1.What is the Past Simple tense?
- subject + verb (past simple) + time expressions
e.g. I walked to the shops yesterday.
2. When to use the Past Simple Tense - 3 Situation Examples:
i. (a past & completed action)
ii. (past events)
iii. (telling stories)
3. Present Simple vs Past Simple - What's the difference?
i. Present Simple - e.g. He teaches English.(now)
ii. Past Simple - e.g. He taught English last year.
4. How to use the Past Simple Tense - Example Sentence
1. I made pasta for dinner last evening.
2. Prince William visited Singapore in 2012.
3. *Once upon a time, there lived a beautiful princess named Cinderella.
4. It didn't rain last night.
5. Did Michael give you the books?
6. Was Jill at the party last weekend?
7. What did you have for lunch?
Meaning of "once upon a time" from the online Cambridge English dictionary, © Cambridge University Press, https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/once-upon-a-time
Accessed 1 Dec 2020. Used by permission.
5. How to Change the Verbs into The Past Simple form:
a. Regular verbs
i) + 'ed'
talk > talked
pick > picked
like > liked
ii) verbs ending -e
+'-d'
taste > tasted
waste > wasted
tape > taped
iii) verbs ending in vowel+ consonant:
Vocabulary Check!
Meaning:
vowel = a, e, i, o, u
consonant = b, c, d, f, ... z
- add 1 more consonant + '-ed'
tap > tapped
slap > slapped
jam > jammed
iv) verbs ending in consonant + y: change 'y' to 'i' + '-ed'
try > tried
fry > fried
dry > dried
Grammar Note!
(Irregular verbs do not follow rules, you need to learn and memorise them.)
b) Common Verbs with Irregular Past Forms
take > took
have > had
make > made
go > went
buy > bought
think > thought
see > saw
wear > wore
keep > kept
write > wrote
6. How to Form the Past Simple Tense "be" verb?
i) (positive)
'be'( is, am, are)
- I was
- You /we / they were
- He / she / it was
ii) negative + (short form)
- I was not (wasn't)
- You /we / they were not (weren't)
- He / she / it was not (wasn't)
iii) yes / no Questions
- Was I ...?
- Were you / we / they ...?
- Was he / she / it ...?
iv) (positive) short answers
- Yes, I was.
- Yes, you /we / they were.
- Yes, he / she / it was.
v) (negative) short answers + (short form)
- No, I was not (wasn't).
- No, you /we / they were not (weren't).
- No, he / she / it was not (wasn't).
7. How to Form the Past Simple Tense 'do, does' verb?
i) (positive)
'do, does' verb
- I did
- You /we / they did
- He / she / it did
ii) negative + (short form)
- I did not (didn't)
- You /we / they did not (didn't)
- He / she / it did not (didn't)
iii) yes / no Questions
- Did I ...?
- Did you / we / they ...?
- Did he / she / it ...?
iv) (positive) short answers
- Yes, I did.
- Yes, you /we / they did.
- Yes, he / she / it did.
v) (negative) short answers + (short form)
- No, I did not (didn't).
- No, you /we / they did not (didn't).
- No, he / she / it did not (didn't).
Tip! Better English Speaking Skills
- Practise speaking using the short form for your conversations. You'll speak faster. And sound more natural.
8. Let's look at more examples Past Simple vs Present Simple
Present Simple Tense Past Simple Tense
am /is /are was/were
1. I'm at the cafe now. > I was at the cafe 5 minutes ago.
2. They're late again. > They were late again last evening.
3. It's at the door. > It was at the door last night.
4. I'm not there. > I wasn't there 5 minutes ago.
5. It's not there. > It wasn't there yesterday.
6. They aren't late. > They weren't late for that meeting.
i) Past Simple Tense: Yes/No Questions, Short Answer + Short form
Present Simple vs Past Simple - Yes/no Questions
Example Sentence
1. Am I wrong to say that? - Yes, you are.
Was I wrong to say that earlier? - Yes, you were.
2. Is the door open? - No, it isn't.
Was the door open last night? - No, it was not / wasn't.
3. Are you upset about the results? - Yes, I am.
Were you upset about the results yesterday? - Yes, I was.
4. Are they unhappy with the service? - No, they are not / aren't.
Were they unhappy with the service they. No, they were not / weren't.
Tip! Better English Speaking Skills
-Say the sentences out loud. Repeat a few times. Try without looking at the text.
ii) Present Simple Tense "Do, does" & Past Simple Tense 'did/ did not' - Example Sentence
Present Simple vs Past Simple
1. I do yoga in the evenings.
> I did yoga last evening.
2. We do the dishes every day.
> We did the dishes yesterday.
3. What time do you usually leave for the office?
> What time did you leave for the office this morning?
4. She doesn't take the bus to school.
> She didn't take the bus to school yesterday.
5. It doesn't rain in June.
> It didn't rain last June.
TIP!
Look out for the time expressions to show action or event is in the past e.g. last month, a few minutes ago, 20 years ago...
iii) Past Simple Tense Sentence Example - Positive/Negative, Short Form, Wh-Question, Yes/No Question, Short Answer
Past Simple Tense Example Sentence (Positive)
- I saw Kim and her new boyfriend at the party last night.
Past Simple Tense Example Sentence (Negative)
- I didn’t see Kim and her new boyfriend at the party last night.
Past Simple Tense Example Sentence Wh-Question
- Who did you see at the party last night?
Past Simple Tense Example Sentence- Yes/No Q
- Did you see Kim and her new boyfriend at the party last night?
Past Simple Tense Example Sentence: Short Answer
- Yes, I did. No, I didn’t.
9. Let's Recap!
Look at the 3 ways we use the Past Simple:
#1. Use the Past Simple Tense for a Past Completed Action - Example Situation:
Conversation A - Brian is talking to his mum at home...
Brian: Mum, I'm home.
Mum: (from the kitchen) Brian, you're late. Why didn't you text me?
Brian: Sorry, mum. I went to Beth's place. Her mum asked me to stay for milk and cookies.
Mum: Did you thank her for tea?
Brian: Yeah, I did. I said the chocolate cookies were yummy. And I helped Beth with her Maths homework.
Mum: Did you have a good time?
Brian: Yeah. After that we played with her new puppy in the garden.
Tip! How to Speak English More Naturally
- Notice that we're using the short form spelling in the conversation examples. Use short form for your speaking practice.
Conversation B - Two neighbours are talking.
A: Hey, Luke. I went to your place yesterday. You weren't home.
B: No, I wasn't. I was at the library.
A: Oh, did you go alone?
B: Yeah, I did. It was great. I borrowed so many books.
A: Were there many people at the time?
B: No, the place was almost empty.
Spoken English Grammar
*Note the conversation between the 2 people. Notice that we don't need to use the time expressions all the time in the sentences. Especially when a conversation is flowing. It's understood between the speakers. They're talking about some past events.
#2. Use the Past Simple Tense for Past Events - Past Situation Example Sentence
Dialogue A - May's looking at a family photo and thinking about some family members...
- Lily and Freddy didn't come home for lunch last weekend.
- Liz didn't start kindergarten last spring.
- We didn't celebrate grandpa's birthday indoors but out in the garden last year.
Conversation B - My journal (Diary / Planner)
MONDAY - July
1. I shopped for groceries after work yesterday. So I made beef stew for dinner last evening.
2. The boys spent time at their grandparents' place for the December school holidays.
3. Martin and I dined out every night last week.
Conversation C - A day at work
1. I had a horrible day at the office. I was late for work as there was a traffic jam.
2. When I arrived, the meeting was on and my big boss nodded to me as I rushed to my seat.
3. Suddenly my mobile rang loudly...
#3. Use the Past Simple Tense for Telling Stories - Example Sentence Situation
Many years ago there lived a little boy called Ah Mu.
He grew up in Batu, a little village in Malaysia, with his grandparents.
They weren't rich. But they lived happily in a little house by the river...
10. Review the Past Simple tense
A. Change the following verbs into the Past Simple tense. Practise making your own sentences:
e.g. vacuum - vacuumed
- I vacuumed the floor last evening.
- I didn't vacuum the floor last evening.
Check pronunciation & meaning click on the link.
Translation of "vacuum" from the online Cambridge English–Japanese dictionary, © Cambridge University Press,
Accessed 7 Dec 2020. Used by permission.
1. buy
2. swim
3. clap
4. make
5. tip
Tip! How to be a more effective English learner
- Record yourself speaking on your mobile phone. Listen back. Repeat.
B. Make sentences with the Past Simple Tense:
e.g. She buys a new apartment. > She bought a new apartment last year.
- Try to practise with these time expressions: a few years ago, last June, last week, before etc.
1. Does your boss have a gym membership?
2. Singapore has hot & humid weather.
3. Do you have my address?
4. The park doesn't have many seats.
5. David has a lot of friends.
6. I have a lot of housework to do.
7. This neighbourhood has a lot of restaurants and shops.
Tip! How to be a better English learner
- Say your sentences out loud. Look up and speak. Don't look at the text.
C. Practise using positive/negative forms.
example: I / a vintage camera
- I didn't have a vintage camera 2 years ago.
- I had a vintage camera 2 years ago.
1. my best friend / many paintings at home
2. I / a pet
3. I / a lot of food in the fridge
4. My close friend / much jewellery
5. I / a garden at home
Answers:
7.2
A.
1. buy - bought
2. swim- swam
3. clap - clapped
4. make - made
5. tip - tipped
B.
1. Does - did
2. has - had
3. Do you have - did you have
4. doesn't have - did not have / didn't have
5. has - had
6. have - had
7. has - had
Thanks so much for reading & Happy speaking!
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