SIMPLE PAST TENSE

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SIMPLE PAST TENSE

• Form (structure)
• Meaning Use

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How do we form the simple past tense . . .?

• English has two types of verbs in the past tense

• taught
• walked
• studied
• gave
• became
• cried
• lived
• did

irregular
regular

• Regular verbs
• Irregular verbs

regular
irregular
irregular

• Look at the following list of past tense verbs
• which verbs are regular, and which are irregular?

regular
regular
irregular
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Regular verbs are verbs that .
end with ed

• Simple Form Past Tense
• Walk
• Study
• Play
• Live

walk
ed
studi
ed
play
ed
liv
ed
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For regular verbs, simply use the ed form of the
verb in a positive sentence.

• When I was a child, I ___________ the piano.
• Donna ______________ and _______________ in
  Paris when she was younger.

played
lived
studied
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For negative sentences,USE
DiD Not
verb simple form

or

• I studied a lot yesterday.
• Carl didnt study because he was at the hospital.

didn't
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For interrogative sentences,USE
verb simple form
DiD

• I studied a lot yesterday.
• Did Carl study yesterday?

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Exception VERB BE!

• The verb be is special.
• Never use DID NOT or DIDNT with the verb BE.
  Instead, just use

Was

not
or
were
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Meaning Use

• In what situations do English speakers use
• the simple past tense?
• Completed actions in the past.
• What are some common time expressions used with
  the past tense?

in....
last month
yesterday
last week
ago
last year
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Examples

• I talked to Maria yesterday.
• Last week, we visited our grandparents.
• They were at a wedding party
• two days ago.

These actions are over, finished!