Simple Past Form

POSITIVE Form
Subject Verb Modifier

was at home yesterday

I worked as the writer at home.

were students.

You/We/They studied in the university.

was Spanish.

He/She/It came From Spain.

NEGATIVE Form
The formula is did not + [root form of verb]. You can also use the contraction didn’t instead of did not.

For the verb  to be, you don’t need the auxiliary did. When the subject of the sentence is singular, use was
not  or wasn’t. When the subject is plural, use were not or  weren’t.

Subject Verb(positive) NOT (negative) Modifier

was was not at home yesterday

I worked didn‘t work as the writer at home.

were were not students.

You/We/They studied didn‘t study in the university.

was was not Spanish.

He/She/It came didn‘t come from Spain.

How to Ask a Question

The formula for asking a question in the simple past tense is: did + [subject] + [root form of verb].

Example: Did Wolfgang win the gold medal or the silver medal?

Where did Wolfgang go to celebrate? 

Did the judges decide fairly, in your opinion?

When asking a question with the verb to be, you don’t need the auxiliary did. The formula is: was/were + [subject].

Example: Was Wolfgang in a good mood after the contest? 

Were people taking lots of pictures?

Forming Simple Past Passive

Something was done by someone at sometime in the past.

Active : The teacher corrected the mistakes.

Passive: The mistakes were corrected by the teacher.

Practice 1- Underline the verbs in Simple Past Form.

The Japanese city of Hiroshima was flattened by an atomic bomb on August 6, 1945. The catastrophe killed
78 150 people instantly. An additional 100 000 people died later as a consequence of the bomb attack. They
succumbed to various diseases due to the effects of radiation. Today, Hiroshima is once again a thriving city.
It has become an industrialised city. There are steel factories, motor vehicle companies and furniture
factories. Hiroshima is also renowned as a town that builds ships and processes food. All that remains as a
reminder of a painful past is the Peace Park. There is a building there called the 'A-Bomb Dome' that has
been left the way it looked after the nuclear attack took place.

Practice 2 - Underline the correct verb to complete each sentence.

1. The class monitor (checks, checked) the attendance every morning.

2. We (move, moved) to a new house last October.

3. Harith (adores, adored) his baby brother, who is just a year old. before ans1

4. He (swims, swam) across the English Channel last year.

5. The police just (catches, caught) the shoplifter.

6. Deena (buys, bought) me a pair of boots for my last birthday.

7. The sun (does not rise, did not rise) in the west; it rises in the east.

8. He (finds, found) his wallet last night.

9. We always (enjoy, enjoyed) his company, so he is invited for all our function

10. They (wander, wandered) into the woods an hour ago.

11. Water (evaporates, evaporated) when heated.

12. Ben apologised even though he (does not, did not) make the mistake.

13. A sponge (absorbs, absorbed) water better than a piece of cloth.

14. She (remains, remained) seated on her chair even after I had left.

15. We must (maintain, maintained) the peace of the country at all costs.

Practice 3 - Complete the passage with the past tense form of the verbs given in the brackets.
Tycoon Tek (1 be) _______ a famous personality in town. He (2 live) _________ a good life. He (3 has)
________ a wife who (4 inherit) _____________ a fortune. He grew tired of having to ask her for each and
every ringgit he (5 want) ___________ to spend. So, he (6 formulate) _____________ a plan. One day, he (7
cut) ________ off the power supply. A hairpin laced with poison was placed on the stairs that led up to his
wife's bedroom. He (8 know) ___________ she would climb the stairs close to the railing for fear of the dark.
His plan (9 work) ________ _ . The doctor (10 pronounce) ______________ her dead. He must have had a
secret smile. The police were wise. They (11 probe)____________ and scoured the crime scene. The
murder weapon (12 be) __________ found and Tycoon Tek was arrested.

Practice 4 - Change the sentences into Simple Past Form.

 1. We move to a new house
________________________________________________________

2. They bring a sandwich. 

________________________________________________________

3. He doesn't do the homework.

_________________________________________________________

4. They sell cars. 

_________________________________________________________

5. Does he visit his friends?

________________________________________________________

Practice 5 – Write the sentences in Simple Past Form.

1. Janet / miss / the bus
________________________________________________________

2. she / tidy / her room

________________________________________________________

3. Nancy / watch / not / television

________________________________________________________

4. she / read / a book

________________________________________________________

Practice 6 - Make the past simple, positive, negative or question

1. She ___________________ (get on) the bus in the centre of the city.

2. What time_____________________ (he/get up) yesterday?

3. Where _____________________ (you/get off) the train?

4. We ______________________ (wake up) very late.

5. We ________________________ (not/use) the computer last night.

6. __________________ (she/make) good coffee?

7. He _____________________ (not/study) for the exam.

8. ____________________ (I/forget) something?

9. What time __________________ (the film/start)?

10. Why _________________ (you/come)?