6 Questions
'I ______ reading a book.'
was
'She ______ a doctor after many years of study.'
became
'We ______ our journey early in the morning.'
began
Unlike the other verbs mentioned here, 'bit' follows the standard pattern of changing to '-ed' to form its past ______.
tense
The verb 'was' is used to form the present continuous tense, which describes ongoing ______.
actions
'He ______ the candle to extinguish the flame.'
blew
Study Notes
Verbs in the simple past tense are used to describe actions that were completed in the past. They are formed by adding -ed to most regular verbs, and have different forms for irregular verbs. In this article, we will discuss some commonly used irregular verbs in the simple past tense: was, became, began, bit, and blew.
Was
The verb 'was' is one of the main auxiliary verbs used in English. It is used to form the present continuous tense, which describes ongoing actions, and it also appears in the past continuous tense when forming questions in the past. In the simple past tense, 'was' does not follow any special rule. It simply remains unchanged.
Example sentence: "I was reading a book."
Became
'Became' is another common verb in the simple past tense. Like other irregular verbs, its past tense form does not follow the typical "-ed" addition pattern. Instead, it changes to 'became'. This verb indicates a change from one state to another, usually a transition or transformation.
Example sentence: "She became a doctor after many years of study."
Began
Similar to 'became', the verb 'began' has an irregular past tense form. To indicate the start of an action in the past, 'began' becomes 'began'. This verb typically signals the initiation of something new or the commencement of an event.
Example sentence: "We began our journey early in the morning."
Bit
Unlike the other verbs mentioned here, 'bit' follows the standard pattern of changing to '-ed' to form its past tense. However, as an irregular verb, 'bit' has only two syllables in both its base form and in its past tense form.
Example sentence: "He bit into the apple."
Blew
Like 'bit', the verb 'blew' changes to '-ed' to form its past tense. However, unlike 'bit', it has three or four syllables depending on its usage.
Example sentence: "The wind blew so hard that it knocked over the tree."
In summary, verbs in the simple past tense are an essential part of the English language, indicating completed actions and changes in the past. Understanding the forms of these verbs, such as 'was', 'became', 'began', 'bit', and 'blew', will help you communicate effectively in English.
Learn about irregular verbs in the simple past tense like 'was', 'became', 'began', 'bit', and 'blew'. Understand how these verbs differ from regular past tense verbs and their usage in English sentences.
Make Your Own Quizzes and Flashcards
Convert your notes into interactive study material.
Get started for free
