Verb Tenses: Simple Past

Verb Tenses

• Verb tenses show the time when an action takes place.

Simple Past

• The simple past is a verb tense used for finished past actions.
• We use the simple past tense to describe completed actions in the past.
• Examples: I watched a movie yesterday, I ate dinner two hours ago, I was busy last week.

Forming Simple Past

• With regular verbs, we use the verb + -ed to form the simple past.
• The verb form is the same for all subjects.
• Examples: walked (walk), played (play), studied (study)

Irregular Verbs

• With irregular verbs, the verb changes into a different form.
• We do not use -ed.
• Examples:
  • do: did
  • drink: drank
  • eat: ate
  • go: went
  • have: had
  • run: ran
  • say: said
  • sing: sang
  • sleep: slept
  • write: wrote

Be Verb

• Be is the only simple past verb that changes forms for different subjects.
• The two simple past forms of the verb Be are was and were.
• Examples: I was cold, My dog was hungry, My new shoes were expensive.

Practice

• Look at a picture and say or write a simple past sentence.
• Example: They ate pizza last night.

Verb Tenses

• Verb tenses indicate the time of an action.

Simple Past

• Used for finished past actions.
• Describes completed actions in the past.
• Formed by adding -ed to regular verbs.
• Verb form remains the same for all subjects.

Forming Simple Past

• Regular verbs: verb + -ed.
• Examples: walked (walk), played (play), studied (study).

Irregular Verbs

• Change into a different form, no -ed.
• Examples:
  • do: did
  • drink: drank
  • eat: ate
  • go: went
  • have: had
  • run: ran
  • say: said
  • sing: sang
  • sleep: slept
  • write: wrote

Be Verb

• Changes forms for different subjects.
• Two simple past forms: was and were.
• Examples: I was cold, My dog was hungry, My new shoes were expensive.

Practice Exercises

• Create simple past sentences based on a picture.
• Example: They ate pizza last night.