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Simple Past: (Beg - Low Int / Ver Sion 4. 3)
Simple Past: (Beg - Low Int / Ver Sion 4. 3)
Simple Past
Table of Contents
2 Grammar Notes 16 Exercise 10
Simple Past Irregular Verbs: Opposites
7 Exercise 1 17 Exercise 11
Be: Fill in the Blanks Irregular Verbs: Time Markers
8 Exercise 2 18 Exercise 12
Be: Complete the Sentences Irregular Verbs: Positive & Negative
9 Exercise 3 19 Exercise 13
Be: Pair Work Irregular Verbs: Write the Questions
10 Exercise 4 20 Exercise 14
Regular Verbs: Verb Chart Irregular Verbs: Find Someone Who
11 Exercise 5 21 Exercise 15
Regular Verbs: Choose the Correct Verb All Past Verbs: Writing
12 Exercise 6 22 Exercise 16
Regular Verbs: Questions & Answers All Past Verbs: Quiz
15 Exercise 9
Irregular Verbs: Bingo
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Simple Past
Grammar Practice Worksheets
Grammar Notes
SIMPLE PAST
A. Use
B. Time Markers
Words that show the time of an action are called "time markers."
Common time markers for the simple past are yesterday, last, ago, and when.
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Simple Past
Grammar Practice Worksheets
A common way to form the simple past is to add -ed to the end of a verb.
These verbs are called “regular verbs.”
Let’s look at regular verbs, irregular verbs, and the Be verb in more detail.
D. Regular Verbs
To form the past tense of regular verbs, add -ed to the base verb.
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Simple Past
Grammar Practice Worksheets
# Rule Examples
• like liked
1 If a verb ends in -e, add -d. • arrive arrived
• decide decided
• carry carried
2 If a verb ends in consonant + -y, change -y to -i and add -ed. • try tried
• study studied
• play played
3 If a verb ends in vowel + -y, add -ed.* • stay stayed
• enjoy enjoyed
• hug hugged
If a verb ends in a consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) pattern,
4 • plan planned
double the final consonant and add -ed.**
• stop stopped
• watch watched
5 For all other verbs, add -ed. • ask asked
• clean cleaned
*Note: **Note:
There are some exceptions to this rule: For verbs with more than one syllable, this rule is only
true if the stress is on the last syllable. Notice the
• pay paid
difference below:
• lay laid
• prefer preferred
• visit visited
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Simple Past
Grammar Practice Worksheets
*Note:
For a complete list of irregular verbs,
see page 23 in this lesson.
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Simple Past
Grammar Practice Worksheets
To form the past tense of the Be verb, use the words was or were.
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Simple Past
Grammar Practice Worksheets
Exercise 1
FILL IN THE BLANKS
was
Ex. Eva sick yesterday.
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Simple Past
Grammar Practice Worksheets
Exercise 2
COMPLETE THE SENTENCES
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Simple Past
Grammar Practice Worksheets
Exercise 3
PAIR WORK
Write the questions using the prompt and the simple past tense.
Then interview your partner. Write down your partner’s answers.
Ex at home / last night Were you at home last night? No, I wasn't.
1 at school / yesterday
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Simple Past
Grammar Practice Worksheets
Exercise 4
VERB CHART (REGULAR VERBS)
1 brush 11 learn
2 carry 12 like
3 check 13 listen
4 clean 14 plan
5 cry 15 play
6 dance 16 study
7 decide 17 talk
8 hope 18 walk
9 hug 19 wash
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Simple Past
Grammar Practice Worksheets
Exercise 5
CHOOSE THE CORRECT VERB
Choose a verb from the list on the right to complete the following
sentences. Write the verb in the past tense. Use each verb only once.
visited
Ex. I my friend in the hospital last night.
Verb List:
1. The boys baseball in the field behind the school. • change
• visit
2. Robert his wife wash the dishes. • paint
• travel
• listen
3. We our living room a soft blue colour.
• help
• arrive
4. Susan TV for two hours last night. • learn
• watch
5. We planes on the way to New York. • play
• wait
6. She for him for 20 minutes at the coffee shop.
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Simple Past
Grammar Practice Worksheets
Exercise 6
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Answer the questions using the simple past tense and the prompt.
Now write five questions using any regular verbs from the list on page 10.
Then ask your partner the questions and write his or her answers.
# Question Answer
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Simple Past
Grammar Practice Worksheets
Exercise 7
VERB CHART (IRREGULAR VERBS)
1 begin 11 read
2 bring 12 run
3 catch 13 see
4 choose 14 sing
5 do 15 sleep
6 fall 16 take
7 go 17 teach
8 have 18 think
9 know 19 write
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Simple Past
Grammar Practice Worksheets
Exercise 8
CHOOSE THE CORRECT VERB
Choose a verb(s) from the list on the right to complete the following
sentences. Write the verb(s) in the past tense. Use each verb only once.
broke
Ex. She a plate when she was washing the dishes.
Verb List:
1. They to Paris in a jumbo jet last week. • buy
• ring
• lie
2. I the alarm clock for 7:00 yesterday morning, but I
• break
• teach
up an hour before the alarm clock . • fly
• set
• send
3. I an email to my friend back home.
• wake
• swim
4. He a five-page essay last night. • feel
• pay
• meet
5. His mother care of him when he sick.
• have
• write
6. The teacher the mathematics class • drink
• give
• get
and then the students three exercises to do for homework.
• take
• catch
7. Matthew his wallet on the way to work yesterday. • lose
8. Angie a bad cold last week. She in bed for three days.
9. The children in the lake behind their house last summer.
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Simple Past
Grammar Practice Worksheets
Exercise 9
IRREGULAR VERB BINGO
Choose any 24 verbs from the Irregular Verb List on page 23 and write
the past tense forms in the squares. Then play Bingo! Draw an when
you hear your teacher call out a matching verb.
Free
Space
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Simple Past
Grammar Practice Worksheets
Exercise 10
OPPOSITES
Write the opposite of each verb below. Make sure to use the past tense.
There may be more than one possible opposite, but try to think of one
that has an irregular past form.
# Verb Opposite
Ex gave took
1 remembered
2 bought
3 found
4 sat
5 arrived
6 opened
8 learned
9 floated
10 saved (money)
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Simple Past
Grammar Practice Worksheets
Exercise 11
TIME MARKERS
last
Ex. We went skiing a lot winter.
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Simple Past
Grammar Practice Worksheets
Exercise 12
POSITIVE & NEGATIVE
Read the example. Then complete the sentences below using the past
tense. Make the first sentence negative and the second one positive.
Ex. Ben usually eats cereal for breakfast. 6. Ben usually meets his boss in the morning.
1. Ben usually gets up at 7:00. 7. Ben usually writes ten emails in the morning.
2. Ben usually takes a shower. 8. Ben usually eats lunch in the office.
3. Ben usually reads the Times newspaper. 9. Ben usually has a lot of appointments every day.
4. Ben usually leaves the house at 8:00. 10. Ben usually gets home at 6:00.
He a bus yesterday.
He a taxi.
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Simple Past
Grammar Practice Worksheets
Exercise 13
WRITE THE QUESTIONS
Use the correct question word (who, what, where, when, why, how many)
to make Wh- questions in the simple past tense. The bold words are the
answers to the questions.
1. 7.
2. 8.
She didn’t go to work because she was sick. The sun rose at 6:45 am yesterday.
3. 9.
4. 10.
Rosa spoke to the boss.* The meeting took place in Room 29.
5.
*Note:
There is a difference between questions 4 and 5.
Can you explain the grammar rule?
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Simple Past
Grammar Practice Worksheets
Exercise 14
FIND SOMEONE WHO
1 who woke up late this morning. Did you wake up late this morning?
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Simple Past
Grammar Practice Worksheets
Exercise 15
WRITING
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Simple Past
Grammar Practice Worksheets
Exercise 16
QUIZ
1. Two weeks ago, I a new car. 7. They left the city a month .
a) bought a) ago
b) buyed b) last
2. Juan at the store on his way home. 8. She a cold last week.
a) stoped a) cought
b) stopped b) caught
4. It us two days to write the report. 10. Maya and Louise late for class.
a) taked a) was
b) took b) were
5. How the weather last weekend? 11. They to sell their house.
a) was a) tryed
b) were b) tried
6. Alyssa to go to Spain. 12. Chang to the party last night.
a) decideed a) didn’t go
b) decided b) didn’t went
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Simple Past
Grammar Practice Worksheets
Base Form Past Form Base Form Past Form Base Form Past Form
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Simple Past
Grammar Practice Worksheets
Answer Key
LESSON DESCRIPTION: LEVEL: Beg – Low Int
This lesson covers the past tense of the Be verb, regular verbs, TIME: 3–4 hours
and irregular verbs. Through various individual and group activities,
TAGS: simple past, past, past tense, verbs, verb tenses,
students will get plenty of written and oral practice with the
regular verbs, irregular verbs, Be, spelling,
affirmative, negative, and question forms of simple past verbs.
pronunciation, grammar
Exercise 1 Exercise 3
1. were 6. was Partners’ answers will vary. Make sure students write down their
2. was 7. was partner's answers and not their own. You can have them copy
3. was 8. were exactly what their partners say (Yes, I was/No, I wasn't) or have them
4. were 9. were report their partner's answers (Yes, he/she was/No, he/she wasn't).
5. were 10. were
1. Were you at school yesterday?
2. Were you at the movies last weekend?
Exercise 2
3. Were you at the gym last week?
4. Were you at the mall last month?
1. ...it wasn’t cold yesterday.
5. Were you in another country last year?
2. ...she wasn’t sick yesterday.
6. Were you tired last night?
3. ...they weren’t at school yesterday.
7. Were you angry last week?
4. ...it wasn’t good yesterday.
8. Were you sick last month?
5. ...they weren’t sweet yesterday.
9. Were you excited about your last birthday?
6. ...it wasn’t interesting yesterday.
10. Were you happy during your last vacation?
7. ...he wasn’t angry yesterday.
8. ...it wasn’t locked yesterday.
(continued on the next page...)
9. ...they weren’t easy yesterday.
10. ...they weren’t tired yesterday.
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Simple Past
Grammar Practice Worksheets
Exercise 5 Exercise 9
1. played 6. waited Make sure your students mix up the order of the verbs they copy
2. helped 7. learned down so that they all have a different card. Tell them you will call
3. painted 8. travelled out the base/present verb and that they should draw an over
4. watched 9. arrived the corresponding past form if they have it on their card. The first
5. changed 10. listened student to complete a line (horizontally, vertically, or diagonally)
should shout “Bingo!” To make the game last longer, tell students
Exercise 6 they can only yell “Bingo!” when they have two completed lines
instead of one.
A. WRITE THE ANSWERS
(continued on the next page...)
1. Yes, they did.
2. No, she didn’t.
3. No, I didn’t.
4. Yes, they did.
5. Yes, he did.
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Simple Past
Grammar Practice Worksheets
Answers may vary. If this task is too difficult for your students, 1. When did they leave the office?
you could write the base forms of the following suggested 2. Why didn’t she go to work?
answers on the board (in a random order). 3. How much did you spend on groceries?
4. Who did Rosa speak to?
1. forgot 6. closed/shut
5. Who spoke to the boss?
2. sold 7. set/went down
6. What did she say to you?
3. lost 8. taught/forgot
7. How did you feel yesterday?
4. stood 9. sank
8. When/What time did the sun rise yesterday?
5. left 10. spent
9. What did she wear to the party?
10. Where did the meeting take place?
Exercise 11
Note Answer: Question 4 is asking about the indirect object
1. ago 6. last (who someone spoke to) and question 5 is asking about the
2. last 7. yesterday subject (who spoke to someone).
3. yesterday 8. ago
4. last 9. yesterday Exercise 14
5. yesterday 10. ago
Classmates’ answers will vary.
Exercise 12 1. Did you wake up late this morning?
2. Did you take the bus to school this morning?
1. didn’t get up / got up 6. didn’t meet / met
3. Did you eat an egg for breakfast this morning?
2. didn’t take / took 7. didn’t write / wrote
4. Did you see a good movie on TV last night?
3. didn’t read / read 8. didn’t eat / ate
5. Did you buy something expensive yesterday?
4. didn’t leave / left 9. didn’t have / had
6. Did you have a bad cold last week?
5. didn’t take / took 10. didn’t get / got
7. Did you win something/anything last year?
8. Did you read a great book last month?
9. Did you hear some/any interesting gossip last week?
10. Did you go on vacation to another country last year?
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Simple Past
Grammar Practice Worksheets
Exercise 16
1. a 3. b 5. a 7. a 9. a 11. b
2. b 4. b 6. b 8. b 10. b 12. a
SPELLING NOTE:
EDITOR'S NOTES:
You could use these verb cards with some of the activities
suggested in our 5 Fun Activities for Irregular Verbs blog
post: http://blog.esllibrary.com/2015/02/26/5-fun-activities-
for-irregular-verbs/
• Spelling Rules:
https://esllibrary.com/resources/2732
• Pronunciation Rules:
https://esllibrary.com/resources/2733
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