The past simple

  • A1 · Beginner
  • Grammar lesson
  • 60 min

The past simple in positive sentences: regular verbs with -ed (worked, liked, cried, shopped) and how to say them, and six verbs with a different past (went, had, saw, got, ate, did). A blog about a day off, and a story game.

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Free, no card needed. The PDF has every slide, the homework and an answer key.

workedwentsawhad

What's in the lesson

  1. 1Warm-up
  2. 2Reading: Priya's day offReading comprehension
  3. 3What does it mean?Grammar exercise
  4. 4Two kinds of pastGrammar exercise
  5. 5The past simpleGrammar rule
  6. 6Which is right?Grammar exercise
  7. 7A weekend in MaineGrammar exercise
  8. 8How does -ed sound?Grammar exercise
  9. 9Say it naturallySpeaking practice
  10. 10Put the words in orderGrammar exercise
  11. 11Make a story togetherSpeaking practice
  12. 12About youGrammar exercise
  13. 13Wrap-up

Homework

  1. 1Homework: a trip to NashvilleGrammar exercise
  2. 2Homework: find the mistakeGrammar exercise
  3. 3Homework: my last tripDiscussion

Two slides from the lesson

Warm-up

A few questions about you before we start.

  1. What do you usually do on your day off?
  2. Was yesterday a good day for you?
  3. What time did you get up this morning?

Grammar rule

The past simple

For finished actions in the past

The verb is the same for every person: I / you / he / she / we / they worked.

Regular verbs: + -ed

Examples
most verbs: + -edwork → worked · want → wanted
e at the end: + -dlike → liked · live → lived
consonant + y at the end: y → iedcry → cried · marry → married
vowel + y at the end: + -edenjoy → enjoyed (not enjoied)
short verbs (one syllable) with one vowel + one consonant at the end: double the last lettershop → shopped · chat → chatted (but not w or x: snow → snowed, mix → mixed)

Most longer verbs just add -ed: enter → entered, happen → happened.

How to say -ed

SoundWhenExamples
tafter p, k, f, s, sh, chworked, liked, shopped
dafter other soundsenjoyed, lived, cried
id: one more syllableafter t and dwanted, chatted

Six verbs with a different past

go → went · have → had · see → saw · get → got · eat → ate · do → did

I went to the post office. We had a lot of fun. They saw their grandma. He got a gift. I ate an apple. She did the laundry.

Remember: be → was / were (unit 20). Time words: yesterday, last night, last weekend, two days ago, in 2019.

Teach it live with video and a whiteboard, or print it: the PDF has every slide, the homework and the answers.

Teach this lesson
← Unit 21My first day at school