Past Simple Tense

Form of Simple Past

Positive Negative Question

no differences I spoke. I did not speak. Did I speak?

Exceptions in Spelling when Adding ‘ed’

Exceptions in spelling when adding ed Example

after a final e only add d love – loved

final consonant after a short, stressed vowel admit – admitted

or l as final consonant after a vowel is doubled travel – travelled

final y after a consonant becomes i hurry – hurried

Use of Simple Past

 action in the past taking place once, never or several times
Example: He visited his parents every weekend.

 actions in the past taking place one after the other

Example: He came in, took off his coat and sat down.

 action in the past taking place in the middle of another action

Example: When I was having breakfast, the phone suddenly rang.

 if sentences type II (If I talked, …)

Example: If I had a lot of money, I would share it with you.
 Put the verbs into the correct form (simple past).

spent
1. Last year I (spend) my holiday in Ireland.

2. It (be) great.

3. I (travel) around by car with two friends and we (visit) lots of

interesting places.

4. In the evenings we usually (go) to a pub.

5. One night we even (learn) some Irish dances.

6. We (be) very lucky with the weather.

7. It (not / rain) a lot.

8. But we (see) some beautiful rainbows.

9. Where (spend / you) your last holiday?

 Past Continuous/ Progressive
The past progressive describes an action that was in progress at a specific time in the
past. It can be used:

To describe an action that started in the past and was interrupted by another action:

1. He was writing an e-mail when the phone rang.

2. When the phone rang, he was writing an e-mail.
3. While he was writing an e-mail, the phone rang
To describe two actions that were in progress at the same time in the past:

1. I was preparing dinner while Melanie was working upstairs.

2. While Melanie was working upstairs, I was preparing dinner
Note: The word order in the sentence can be switched around as in the examples above,
however, it is important to remember that we use the time expression while before the past
progressive and the word when before the past simple part of the sentence. Use only one of
these time expressions in each sentence.

The past progressive is formed using was or were and the ing (present participle) form of the
verb.

Subject a form of be + rest of sentence

verbing

I / He / She / It was finishing the exam when the bell rang

You / We / were paying the bill while I was waiting to be

They seated

Negatives in the Past Progressive (Continuous)

Spelling Tip

When shortening the 1st & 3rd person (I, he, she, it) negative, just remove the o in not and
add an apostrophe (‘)
 was not > wasn’t
were not > weren’t
The negative in the past progressive tense is created using was not or were not + the ing
(present participle) form of the verb.

Note: In general, use these contractions in the negative: wasn’t, weren’t. Save the long forms
for when you want to create emphasis.

Subject a form of be + verbing rest of sentence

I /He / She / It wasn’t crying when you came home

You / We / They weren’t hiking there when the earthquake hit

1. I wasn’t sleeping when you came home last night.

2. When Ms. Foster came in, the girls weren’t studying.
3. Sam wasn’t lying when he said he loved you.
Yes/No Questions in the Past Progressive (Continuous)

To ask a question that will be answered with either a yes or no, start with Was or Were,
(Wasn’t or Weren’t for a negative question) then choose your subject (the person or thing
doing the action), followed by the ing (present participle) form of the verb and then the rest
of your question.

A form of Be subject verbing rest of sentence

Was I walking too fast

Was he / she / it shouting while you were trying to sleep

Were you / we / they waiting for her when the plane landed
1. Was I talking to you?
2. Were you writing the report when the electricity went off?
3. When you came home, was he singing in the shower?
4. Wasn’t Tom sitting in the cafe when you drove past?
Wh-Questions in the Past Progressive (Continuous)

Wh- questions are questions that require more information in their answers. Typical wh-
words are what, where, when, which, why, who, and how.

To create a wh-question, start with the Wh-word, then was or were (wasn’t or weren’t for a
negative question), then the subject (a person or thing that does the action), followed by the
ing (participle) form of the verb and only then add the rest of the sentence.

Wh a form of subject verbing rest of sentence

Word be

Who was I talking to

What was he / she / it doing

When were you / we / planning on telling me the bad

they news

1. Where were you standing when the trouble started?

2. Who was I talking to? I can’t remember.
3. Why wasn’t she waiting at the meeting point?
 Past Tense – Simple or Progressive: Fill in the correct form.

1. George off the ladder while he the ceiling. (fall, paint)

2. Last night I in bed when I suddenly a scream. (read, hear)

3. TV when I you? (you watch, phone)

4. Ann for me when I . (wait, arrive)

5. Maisie up the kitchen when John her to marry him.

(clean, ask)

6. The house £ 150,000 in 2003. (cost)

7. The fire at six in the morning. (still burn)

8. My brother a new job a week ago (get).

9. Columbus America over 500 years ago (discover)

10. She not interested in the book because she it (be ,not

understand)

11. at school yesterday? (you be)

12. We in a house near the sea last summer (live)

13. She the piano very well when she young (can play, be)

14. She the office very early last night (leave).

15. I a friend while I the shopping (meet, do)

16. I for my things when I someone call my name (pay, hear)

17. I around and Judy. (turn, see)

18. She a bright yellow dress when I her last (wear, see)

19. We to have a cup of tea. (decide)

20. While the waiter up the pieces of glass he his finger (pick,

cut)

21. Then we the cafe and good bye (leave, say)

22. I the fire at six and it brightly when Tom came in at

seven. (light, still burn)

23. My dog along quietly when Mary’s Pekinese him. (walk,

attack)

24. When I she lunch. She said she always

lunch at 12:30. (arrive, have, have)

25. What of his last book? –I it a lot (you think, like)

26. He suddenly that he in the wrong direction.

(realize, travel)

27. He guitar when someone the window and

out a bucket of water. (play, open, throw)

28. He us to go out in the boat yesterday because a strong wind

(not allow, blow)

29. The next day, as they that the police for them, they

off in different directions. the coats in the woods and

(know, look, hide, go)