the simple past is used :
1- to express a finished action in the past:
ex: Colombus discovered America in 1492.
2-to express actions which follow each other in a story:
ex: I heard a strange noise,so I told my husband and we went downstairs to investigate.
3- to express a past state or habit:
ex: When I was a child, we lived in a small house by the sea. Everyday I walked for miles with my dog.
(This use is often expressed with used to: we used to live in a small house.)
Verbs in the simple past are either regular (add -ed)or irregular (have special forms see below)
The verb to be (auxiliary)
Affirmative | Negative | Questions |
| I was | I was not (I wasn't ) | Was I ? |
| you were | you were not ( you weren't) | Were you ? |
| he was | he was not (he wasn't ) | Was he? |
| she was | she was not ( she wasn't) | Was she? |
| It was | It was not ( It wasn't) | Was It ? |
| we were | we were not ( we weren't) | were we ? |
| you were | you were not ( you weren't ) | were you ? |
| they were | they were not ( they weren't) | were they? |
The verb to work (regular)
Affirmative | Negative | Questions |
| I /you/he/she/It/we/they worked | I/you/he/she/It/we/they did not work(didn't work) | Did I/you/he/she/it/we/they work? |
The verb to go (irregular)
Affirmative | Negative | Questions |
| I/you/he/she/it/we/they went | I/you/he/she/it/we/they did not go (didn't go) | did I/ you/he/she/it/we/they go ? |
For negative sentences we use: did not (didn't) + the infinitive of the verb.
For questions we use: did + the infinitive of the verb.
Spelling of regular past
wait ---------------------------------------------------► waited
start --------------------------------------------------► started
play ---------------------------------------------------► played
like ----------------------------------------------------► liked
plan ---------------------------------------------------► planned
fit-------------------------------------------------------► fitted
try-------------------------------------------------► tried.
Pronunciation of regular past:
/d/ | /t/ | /id/ |
After vowels and voiced sounds | After voiceless sounds | After /t/ and /d/ |
ex: played /pleid/ | worked /w3:kt/ | started /'sta:tid/ |
Irregular pastcut -------------------------------► cut
hit --------------------------------► hit
put -------------------------------► put
shut--------------------------------► shut
hurt --------------------------------► hurt
cost -------------------------------► cost
read-------------------------------► read
let --------------------------------► let
shed ------------------------------► shed
upset -----------------------------► upset
speak ----------------------------► spoke
break -----------------------------►broke
steal ------------------------------► stole
wear ------------------------------► wore
swear-----------------------------►swore
weave-----------------------------► wove
bring ------------------------------► brought
buy -------------------------------► bought
think ------------------------------► thought
seek ------------------------------► sought
fight -------------------------------► fought
begin -----------------------------► began
drink ------------------------------► drank
sing -------------------------------► sang
swim -----------------------------► swam
shrink ----------------------------► shrank
spit -------------------------------► spat
ring -------------------------------► rang
sweep ---------------------------► swept
keep------------------------------► kept
dream----------------------------► dreamt
sleep-----------------------------► slept
feel -------------------------------► felt
lean ------------------------------► leant
spell -----------------------------► spelt
smell-----------------------------► smelt
leave -----------------------------► left
kneel -----------------------------► knelt
mean -----------------------------► meant
know -----------------------------► knew
throw -----------------------------► threw
blow ------------------------------► blew
grow ------------------------------► grew
draw ------------------------------► drew
shake ----------------------------► shook
take -------------------------------► took
undertake -----------------------► undertook
mistake --------------------------► mistook
stand -----------------------------► stood
understand ---------------------► understood
meet ------------------------------► met
speed ----------------------------► sped
bleed -----------------------------► bled
feed--------------------------------► fed
drive -------------------------------► drove
ride---------------------------------► rode
rise --------------------------------► rose
write -------------------------------► wrote
find ---------------------------------► found
bind---------------------------------► bound
grind--------------------------------► ground
wind --------------------------------► wound
NB:
fall ----------------------------------► fell
fell ----------------------------------► felled
feel ---------------------------------► felt
flee ---------------------------------► fled
fly -----------------------------------► flew
flow ---------------------------------► flowed
lie ---------------------------------- ► lay (être couché)
lie -----------------------------------► lied (mentir )
lay -----------------------------------► laid
see ---------------------------------► saw
saw ---------------------------------► sawed
sow ---------------------------------► sowed
sew ---------------------------------► sewed
sink ---------------------------------► sank
think --------------------------------► thought
thank -------------------------------► thanked
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