Lesson 3a - The Simple Past Tense - Basic English Grammar

English - mind your language

Simple Past Tenses  

1. The simple past is used to talk about activities, events or situations that began in the past.
2. We know the definite time the action took place such as an hour,
   a week ago, yesterday, last night, last year, etc.
3. Most simple past verbs are formed by adding –ed to a verb.
Example:          
destroy - destroyed
elect     - elected
accuse  - accused
cook     - cooked

4. Some verbs have irregular past forms.
Example:            
buy   - bought
keep  - kept
feel  - felt
leave - left
   
5. Some verbs remain unchanged.
Example:        
put  - put
beat - beat
  
EXERCISES
A. Complete the sentences by writing the past tense
   forms of the verbs in brackets.
1. Last week, Borhan  _____________  to see a doctor.  (go)
2. Sidney Sheldon ____________ ’The Naked Face’.  (write)
3. She __________ her pet cat ‘Pinky’.  (name)
4. The doctor _______  that the receptionist would not
   come to work that day.  (think)
5. The old man __________ all his belongings in the fire.  (lose)
6. They ___________ here a few minutes ago.  (are)
7. I __________  my homework last night.  (do)
8. I _________  a prefect last year.  (am)

Exercises
Change the verbs in the following sentence into past tense.

1. Yesterday, I go to the restaurant with a client.
2. We drive around the parking lot for 20 minutes in
   order to find a parking space.
3. When we arrive at the restaurant, the place is full.
4. The waitress asks us if we have reservations.
5. I say, "No, my secretary forgets to make them."
6. The waitress tells us to come back in two hours.
7. My client and I slowly walk back to the car.
8. Then we see a small grocery store.
9. We stop at the grocery store and buy some sandwiches.


Correct the mistakes in the following sentences:
1. Last night, Samantha have pizza for supper.
2. My pet lizard was died last month.
3. Yesterday I spend two hours cleaning my living room.
4. This morning before coming to class, Jack
   eats two bowls of cereal.
5. What was happened to your leg?