Inma Morales

We use the simple past tense: 1. Action that started and finished in the past: I met my friend yesterday. Did you go to the seaside last summer? 2- Actions that happened one after the other in the past: He opened the door, switched on the light and fed his cat. 3- Action taking place in the middle of another (longer) action: He fell asleep while the teacher was explaining new grammar rules.

USAGE

1. TIME ADVERBS:

- In + a date in the past

- Yesterday

- 2 minutes / hours / days / years ago

- Last+ night, week, month, year, century…

Affirmative

FORM

REGULAR VERBS

We call them regular because they have the same ending: “ed” in their simple past and past participle.

We add “d” if the regular verb ends in “e”.

- help helped - create created

IRREGULAR VERBS

We have to learn them by heart.

The simple past is the second column

- Break broke - Buy bought

Verb TO BE

WAS I / HE / SHE / IT WAS NOUN (SG) WAS PROPER NOUN WAS

WERE WE / YOU/ THEY WERE NOUN (PL) WERE NOUN AND NOUN WERE

Inma Morales

FORM (II)

The negative is formed by putting:

DID + NOT + INFINITIVE

Yesterday, I went to the supermarket Yesterday, I didn’t go to the supermarket.

NEGATIVE

SUBJECT + DID + NOT + INFINITIVE

The interrogative is made by putting the auxiliary before subject:

DID + SUBJECT + INFINITIVE +…? Sara went to the supermarket Did Sara go the supermarket?

INTERROGATIVE

DID + SUBJECT + INFINITIVE…?

If a verb ends in a consonant + y, the y changes to i before the ending –ed: hurry - hurried

Consonant+ vowel+ consonant : double consonant

Stop : stopped

If a verb ends in –e, we add –d: dance - danced

REGULAR VERBS

➨ DID NOT = DIDN’T

CONTRACTIONS

Inma Morales