The Simple Past
And every single detail about it…
The Simple Past
What did you do on your last vacation? In your mind, describe the activities you did and other details!
Basic Rules for the Simple Past of Regular Verbs
Common Irregular Verbs
1. For two-syllable verbs that end in -y, change y for i and add -ed.
Example: study - studied, but play - played. Exception: cry - cried (one-syllable verb that follows the two-syllable verb rule)
2. For one-syllable verbs that end in a consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) combination, double the final consonant and then add -ed. Examples: stop, hop, strut become stopped, hopped, strutted
3. For two-syllable verbs that end in a CVC combination and have the stress on the last syllable, double the last consonant before adding -ed. Examples: prefer - preferred, regret - regretted
4. For the pronunciation of the simple past, the most important rule to remember is this one:
Only the simple past form of verbs that end in a /d/ or /t/ sound in their base form are pronounced with /id/. Examples: attend - attended, protect - protected
5. IRREGULAR VERBS do not follow any specific rules. Examples: fly - flew,
sing - sang, kneel - knelt
*Go HERE for another list
of irregular verbs and other past
tense related topics
*EXPANSION: More Rules for the Simple Past
“Verb + -ed …and that’s it, right?” “Not really…”
Think about one or two things you didn’t do
on your last vacation.
The Negative Form of the Simple Past
Let’s ask yes/no questions using simple past!
Let’s ask Wh- questions using simple past!
Summary of the Simple Past
Verbs in General
She moved to San José.
She didn’t move to San José.
She did not move to San José.
Subj + did not / didn’t + base form of verb + …
She moved to San José.
Did she move to San José? Yes, she did. / No, she didn’t.
Where did she move? She moved to San José.
(Wh- word) + Did + Subj + base form of verb + (…)?
* Formulas of negatives and questions for
verbs in general
The Simple Past of the Verb “To Be”
“You were with family.”
“I was born in San José.”
“She was in Cartago.”
Let’s ask yes/no questions with “to be”!
Summary of the Simple Past
Special Verb “To Be”
She was a nurse in Alajuela.
She wasn’t a nurse in Alajuela.
Subj. + wasn’t / weren’t + (...)
She was a nurse in Alajuela.
Was she a nurse in Alajuela? Yes, she was. / No, she wasn’t.
Where was she a nurse? She was a nurse in Alajuela.
(Wh- word) + Was / were + Subj. + (...)
* Formulas of negatives and questions for the special verb “To Be”
Questions in the Simple Past
Verb “To Be” and other verbs
When were you born?
Where were you born?
Who were your grandparents?
What was the name of your first friend?
When did you start school?
What school did you go to?
What subjects did you study?
What subject did you like best?
Did you study a lot?
* Examples of questions with the verb “To Be” and
other verbs
Pronunciation Skill
*This is for the regular past simple of verbs (those with -ed ending)
Go HERE to watch a video on how to pronounce the -ed ending!
Go HERE to do an exercise!
List of common verbs with each final -ed sound
Let’s practice!
Put the verbs into the correct form (simple past)
Answer Key
Put the verbs into the correct form (simple past)
Take only memories, leave
only footprints!
Wherever you go on vacation…