
the day before Christmas…
at 4.30 a. m.
o We also use the past simple to describe something that happened regularly or continually in the past
or a situation that existed in the past over a period of time, not just at one fixed moment.
Past simple of the verb to be
Affirmative Interrogative Negative
I was Was I? I wasn‟t / I was not
You were Were you? You weren‟t/ you were not
He/she/it was Was he/she/it? He/she/it wasn‟t/ was not
We were Were we? We weren‟t/ we were not
You were Were you? You weren‟t/ you were not
They were Were they? They weren‟t/ they were not
WHO WERE THEY? Complete with past simple forms of to be:
Biography
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2. th
He ______a singer and an actor. He _____born on 8 January,1935 in Mississippi.
His parents______very poor. He_____a factory-worker, then a driver. His first song
____That’s all right. He _____“The King of Rock and Roll”.
th
She____ an actress and a princess. She____ born on 12 November, 1929,
in Philadelphia. Herparents ____very rich. She ___a model and then an actor. Her
first film _____Fourteen Hours in 1951. Her husband ______Prince Rainier III of
Monaco.
th
He an actor and fighter.He born on 27 November 1940, in San Francisco.His
parents______ from Hong Kong. They (not be)______ rich. His father ____ a
singer. His last film ______Enter the Dragon. He _______short and thin but he
_______very strong and fast.
st
She ______a princess and a fashion icon.She _____born on 21 July, 1961 in
Sandringham. Her parents______rich. She wasn‟t a good student at school but
she_____a good pianist. Her wedding________at St Paul‟s Cathedral in London.
Her husbandPrince Charles. Their life together(not be) ________happy.
REGULAR VERBS
We add –ed to the infinitive. It is the same for all persons:
Look > looked Try > tried Stop > stopped
IRREGULAR VERBS
3. INFINITIVE PAST SIMPLE PAST PARTICIPLE TRANSLATION
Arise Arose Arisen Surgir, Levantarse
Awake Awoke Awoken Despertarse
Be/ am, are, is Was / Were Been Ser / Estar
Bear Bore Borne / Born Soportar, dar a luz
Beat Beat Beaten Golpear
Become Became Become Llegar a Ser
Begin Began Begun Empezar
Bend Bent Bent Doblar
Bet Bet Bet Apostar
Bind Bound Bound Atar, encuadernar
Bid Bid Bid Pujar
Bite Bit Bitten Morder
Bleed Bled Bled Sangrar
Blow Blew Blown Soplar
Break Broke Broken Romper
Breed Bred Bred Criar
Bring Brought Brought Traer Llevar
Broadcast Broadcast Broadcast Radiar
Build Built Built Edificar
Burn Burnt /Burned Burnt / Burned Quemar
Burst Burst Burst Reventar
Buy Bought Bought Comprar
Cast Cast Cast Arrojar
Catch Caught Caught Coger
Come Came Come Venir
Cost Cost Cost Costar
Cut Cut Cut Cortar
Choose Chose Chosen Elegir
Cling Clung Clung Agarrarse
Creep Crept Crept Arrastrarse
Deal Dealt Dealt Tratar
Dig Dug Dug Cavar
Do (Does) Did Done Hacer
Draw Drew Drawn Dibujar
Dream Dreamt / Dreamed Dreamt / Dreamed Soñar
Drink Drank Drunk Beber
Drive Drove Driven Conducir
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4. Eat Ate Eaten Comer
Fall Fell Fallen Caer
Feed Fed Fed Alimentar
Feel Felt Felt Sentir
Fight Fought Fought Luchar
Find Found Found Encontrar
Flee Fled Fled Huir
Fly Flew Flown Volar
Forbid Forbade Forbidden Prohibir
Forget Forgot Forgotten Olvidar
Forgive Forgave Forgiven Perdonar
Freeze Froze Frozen Helar
Get Got Got / Gotten Obtener
Give Gave Given Dar
Go (Goes) Went Gone Ir
Grow Grew Grown Crecer
Grind Ground Ground Moler
Hang Hung Hung Colgar
Have Had Had Haber o Tener
Hear Heard Heard Oir
Hide Hid Hidden Ocultar
Hit Hit Hit Golpear
Hold Held Held Agarrar Celebrar
Hurt Hurt Hurt Herir
Keep Kept Kept Conservar
Know Knew Known Saber Conocer
Kneel Knelt Knelt Arrodillarse
Knit Knit Knit Hacer punto
Lay Laid Laid Poner
Lead Led Led Conducir
Lean Leant Leant Apoyarse
Leap Leapt Leapt Brincar
Learn Learnt / Learned Learnt / Learned Aprender
Leave Left Left Dejar
Lend Lent Lent Prestar
Let Let Let Permitir
Lie Lay Lain Echarse
Light Lit Lit Encender
Lose Lost Lost Perder
5. Make Made Made Hacer
Mean Meant Meant Significar
Meet Met Met Encontrar
Mistake Mistook Mistaken Equivocar
Overcome Overcame Overcome Vencer
Pay Paid Paid Pagar
Put Put Put Poner
Read Read Read Leer
Ride Rode Ridden Montar
Ring Rang Rung Llamar
Rise Rose Risen Levantarse
Run Ran Run Correr
Say Said Said Decir
See Saw Seen Ver
Seek Sought Sought Buscar
Sell Sold Sold Vender
Send Sent Sent Enviar
Set Set Set Poner(se)
Sew Sewed Sewed / Sewn Coser
Shake Shook Shaken Sacudir
Shear Shore Shorn Esquilar
Shine Shone Shone Brillar
Shoot Shot Shot Disparar
Show Showed Shown Mostrar
Shrink Shrank Shrunk Encogerse
Shut Shut Shut Cerrar
Sing Sang Sung Cantar
Sink Sank Sunk Hundir
Sit Sat Sat Sentarse
Sleep Slept Slept Dormir
Slide Slid Slid Resbalar
Smell Smelt Smelt Oler
Sow Sowed Sowed / Sown Sembrar
Speak Spoke Spoken Hablar
Speed Sped Sped Acelerar
Spell Spelt Spelt Deletrear
Spend Spent Spent Gastar
Spill Spilt / Spilled Spilt / Spilled Derramar
Spin Spun Spun Hilar
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7. Write Wrote Written Escribir
We form the negative with did not (didn’t) + the infinitive without to:
I didn´t buy anything We didn’t like that shop
We form questions with did or didn´t+ the infinitive without to.
We form short answers with did or didn´t.
Did you enjoythe school trip? – No, I didn´t.
Didn’t you see anything interesting? – Yes, I did.
PRACTICE
1. Write the questions with the past simple and then complete the answers.
- What / Almodovar / win / in 1999? He / win / an Oscar.
__________________________________________________
- Who / Marilyn Monroe / marry / in 1954? She / marry / Joe di Maggio.
__________________________________________________
- What / Tom Hanks / do / in 1996? He / direct / his first film.
__________________________________________________
- Leonardo di Caprio / produce / Titanic?No. He / be / an actor.
__________________________________________________
- Where / Antonio Banderas / go / in 1998? He / go / to Hollywood
__________________________________________________
2. Put one of these verbs in each sentence:
Buy, catch, cost, drink, fall, hurt, sell, spend, teach, throw, win, write
a) Mozart……………… more than 600 pieces of music.
b) 'How did you learn to drive?' 'My father ……………… me.'
c) We couldn't afford to keep our car, so we ……………… it.
d) I was very thirsty. I ……………… the water very quickly.
e) Paul and I played tennis yesterday. He's much better than me, so he ……………… easily.
f) Don ……………… down the stairs this morning and ……………… his lag.
g) Jim ……………… the ball to Sue, who ……………… it.
h) Ann ……………… a lot of money yesterday. She ……………… a dress which ………………
100 €.
3. Put the verbs in brackets into the past simple:
Pamela: What ……did you do….(you/do) last weekend?
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8. Tony: I ………………………….(go) to my cousin‟s house.
Pamela: …………………………….(be) it far?
Tony: No, it only ………………………(take) us 30 minutes.
Pamela: ………………………………..(you/stay) there long?
Tony: We ……………………………..(stay) only for the weekend. What
…………………………….(you/do) last weekend?
Pamela: My family and I ……………………..(take) the dog and we ……………………(have) a picnic on
the beach.
Tony: ………………………………(be) it sunny?
Pamela: Yes, the sun ……………………..(shine) all day.
4. Fill in the blanks with the past simple of the correct verbs from the list. Remembersome of
them are irregular!
Put up- cook – go- make- take – collect- drink – meet – speak – play – feel- sing
Last week I ……went……camping with my friends. We …………….tents and sleeping bags. Three of
us ……………the tents while the others …………….wood and …………..a fire. We …………potatoes
and ……….coke. In the evening, Tom …………… the guitar and everybody ………….songs. We
…………. Some French tourists and …………………to them in French. At about midnight, we all
………………..sleepy, so we …………………to bed.
5. Read what Mr. Brown says about a typical working day:
I usually get up at 7 o’ clock and have a big breakfast. I walk to work, which
takes me about half an hour. I start work at 8:45. I never have lunch. I finish
work at 5 o’ clock. I am always tired when I get home. I usually eat in the
evening. I don’t usually go out. I go to bed at about 11 o’ clock. I always
sleep well.
Mr. Brown
Yesterday was a typical working day for Mr. Brown. Write what he did or didn’t do yesterday.
9. a. He ___________________________ at 7 o‟ clock
b. He ___________________________ a big breakfast.
c. It __________________________ to get to work.
d. He ___________________________ at 8:45.
e. He ____________________________ lunch.
f. He _____________________________ at 5 o‟ clock.
g. He ____________ tiredwhen _______________ home.
h. He ____________________ in the evening
i. He _______________________ out yesterdayevening
j. He __________________________ at 11 o‟ clock
k. He __________________________ well last night.
6. A friend has justcome backfromholiday. You askhim about it. Writeyour
questions.
a. (where/go) __________________________________________ ?
b. (go/alone) ___________________________________________ ?
c. (food/good) __________________________________________ ?
d. (how long/stay/there) _________________________________
______________________________________________________ ?
e. (stay/at a hotel) _______________________________________
______________________________________________________ ?
f. (how/travel) __________________________________________ ?
g. (the weather/fine) _____________________________________ ?
h. (what/do in the evenings) _____________________________
_____________________________________________________ ?
i. (meetanybodyinteresting) ____________________________
____________________________________________________ ?
7. Complete the sentences. Put the verbinto the past simple.
a. It was warm, so I ____________ off mycoat. (take)
b. The film wasn‟tvery good. I _____________________ itverymuch. (not enjoy)
c. I knew Sarah wasverybusy, so I _______________________ her. ( notdisturb)
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10. d. I wasverytired, so I _________________________ to bedearly. (go)
e. The bedwasveryuncomfortable. I _______________________ verywell. (not sleep)
f. Sue wasn‟thungry, soshe _________________________ anything. (not eat)
g. Wewent to Kate‟s house but she _______________________ at home. (not be)
h. It was a funny situation but nobody ___________________ . (laugh)
i. The windowwas open and a bird _____________________ into the room. (fly)
j. The hotelwasn‟tveryexpensive. It __________________ verymuch. (not cost)
k. I was in a hurry, so I ___________________ time to phone you. (not have)
l. It was hard workcarrying the bags. They _________________ veryheavy. (be)
8. Write the past of theseverbs.
get leave buy put
eat see know tell
pay go stand lose
make hear take think
give find do speak
9. Put the verb in the correct form of the past (positive, negative or question)
a. I _______________ (play) tennis yesterday but I ______________ (not/win)
b. We _____________ (wait) a long time for the bus but it _________________ (not/come)
c. That‟s a niceshirt. Where _______________________ (you/buy) it?
d. She ________________ (see) me but she __________________ (not/speak) to me.
e. „___________________________ (it/rain) yesterday?‟ „No, itwasaniceday.‟
f. That was a stupidthing to do. Why _____________________ (you/do) it?
