A1_09_Grammar

SIMPLE PAST TENSE - TO BE

There are only two forms of the verb ‘to be’ in the simple past tense:
1)  I - he - she - it + was = singular

I was in class yesterday.
It was perfect yesterday.

2) You - we - they + were = plural  

You were perfect yesterday.

My friends were at home yesterday.

EXERCISE 1:

Change the sentences to the past using ‘yesterday too’.

example:

1. Bob is in class today.  —> He was in class yesterday too.

2. I'm in class today.  —> I was in class yesterday too.

3. Mary is at the library today.

4. We're in class today.

5. You're busy today.  

6. I'm happy today.

7. The classroom is hot today.  

8. Ann is in her office today.  

9. Tom is in his office today.  

10. Ann and Tom are in their offices today.

SIMPLE PAST TENSE - TO BE - Negative
There are also two forms of the verb ‘to be’ in the negative simple past tense.

I - he - she - it + was + not (wasn’t) = singular
You - we - they + were not (weren’t) = plural

EXERCISE 2:

Use the corresponding time expression to complete the sentences. Use wasn’t or weren't.

PRESENT  —> PAST
today —> yesterday
this morning  —> yesterday morning
this afternoon  —> yesterday afternoon
tonight  —> last night
this week  —> last week

examples:

1. Ken is here today, __but he wasn't here yesterday._
2. I'm at home tonight, but _I wasn't at home last night.

3. Olga is busy today, but ____________.
4. We're in class this morning, but  ____________.
5. Tom is at the library tonight, but  ____________.
6. It's cold this week, but  ____________.
7. Alex and Rita are at work this afternoon, but  ____________.

SIMPLE PAST TENSE - TO BE - Questions

In the simple past tense, you can make a question with the verb ‘to be’ by inverting the subject and verb.

It was beautiful. = affirmative = subject + verb ‘to be’

Was it beautiful? = question = verb ‘to be’ +  subject

If you use an information question with a question word, the question word always comes first.

EXERCISE 3:

Make questions and give short answers.

1. (you \ at home \ last night)

A: _Were you at home last night_?

B: Yes, _I was_.

2. (Mr. Yamamoro \ absent from class \ yesterday)
A: _Was Mr. Yamamoro absent from class yesterday_?
B: Yes, _he was_.

A:________________________?

3. (Alex and Sue \ at home \ last night)

A:________________________?

B: Yes, _________.

4. (you \ nervous \ the first day of class)

A:________________________?

B: No, _________.

5. (Ahmed \ at the library \ last night)

A:________________________?

B: Yes, _________.

6. (Mr. Shin \ in class yesterday)

A:________________________?

B: No, _________.

7. (you and your wife \ in Canada \ last year)

A:________________________?

B: No, _________.

EXERCISE 4:

Make questions and give short answers.

examples:

1 . (you \ in class \yesterday)

A: Were you in class yesterday?

B: Yes, I was.

2. (Anita \ in class \ today)

A: Is Anita in class today ?

B: No, she wasn t.

3. (you \ tired \ last night)

A: ____________________?

B: Yes, ________. I went to bed early.

4. (you \ hungry \ right now)

A: ____________________?

B: No, ________, but I'm thirsty.

5. (the weather \ hot in New York City \ last summer)

A: ____________________?

B: Yes, ________. It was very hot.

6. (the weather \ cold in Alaska \ in the winter)

A: ____________________?

B: Yes, ________. It's very cold.

7. (Yoko and Mohammed \ here \ yesterday afternoon)

A: ____________________?

B: Yes, ________.

8. (the students in this class \ intelligent)

A: ____________________?

B: Of course  ________! They are very intelligent!

9. (Mr. Abe \ absent \ today)

A: ____________________?

B: Yes, ________.

10. (Jimmy and Benito \ at the party \ last night)

A: ___________________?

B: No,  ________.

THE SIMPLE PAST: IRREGULAR VERBS

Some verbs do not have -ed forms. The past form is irregular.

PRESENT         PAST

buy                 bought

come                 came

do                  did

eat                 ate

get                 got

go                 went

have                  had

put                put

see                 saw

sit                  sat

sleep                  slept

stand                  stood

think                 thought

write                 wrote

I buy some new clothes. —> I bought some new clothes yesterday.

I go dancing. —> I went dancing yesterday.

EXERCISE 5:

Change the sentences to the past using ‘yesterday for ‘every day’.

example:

1. Tom gets some mail every day.
Tom got some mail yesterday.

2. They go downtown every day.
They ____ downtown yesterday.

3. We have lunch every day.
We____  lunch yesterday.

4. I see my friends every day.
I ____ my friends yesterday.

5. Hamid sits in the front row every day.
Hamid ____ in the front row yesterday.

6. I sleep for eight hours every night.
I ____ for eight hours every night.

7. The students stand in line at the cafeteria.
The students ____ in line at the cafeteria.

8. I write a letter to my parents every week.
I ____ a letter to my parents every week.

9. Wai-Leng comes to class late every day.
Wai-Leng ____ to class late yesterday.

10. We do exercises in class every day.
We ____ exercises in class yesterday.

11. I eat breakfast every morning.
I ____ breakfast every morning.

12. I get up at seven every day.
I ____ up at seven yesterday.

13. Robert puts his books in his briefcase every day.
Robert ____ his books in his briefcase yesterday.

EXERCISE 6 :

Complete the sentences. Use the words in parentheses. Use SIMPLE PRESENT or SIMPLE PAST. Pay attention to spelling and pronunciation.

example:

1. I (get) _got_ up at eight o'clock yesterday morning.

2. Mary (talk) to John on the phone last night.

3. Mary (talk) to John on the phone every day.

4. Jim and I (eat) lunch at the cafeteria two hours ago.

5. We (eat) lunch at the cafeteria every day.

6. I (go) to bed early last night.

7. My roommate (study) Spanish last year.

8. Sue (write) a letter to her parents yesterday.

9. Sue (write) a letter to her parents every week.

10. Sue is in her room right now. She (sit) at her desk when she writes.

11. Maria (do) her homework last night.

12. Yesterday I (see) Furniko at the library.

13. I (have) a dream last night. I (dream) about my friends.

14. A strange thing (happen) to me yesterday.

15. My wife (come) home around five every day.

16. Yesterday she (come) home at 5:15.

17. Our teacher usually (stand) in the middle of the room.

18. Our teacher (stand) in the front of the room yesterday.

19. Tom (put) the butter in the refrigerator yesterday.

20. He (put) the milk in the refrigerator every day.

21. Pablo usually (sit) in the back of the room, but yesterday he (sit) in the front row.

22. Today he (be) absent. He (be) absent two days ago too.

USING AS (Adjective)  AS
Notice the pattern: as + adjective + as

John is 21 years old.
Mary is 21 years old.

(a) John is as old as Mary  = Subject + verb + as + adjective + as + object = Their ages are the same.

Rome is as beautiful as Paris. = Paris is beautiful / Rome is beautiful. = They are the same.

EXERCISE 7:
Complete the following sentences by using as . . . as and the ADJECTIVE in italics.

1 . tall - Mary is as tall as her brother.

2. sweet - A lemon isn't __________ an orange.
3. big - A donkey isn't __________  a horse.
4. friendly - People in this city are __________  the people in my hometown.
5. dark -Paul's hair isn't __________ his brother's.
6. cold - The weather today isn't __________  yesterday.
7. pretty - This dress is __________ that one.
8. expensive - A pencil isn't __________  a pen.

MODAL: HAS TO/HAVE TO

I need to walk. = I have to walk. = It is necessary to walk.

He needs to go. = He has to go = It is necessary to go.

I - you - we - they + have to + infinitive = They have to work.

He - she - it + has to + infinitive = She has to work.

I had to work. = past tense of ‘have to’

I - you - he - she - it - we - they had to work.  

You can ask about necessity with ‘have to / has to’ using the normal form of a question.

Do you have to work? = auxiliary + subject + ‘have to’ + infinitive  

Does she have to work? = auxiliary + subject + ‘have to’ + infinitive

Deve lui lavorare? = Does he have to work?

EXERCISE 8:
Complete the sentences. Use the words in parentheses. Use a form' of has / have + infinitive in all the completions.

Examples:

1. A: Jack can't join us for dinner tonight.

B: Why not?

A: (he, work) He _has to work.

B: (he, work) Does he _have to work_ tomorrow night too? If he doesn't, maybe we should postpone the dinner until then.

2. A: Why (you, go)  _do you have to go_______ to the library later tonight?

B: (I, find)  ________ some information for my research paper.

3. A: It's almost four-thirty. What time (Sue, leave)  _does Sue have to leave_______ for the airport?

B: Around five. (She, be)  ________ at the airport at six-fifteen.

4. A: Why did you go to the bookstore after class yesterday?

B: (I, buy)  ________ some colored pencils.

A: Oh? Why (you, buy)  ________ colored pencils?

B: I need them for some drawings I plan to do for my botany class.

5. A: Why did you go to the supermarket?

B: Because (I, get)  ________ some eggs and fresh fruit.

6. A: Kate didn't come to the movie with us last night.

B: Why?

A: Because (she, study)  ________ for a test.

7. A: What time (you, be)  ________ at the dentist's office?

B: Three. I have a three o'clock appointment.

8. A: (Tim, find)  ________ a new apartment?

B: Yes, he does. He can't stay in his present apartment.

9. A: (Yoko, not, take)  ________ another English course. Her English is very good.

B: (you, take) ________ another English course?

A: Yes, I do. I need to study more English

ANSWER KEY

EXERCISE 1

3. Mary was at the library yesterday too.

4. We were in class yesterday too.

5. You were busy yesterday too.

6. I was happy yesterday too.

7. The classroom was hot yesterday too.

8. Ann was in her office yesterday too.

9. Tom was in his office yesterday too.

10. Ann and Tom were in their offices yesterday too.

EXERCISE 2:
3. she wasn’t busy yesterday. 4. we weren’t in class yesterday morning. 5. he wasn’t in the library last night.  6. it wasn’t cold last week. 7. they weren’t at work yesterday afternoon.

EXERCISE 3:
3. Were Alex and Sue at home last night? / they were. 4. Were you nervous the first day of class? / I wasn’t. 5. Was Ahmed at the library last night? / he wasn’t. 6. Was Mr. Shin in class yesterday? / he wasn’t. 7. Were you and your wife in Canada last year? / we weren’t.

EXERCISE 4:
3. Were you tired last night? / I was. 4. Are you hungry right now? / I’m not. 5. Was the weather hot in New York City last summer?   / it was. 6. Is the weather cold in Alaska in the winter?   / it is. 7. Were Yoko and Mohammed here yesterday afternoon?   / they were. 8. Are the students in this class intelligent?   / they are .9. Is Mr. Abe  absent today?  / he is. 10. Were Jimmy and Benito at the party last night? / they weren't.

EXERCISE 5:
2. went 3. had 4. saw 5. sat 6. slept 7. stood 8. wrote 9. came 10. did 11. ate 12. got 13. put

EXERCISE 6:
2. talked 3. talks  4. ate 5. eat 6. went 7. studied 8. wrote 9.writes 10. sits 11. did 12. saw 13. had / dreamed 14. happened 15. comes 16. came 17. stands 18. stood 19. put 20. puts 21. sits / sat 22. is / was

EXERCISE 7:
2. as sweet as 3. as big as 4.  as friendly as 4.  as dark as 6. as cold as 7.  as pretty as 8. as expensive as

EXERCISE 8:
2. do you have to go / have to find 3. does Sue have to leave / She has to be 4. I had to buy / did you have to buy 5. I had to get 6. she had to study 7. did you have to be 8. Does Tim have to find 9. Yoko doesn’t have to take / Do you have to take