This document provides information about using and forming the simple past tense in English. It discusses how regular verbs are formed by adding "-ed" and irregular verb forms. Examples of affirmative, negative, and interrogative sentences are given for both regular and irregular verbs. Common expressions of time in the past are listed, along with a table of irregular verb forms and examples of filling in blanks with the past tense.

1. SIMPLE PAST
Mº ISABEL FERNÁNDEZ REDONDAS

2. USE
▪ The Simple Past is used to talk about
actions or situations in the past.
Examples:
▪ I had dinner at ten o’clock last night.
▪ My mum called me yesterday.
▪ Your friends visited you last month

3. Regular verbs
spelling rules
To form the affirmative past tense of most regular
verbs:
▪ Add –ed to the base form of the verb (talk-
talked).
▪ If the verb ends in –e, add –d (like-liked)
▪ If the verb ends in a consonant preceded by a
vowel, double the final consonant (stop-
stopped)
▪ If the verb ends in –y preceded by a
consonant, omit the “y” and add –ied ( study-
studied)

4. affirmative
They wroteThey talked
You wroteYou talked
We wroteWe talked
It wroteIt talked
She wroteShe talked
He wroteHe talked
You wroteYou talked
I wroteI talked
Irregular verbsRegular verbs

5. NEGATIVE
They didn’t writeThey didn’t talk
You didn’t writeYou didn’t talk
We didn’t writeWe didn’t talk
It didn’t writeIt didn’t talk
She didn’t writeShe didn’t talk
He didn’t writeHe didn’t talk
You didn’t writeYou didn’t talk
I didn’t writeI didn’t talk
Irregular verbs
(didn’t + verb)
Regular verbs
(didn’t + verb)

6. interrogative
Did they write?Did they talk?
Did you write?Did you talk?
Did we write?Did we talk?
Did it write?Did it talk?
Did she write?Did she talk?
Did he write?Did he talk?
Did you write?Did you talk?
Did I write?Did I talk?
Irregular verbs
(did + subject +verb)
Regular verbs
(did + subject +verb)

7. Other irregular verbs
WereWe, you,
they
WasHe, she, it
WereYou
WasI
To be
HadHave
Simple pastInfinitive
To have
DidDo
Simple pastInfinitive
to do

8. Expressions for the past tense
a year agolast month
the day before
yesterday
a month agolast year
yesterday
evening
a week agolast weekend
yesterday
afternoon
three days agolast week
yesterday
morning
an hour agolast Sunday
yesterday10 minutes agolast night
yesterdayagolast

9. IRREGULAR VERBS
ElegirChosenChoseChoose
CortarCutCutCut
VenirComeCameCome
ComprarBoughtBoughtBuy
EdificarBuiltBuiltBuild
RomperBrokenBrokeBreak
EmpezarBegunBeganBegin
Ser / estarBeenWas /
were
Be / am,
are, is

10. Haber/tenerHadHadHave
IrGoneWentGo
DarGivenGaveGive
ObtenerGottenGotGet
OlvidarForgottenForgotForger
VolarFlownFlewFly
CaerFallenFellFall
ComerEatenAteEat
ConducirDrivenDroveDrive
BeberDrunkDrankDrink
HacerDoneDidDo / does

11. cantarSungSangSing
VerSeenSawSee
DecirSaidSaidSay
CorrerRunRanRun
SignificarMeantMeantMean
HacerMadeMadeMake
PerderLostLostLose
Dejar(irse)LeftLeftLeave
AprenderLearntLearntLearn
SaberKnownKnewKnow
OírHeardHeardHear

12. EscribirWrittenWroteWrite
GanarWonWonWin
PensarThoughtThoughtThink
Contar (decir)ToldToldTell
CogerTakenTookTake
NadarSwumSwamSwim
RobarStolenStoleSteal
GastarSpentSpentSpend
HablarSpokenSpokeSpeak
OlerSmeltSmeltSmell
DormirSleptSleptSleep

13. activities

14. Fill in the blanks with the missing
verb in the past simple.
▪ Yesterday Mary ______ (go) to the concert.
▪ Last night _________ (not/be) cold, but it
_________(be) rainy.
▪ Last Tuesday morning my friends
_________(bring) the car.
▪ Last weekend we _________(not/go back) on
foot.
▪ Mark and Sue _________(do) their homework
after lunch.
▪ My friends _________(come) over after dinner.
▪ The teacher _________(know) them and
he_________ (be) very happy.
▪ Went
▪ Wasn’t
▪ Was
▪ Brought
▪ Didn’t go back
▪ Did
▪ Came
▪ Knew
▪ Was

15. CHOOSE the correct verb form
in each of these sentences.
▪ My father and some of his friends play/ played football
last Saturday.
▪ When I was doing the washing up, I break / broke a
glass.
▪ Susan and Tim go / went to the disco last weekend.
▪ Last night the train doesn´t arrive / didn´t arrive on
time.
▪ Do you have / Did you have a nice weekend in
London?
▪ Diane visits / visited her grandmother in a rest home
last Sunday.
▪ Jeremy leaves / left secondary school last year.
▪ My mother buys / bought a blue coat two days ago.
▪ Played
▪ Broke
▪ Went
▪ Didn’t
arrive
▪ Did you
have
▪ Visited
▪ Left
▪ Bought