SIMPLE PAST

We use the Simple past tense to talk about an event that took place at a definite point of time in the past.
We recognize this verbal tense by the use of adverbs of time such as: Yesterday or Last Year.

See how we form the simple past tense:

Statements:

I / You / He / She / It / We / They missed the train yesterday

Negatives:

I / You / He / She / It / We / They did not miss the train yesterday

Questions:

Did I / You / He / She / It / We / They miss the train yesterday?

Notice that in English we have regular verbs which add -ed to form the Simple Past, but there are also
Irregular verbs which are spelled differently.

EXERCISE 1 Read the following conversation between Sally and her landlady Mrs. Simpson, and
then ask the question that corresponds to the request in numbers 1 to 6.

Sally : Oh, dear. I got home very late last night. I hope I didn't disturb
you.
Mrs. Simpson : No, I didn't hear a thing.
Sally : George and I went to the movies and we missed the last train.
Mrs. Simpson : What did you do?
Sally : Well, we went to the bus stop, but the buses were not running,
so we took a taxi.
Mrs. Simpson : My goodness! Was it expensive?
Sally : Yes, he charged us 20 dollars
 Example: Ask if Sally got home late last night
Did sally get home late last night?

1. - Ask if Mrs. Simpson heard Sally coming in.

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2. - Ask if Sally came home late.
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3. - Ask Who Sally went to the movies with.
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4. - Ask how they came home.
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5. - Ask why they didn't come home by bus.
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6. - Ask how much the taxi driver charged them.
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EXERCISE 2 Write sentences telling three (3) things you did and three (3) things you didn't do in
your last vacation.

1. - ______________________________________________________________________
2. - ______________________________________________________________________
3. - ______________________________________________________________________
4. - ______________________________________________________________________
5. - ______________________________________________________________________
6. - ______________________________________________________________________

EXERCISE 3 Write appropriate interrogative, affirmative or negative sentences

according TO the following giving ideas. Use the past tense.

Example: Who / you see / at the meeting?

Who did you see at the meeting?

1. - I see / Jack / but / not Amy

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2. - What plays / they see / at Stratford?
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3. - He buy / some chocolates / but / not buy any books.
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4. - They see / Hamlet, / but / not see Julius Caesar
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5. - Where / Angelo go / in Europe?
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6. - You enjoy / your vacation?
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7. - My nephew / not / go to / the university / this year
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8. - You come to / English class / three times a week?
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9. - What time / the plane / from Hamburg / arrive?
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10. - National Express's employees / go on strike / last month.
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