Simple Past Tense

SIMPLE PAST TENSE

Setting the context

Watch the following video:

When do we use the simple past tense?

The simple past tense is used to talk about situations that started and finished in the past. "The simple past is a verb tense that is used to talk about things that happened or existed before now"(Grammarly, s.f.)

Structures

These are the structures we use to create affirmative and negative statements:

This is the structure we use to create yes/no questions with their negative and affirmative answers:

This is the structure we use to create information questions with their respective responses: 

Click this link to practice the simple past tense structures: 

Simple Past Tense Practice

Verbs in past

Now that we have seen the different structures to create questions and statements, we need to take a look at the verbs. In English, we find regular and irregular verbs.

Click here to find a list of regular verbs: 

Regular Verb List

Click here to find a list of irregular verbs: 

Irregular Verb List

Here is a funny video for you to memorize, at least, the irregular verbs:

To practice the different verbs, click this link to download a worksheet:

Verb Practice

To practice the irregular verbs, click this link:

Verb Practice

Going back to the regular verbs, it is important to know that the -ed ending of those verbs may vary depending on the sound that precedes it. Let's take a look at this chart: 

Click this link to practice the correct pronunciation of the -ed endings:

-ed ending pronunciation practice

Click this link to download a PowerPoint presentation to practice more:

-Ed Ending Pronunciation Practice

Verb To Be In Past

The VERB TO BE does not follow the same structure as the other verbs. This verb does not require an auxiliary to conjugate itself into its negative forms. This is why we have to study its structures and conjugations separately from the other verbs. 

Here you have its structures: 

Click this link to practice the conjugation of the verb to be in past: 

Past of Be Practice

PART ONE. GRAMMAR REVIEW.

a. In your notebook, write 5 affirmative statements, 5 negative statements, 5 yes/no questions, and 5 information questions in simple past tense. 

b. In your notebook write 5 affirmative statements, 5 negative statements, 5 yes/no questions, and 5 information questions using the verb to be in past. 

PART TWO. LISTENING.

Watch the following video and answer the questions below. Use your notebook to write your responses. 

1. When was Martin Luther King Jr. born?

2. When did he move to Montgomery, Alabama?

3. What did he study?

4. Why did he become famous?

6. What happened on August 23rd, 1963?

7. What was his most speech titled? 

8. Where did he give his most famous speech?

9. When was the Civil Rights Act passed?

10. What happened in March 1965?

11. What was The Salma to Montgomery March for?

12. When was the new Civil Rights Act passed?

13. When was Martin Luther King Jr. killed?

PART THREE. WRITING.

In your notebook, write a ten-line autobiography. Write it as a story, not as isolated sentences. Remember that biographies follow a chronological order and all your past experiences have to be written in past tenses. In this case, you have to mainly use the simple past tense. 

PART FOUR. READING COMPREHENSION.

Read the following story and answer the questions below. Use your notebook to write your responses.

1. When did his father die?
2. How old was he when he left home?
3. What did his mother and sister do?
4. How old is he now?
5. Why did his wife divorce?
6. What happened with his job?
7. Was he able to find another job?
8. Did he lose his apartment?
9. What did he do after he saved enough money?
10. Did he take an English course?

PART FIVE. SPEAKING.

If you have the chance to work in pairs, work on these questions. Take turns asking and answering each of them. If you are working on your own, ask yourself these questions and answer them aloud. Do not write the responses, the objective of this part of the practice is for you to produce orally. 

      1.     What did you do last week?

2.     What was your favorite movie when you were a kid?

3.     When did you go to elementary school?

4.     Where did you grow up?

5.     Where were you five hours ago?

6.     What did you eat yesterday?

7.     How did you meet your best friend?

8.     Where did you meet your best friend?

9.     Where did you study when you were in high school?

10.  Why did you decide to study English?

11.  Which was the best game you played when you were a kid?

12.  What was your favorite subject when you were a kid?

13.  What was your favorite subject when you were in elementary school?

References

Grammarly. (n.d.). Grammarly. Retrieved from Grammarly: https://www.grammarly.com/blog/simple-past/