Simple Past

Verb to be
Simple Past: Verb to be
Simple Past: Verb to be
The verb to be is an irregular verb, as can be seen in its past simple forms. (que
se pueden traducir por: yo fui / estuve / era / estaba, tú fuiste / estuviste / eras /
estabas, etc.). This verb talks about a state or a situation (for example, how you
feel), and can be used to describe things. When you use it in the past tense you
need to make sure that you use the right forms, and not the infinitive “be.”
The party was amazing!
We were really happy.

You will have already noticed that this verb does not work like most English
verbs, because by putting it in the past simple it does not need an auxiliary verb
in negative or interrogative sentences. That is to say, there is no did or didn't, nor
any other verb in the sentence: only our beloved to be in the correct position.
Were you sad yesterday?
Was it your birthday on Sunday?
Simple Past: Verb to be
The verb to be is sometimes called a “linking verb,” which essentially serves to link
the subject (usually a person or another noun) with an attribute or word that
offers more information about that subject.
Look at this sentence:
Their house was enormous.
In this sentence, "was" (past tense of the verb to be) does not express any
action, but simply links the subject “Their house” with an adjective that
describes the size of the house at some point in the past.

Now look at these sentences:

It was great to visit the Art Gallery.
It was exciting to go on the Roller Coaster ride.
The children were happy to meet new friends at their new school.
She was a teacher for ten years.
How much was the pizza? It was $18!
Simple Past: Verb to be - Structure
1. Affirmative sentences
Subject + was/were + complement

2. Negative sentences
Subject + was/were + not + complement

3. Interrogative sentences
Was/Were + subject + complement + ?

4. Tag questions
Negative sentence + , + was/were + pronoun + ?
Affirmative sentence + , + was/were + not + pronoun + ?
Was/Were – Affirmative sentences
Present Past Example

I am I was in California last year.

was
He He was happy to see you.
She is She was here yesterday.
It The dog was sick again.

We We were ready to work on it.

You are were You were very busy.
They They were worried about us.
Was/Were – Negative sentences
Present Past Example

I am not I was not in California last year.

was not
He wasn’t He wasn’t happy to see you.
She is not She wasn’t here yesterday.
It The dog wasn’t sick again.

We We weren’t ready to work on it.

were not
You are not You were not very busy.
weren’t
They They were not worried about us.
Was/Were – Interrogative sentences
Affirmative Negative Neg. (contractions)
Was I...? Was I not...? Wasn’t I…?
Were you...? Were you not...? Weren't you...?
Was he...? Was he not...? Wasn't he...?
Was she...? Was she not...? Wasn't she...?
Was it...? Was it not...? Wasn't it...?
Were we...? Were we not...? Weren't we...?
Were you...? Were you not...? Weren't you...?
Were they...? Were they not...? Weren't they...?
Simple Past: Verb to be
was
1. Last winter _________ so cold!
were
2. What _____________ you doing at 9 p.m. yesterday?
3. Traduce: Hacía mucho viento el martes. It was windy on Tuesday.
was
4. When I _________ twelve years old I watched Scooby Doo!
were about 50 people at my sister’s wedding.
5. There ________
6. Traduce: ¿Dónde estuviste ayer? Where were you yesterday?
There was
and
There were
There was and There were

UNCOUNTABLE
There was
Singular
COUNTABLE
Plural There were
There was and There were
These are a few examples of sentences with there was and there were

There was a party last night.

There was an attack.
There was an accident.
There was some money in the safe.
There were some problems with the delivery.
There were three new guys.
There were three incidents.
There were some coins in the piggy bank.
There was and There were
Affirmative
There + was/were + complement

Negative
There + was/were + not + complement

Interrogative
Was/Were + there + complement + ?
There was and There were
_________ there a lot of food at the party?
There _________ a lot of people outside the house.
There _________ any money in the bank. (neg)
There _________ any improvements in 2019. (neg)
There _________ a cat in the house.
_________ there a museum in that old town?
_________ there many police officers around here?
There _________ many movies to watch online. (neg)
There _________ money in the safe.
There _________ a dog barking at us.
There _________ a Christmas tree in the living room. (neg)
There _________ a black chair in the store. (neg)
_________ there many people working in the bank?
There _________ many options available to us. (neg)
There _________ any fans in the store. (neg)
There was and There were
_________
Was there a lot of food at the party?
There _________
were a lot of people outside the house.
There _________
wasn’t any money in the bank. (neg)
There _________
weren’t any improvements in 2019. (neg)
There _________
was a cat in the house.
_________
Was there a museum in that old town?
_________
Were there many police officers around here?
There _________
weren’t many movies to watch online. (neg)
There _________
was money in the safe.
was
There _________ a dog barking at us.
There _________
wasn’t a Christmas tree in the living room. (neg)
There _________
wasn’t a black chair in the store. (neg)
_________
Were there many people working in the bank?
There _________
weren’t many options available to us. (neg)
There _________
weren’t any fans in the store. (neg)
 Simple Past:
Regular and Irregular verbs
Simple Past
The simple past tense, sometimes called the preterit, is used to talk about
a completed action in a time before now. The simple past is the basic form of
past tense in English. The time of the action can be in the recent past or the
distant past and action duration is not important.

Examples:
❑ I visited a client in London yesterday.
❑ She planned the event all by herself.

Simple past

Past Present Future

Simple Past - Structure
1. Affirmative sentences
Subject + verb (past tense) + complement

2. Negative sentences
Subject + auxiliar did not + verb + complement

3. Interrogative sentences
Auxiliar Did + subject + verb + complement + ?
Wh-Word + auxiliar did + subject + verb + complement + ?

4. Tag questions
Negative sentence + , + auxiliar did + pronoun + ?
Affirmative sentence + , + auxiliar did + not + pronoun + ?
Simple Past – Verb conjugation
Affirmative Negative Interrogative
I drank too much I did not drink too Did I drink too much
coffee much coffee coffee?
You drank too much You did not drink Did you drink too
coffee too much coffee much coffee?
He drank too much He did not drink too Did he drink too
coffee much coffee much coffee?
She drank too much She did not drink Did she drink too
coffee too much coffee much coffee?
It drank too much It did not drink too Did it drink too
coffee much coffee much coffee?
We drank too much We did not drink Did we drink too
coffee too much coffee much coffee?
They drank too They did not drink Did they drink too
much coffee too much coffee much coffee?
Simple Past – Regular verbs
Rule 1: If a verb ends in ’e’, add ’d’ Rule 4: If a verb ends in a consonant-
• agree ⇒ agreed vowel-consonant (CVC) pattern,
• like ⇒ liked double the final consonant and
• escape ⇒ escaped add ’ed’ (only for verbs that have the
stress on the final syllable.)
Rule 2: If a verb ends in consonant + • stop ⇒ stopped
‘y’, change ’y’ to ’i' and add ’ed’. • plan ⇒ planned
• try ⇒ tried
• carry ⇒ carried Rule 5: For all other verbs, add ’ed’.
• start ⇒ started
Rule 3: If a verb ends in vowel + ’y’, • kill ⇒ killed
add ’ed’. (except pay = paid | lay = laid)
• play ⇒ played
• enjoy ⇒ enjoyed
Simple Past – Irregular verbs
Most of the irregular verbs in English are the ones that have been in our lives
for a long time (this is also why they tend to be verbs that are used very
frequently). A lot of it comes from Old English, and that's probably why they
don't "adjust" to regular patterns. All the new verbs in English, on the other
hand, follow the regular models.

Irregular verbs can be governed by the following patterns:

❑ Verbs that have the same form in present, past simple and past
participle.
❑ Verbs that have the same form only in past simple and past participle.
❑ Verbs that have the same form in the infinitive and the past participle.
❑ Verbs that have a different form for the present, the past simple and the
past participle.
Simple Past – Irregular verbs
Exceptions and variants
Naturally, there are some exceptions. As English is a constantly evolving
language, some verbs began to change their forms as their use spread. For
example, the past tense of the irregular verb “to dream” is usually “dreamt,”
although today the more regular form “dreamed” is also very common.
The same is true of the verb “to spell,” whose past tense forms “spelt” and
“spelled” are equally acceptable in the UK (although the regular “spelled” is
more common in the US).
As you have realized, the verb "to go" has two forms for the past participle,
"gone" and "been.“

❑ She's gone to Paris – I do not know when she'll be back (she is still in
Paris)
❑ She's been to Paris three times this year (she has already returned)
Simple Past – Irregular verbs
Exceptions and variants
Another difference between British and American English can be seen in the
past participle of “get,” a very common verb that also has two forms.

❑ Have you got over your cold yet? (British English).

❑ Have you gotten over your cold yet? (American English).

You can choose the variant you want, British or American, but try to be
consistent and not go from one to the other.
Simple Past – Irregular verbs
Infinitive Past simple Past participle Translation
cut cut cut cortar
set set set poner, fijar, provocar…
let let let permitir
build built built construir
feel felt felt sentir
find found found encontrar
come came come venir
become became become convertirse en
run ran run correr
be was/ were been ser, estar
do did done hacer
drink drank drunk beber
eat ate eaten comer
Pronunciation:
-ed endings
Regular verbs - Pronunciation
/d/ /t/ /ɪd/

If the verb ends in

If the verb ends in
a vowel sound or
an unvoiced If the verb ends in
a voiced
consonant (p, k, f, a ’d’ or a ‘t’
How do I consonant (l, n, r,
gh, sh, ch, ss, c, x)
know how to b, g, m, z, s, v)
pronounce
each one? /d/ /t/ /ɪd/
arrived asked wanted
failed crossed decided
agreed stopped started
-ED pronunciation - /t/ /d/ or /id/?
 Simple Past:
Affirmative, Negative
Yes/No & Wh Questions
Simple Past
The simple past tense, sometimes called the preterit, is used to talk about
a completed action in a time before now. The simple past is the basic form of
past tense in English. The time of the action can be in the recent past or the
distant past and action duration is not important.

Examples:
❑ I visited a client in London yesterday.
❑ She planned the event all by herself.

Simple past

Past Present Future

Simple Past: Structure
1. Affirmative sentences
Subject + verb (past tense) + complement

2. Negative sentences
Subject + auxiliar did not + verb + complement

3. Interrogative sentences
Auxiliar Did + subject + verb + complement + ?
Wh-Word + auxiliar did + subject + verb + complement + ?

4. Tag questions
Negative sentence + , + auxiliar did + pronoun + ?
Affirmative sentence + , + auxiliar did + not + pronoun + ?
Simple Past: Verb conjugation
Affirmative Negative Interrogative
I drank too much I did not drink too Did I drink too much
coffee much coffee coffee?
You drank too much You did not drink Did you drink too
coffee too much coffee much coffee?
He drank too much He did not drink too Did he drink too
coffee much coffee much coffee?
She drank too much She did not drink Did she drink too
coffee too much coffee much coffee?
It drank too much It did not drink too Did it drink too
coffee much coffee much coffee?
We drank too much We did not drink Did we drink too
coffee too much coffee much coffee?
They drank too They did not drink Did they drink too
much coffee too much coffee much coffee?
Simple Past: Affirmative sentences
You always use the simple past when you say when something happened, so it
is associated with certain past time expressions:
Frequency: often, sometimes, always
❑ I sometimes walked home at lunchtime.
❑ I often brought my lunch to school.
A definite point in time: last week, when I was a child, yesterday, six weeks ago
❑ We saw a good film last week.
❑ Yesterday, I arrived in Geneva.
❑ She finished her work at seven o'clock.
❑ I went to the theatre last night.
An indefinite point in time: the other day, ages ago, a long time ago
❑ People lived in caves a long time ago.
❑ She played the piano when she was a child.
Simple Past: Negative sentences
Negatives in the simple past are formed by adding didn't (informal) or did not
(formal) before the simple form of the verb. The verb BE is an exception to this;
in the case of BE, we just add n't (informal) or not (formal) after "was" or "were"

Simple past statement Informal negative Formal negative

I had a car. I didn't have a car. I did not have a car.
You ate my toast. You didn't eat my toast. You did not eat my toast.
He was here yesterday. He wasn't here yesterday. He was not here yesterday.
They were in the park. They weren't in the park. They were not in the park.
Simple Past: Yes/No Questions
Yes/no questions are also created using the auxiliary did. This time, the auxiliary
is placed before the subject. The verb BE is an exception; in this case, we move
BE before the subject. Here are the rules:

Simple past statement Yes/No question Answer

Yes, he did.
He brought his friend. Did he bring his friend?
No, he didn’t.
Yes, we did.
We had a party. Did we have a party?
No, we didn’t.
Yes, they were.
They were here. Were they here?
No, they weren’t.
Yes, she was.
She was sick. Was she sick?
No, she wasn’t.
Simple Past: WH Questions
WH- questions (using words such as what, when, where, etc.) are also created
by putting the auxiliary did before the subject (or moving BE, as explained
above). Then, you add the WH- word at the beginning. Here are some
examples:

Simple past statement Yes/No Question WH Question

The building fell down. Did the building fall Why did the building fall
down? down?
They lived in Vancouver. Did they live in Where did they live?
Vancouver?
The store was closed. Was the store closed? Why was the store
closed?
They were wolves. Were they wolves? What were they?
Simple Past: WH Questions - Answers
Questions with question words in the Simple Past
Question
Auxiliary Subject Verb Complement Answer
words
What did you play yesterday evening? I played computer games.

When did she meet her boyfriend? She met him yesterday.

Where did they go after the match? They went to a cafe.

But:
Question
To be Subject Complement Answer
word

Where were you yesterday? I was at the cinema

Time Expressions
Time Expressions
Past Present Future
a long time ago nowadays soon
a little while ago at present in the near future
in the past at the moment in the distant future
at one time these days later on
the day/week before at this time in an hour
yesterday today tomorrow
back then as I/we speak later today/this week
in those days for the time being eventually
last week/month/year this week/month/year next week/month/year

The time expression appears either at the beginning or at the end of the
sentence – never in the middle of the sentence.
Time Expressions
The most common time expressions used for the past simple are:

last ago yesterday

last night 10 minutes ago yesterday
last Sunday an hour ago yesterday morning
last week three days ago yesterday afternoon
last weekend a week ago yesterday evening
last year a month ago the day before yesterday
last month a year ago

The time expression appears either at the beginning or at the end of the
sentence – never in the middle of the sentence.
Time Expressions - Uses
1. We use time reference + ago to show how far back in the past something
happened
The movie ended five minutes ago.
I took that photo many years ago.

2. We use last + time reference to mean the most recent or nearest to the
present-day time
I saw a game on TV last night.
My girlfriend and I met at the beach last summer.

3. We use yesterday or yesterday + morning / afternoon / evening to talk

about the day before today
Charles wore a suit to work yesterday morning.
She left the hospital the day before yesterday.
Time Expressions – Uses to sequence events
The present – permanent
Use the present simple tense to refer to permanent situations in the present.
❑ I now live in a small town.
❑ Nowadays I live in a small town.
❑ These days, I don’t have much of a social life.

The present – temporary

Use the present continuous tense to refer to temporary situations in the present.
❑ At present / At the moment I’m living in a small town.
❑ For the time being I’m living in a small town, but I hope to move soon.
Time Expressions – Uses to sequence events
Talking about a period of time in the past
My mother started work as a nurse in the 1960s.
In those days she lived in London.
Back then nurses were badly paid.
At that time, nurses lived in special accommodation.

Talking about a single event in the past

❑ At one time she lost her door key and had to stay in a hotel.
❑ On one occasion she nursed the son of a famous politician.
Time Expressions – Uses to sequence events
Sequencing events in the past
There are many ways to sequence events in the past. Here are some of the more common ones.
After (in the middle of a sentence)
Afterwards / After that / After a while (at the beginning of a sentence)
Then / Before (in the middle or at the beginning of a sentence)
Before that / Previously / Until then (At the beginning of a sentence)
By the time (in the middle of a sentence followed by a past perfect tense)
By then / by that time (at the beginning of a sentence)
❑ I went shopping after I finished work.
❑ I worked all day in the office. Afterwards / After that, I went shopping.
❑ I went shopping. After a while, I got bored.
❑ I worked before I went shopping.
❑ I went shopping at 6pm. Before that / Previously / Until then I had worked all day.
❑ I worked all day, then I went shopping.
❑ I was desperate to go shopping by the time I had finished work.
❑ I worked until 6pm. By then / By that time, I was glad for the opportunity to go
shopping.
Time Expressions – Uses to sequence events
Other expressions to refer to the next event in a story
Later on Before long At that moment / Suddenly
Meanwhile At the same time
Simultaneously (a more formal way of saying meanwhile / at the same time)
❑ I worked and then went shopping. Later on I met some friends for pizza.
❑ I waited for a while in the restaurant. Before long, the waiter came up and asked
me…
❑ At that moment / Suddenly, I heard the door slam.
❑ Meanwhile / At the same time / Simultaneously my phone started to ring.

People who are no longer “around”

❑ An ex-president = no longer the president: “The ex-president of France is still
influential.”
❑ A previous / former boss: “A previous boss taught me how to make presentations.”
“My former boss now works for a different company.”
❑ My late wife = my wife who has died: “My late wife painted watercolors.”
Time Expressions - Example
At one time, hardly anyone went on vacation
abroad. In the past, most people stayed in the UK
and tried to enjoy the weather! In those days, only
really rich people went to places like Spain or
Greece. Nowadays, most people have been abroad
at least once. Just last week, my husband and I
booked a vacation to Italy. We’re going next
month. These days, getting on a plane and crossing
the sea is nothing special. And who knows what
vacations will be like in the distant future? I
think eventually, we will be able to vacation on the
Moon or even on Mars. But that won’t happen
anytime soon.
Time Expressions - Example
At one time, hardly anyone went on vacation
abroad. In the past, most people stayed in the UK
and tried to enjoy the weather! In those days, only
really rich people went to places like Spain or
Greece. Nowadays, most people have been
abroad at least once. Just last week, my husband
and I booked a vacation to Italy. We’re going next
month. These days, getting on a plane and
crossing the sea is nothing special. And who
knows what vacations will be like in the distant
future? I think eventually, we will be able to
vacation on the Moon or even on Mars. But that
won’t happen anytime soon.
Prepositions
of time
Prepositions of time
Prepositions of time
❑ IN for months, years, centuries, and long periods
❑ ON for days and dates
❑ AT for a precise time and holidays or festivals
without the word “day”

IN ON AT
Prepositions of time
IN ON AT
MONTHS, YEARS, CENTURIES DAYS and DATES PRECISE TIME
and LONG PERIODS

in May on Sunday at 3 o'clock

in summer on Tuesdays at 10.30am
in the summer on 6 March at noon
in 1990 on 25 Dec. 2010 at dinnertime
in the 1990s on Christmas Day at bedtime
in the next century on Independence Day at sunrise
in the Ice Age on my birthday at sunset
in the past/future on New Year's Eve at the moment
Prepositions of time
Examples:
1. I have a meeting _____ 9am.
2. The shop closes _____ midnight.
3. Do you work _____ Mondays?
4. Her birthday is _____ 20 November.
5. Jane went home _____ lunchtime.
6. In England, it often snows _____ December.
7. Do you think we will go to Jupiter _____ the future?
8. There should be a lot of progress _____ the next century.
9. Where will you be _____ New Year's Day?
Prepositions of time
Examples:
1. at 9am.
I have a meeting _____
2. at midnight.
The shop closes _____
3. on Mondays?
Do you work _____
4. on 20 November.
Her birthday is _____
5. Jane went home _____at lunchtime.
6. in December.
In England, it often snows _____
7. in the future?
Do you think we will go to Jupiter _____
8. in the next century.
There should be a lot of progress _____
9. on New Year's Day?
Where will you be _____
BONUS
Prepositions of time

When we say last, next, every, this we do not also use at, in,
on.
Examples:
❑ I went to London last June. (not in last June)
❑ He's coming back next Tuesday. (not on next Tuesday)
❑ I go home every Easter. (not at every Easter)
❑ We'll call you this evening. (not in this evening)
Parts of the day

We use in, on, or at depending on what part of the day we are

mentioning.
Examples:
❑ I go to the gym in the morning
❑ We often feel tired in the afternoon
❑ I study English in the evening
❑ I like to read in bed at night
❑ We will have a party on Friday night
❑ Our flight leaves on Monday morning
Using
prepositions

Identify how many Basic Prepositions of Time

times they use
prepositions of
time during the
discussion
Practice
Practice
Life Stages
Life Stages

Life stages are the ages

and stages we go
through as we learn
and grow, from infancy
to adulthood. The life
experiences in each
stage build upon one
another and prepare a
person for future life
stages.
Life Stages

Prenatal/infancy: From conception through

the earliest years of life or babyhood.

Early childhood: The time in a child's life

before they begin school full-time.

School age: The years from kindergarten

through middle school.
Life Stages

Transition to adulthood: Moving from

childhood to young adulthood and from
school to adult life.

Adulthood: The period of time after we

transition from school years through the
time we begin entering our golden years.

Aging: The golden years are when we

begin to slow down and experience many
age-related changes.
Life Stages
Newborn: Usually refers to a baby from birth to about 2 months of age.
Infant: A baby that can be considered anywhere from birth to 1 year old.
Toddler: A baby that range from 1 year to 4 years of age.
Child: A young person who is from 4 to 10 years of age
Pre-teen: A child from 10 to 12 years of age
Teenager: A young person between the age of 13 and 18
Young adult: A person who is between the age of 18 and 30
Adult: A person who is neither young nor old, typically between the ages of
about 30 and 60
Elderly: A person who is old
Writing activity

Write your autobiography in maximum 250 words

but not less than 200.
Mention at least one thing of every stage of your life.
Sequencers
Sequencers
Sequencers are words that organize your writing and speaking. We often use
sequencers in English when we give instructions, describe a process, or tell
stories.
Words like:
At first Earlier
Once upon a time Before all Afterwards

After
First Next Then Finally
that

The next day Secondly After

Meanwhile Once At the end
Later Soon
Sequencers

Beginning Middle End

Once upon a time Meanwhile In the end

In the beginning After that Finally

Firstly Suddenly After all

Before all Later In conclusion

Sequencers
Dump your ground meat into a bowl and season it.

Shape your burgers into patties as big as you want.

Oil your grill or pan and grill the patties.

Add cheese over the hot patties and toast the buns.

When burgers finished cooking add some toppings and

enjoy
Sequencers
First, dump your ground meat into a bowl and season it.

Next, shape your burgers into patties as big as you want.

Then, oil your grill or pan and grill the patties.

After that, add cheese over the hot patties and toast the
buns.
Finally, when burgers finished cooking add some toppings
and enjoy
Sequencers
First…

Next…

Then…

Finally…
I realized I had forgotten to pay my electricity bill.

I tried to use my TV, but it was dead. I wondered what

was happening.
the lights went out.
I heard a loud boom.