Colegio Isaac Newton Prof.

Samuel Alberto Rivas

When do we use the Simple Past?

The Simple Past is used to talk about actions or situations in the past. It is also called Past Simple.
1. actions finished in the past (single or repeated)
I visited Berlin last week.
Andrew watched TV yesterday.
My friends went to Paris a week ago.
My parents ate a lot of junk food when they were young.

2. series of completed actions in the past

First I got up, then I had breakfast.
On Sunday my brother and I went to a nice lake. There we met our friends. We swam in the warm water
and played volleyball in the afternoon. Too bad that we had to go home in the evening.
We didn't want to go to school on Monday.

3. together with the Past Progressive/Continuous – the Simple Past interrupted an action
which was in progress in the past.
They were playing cards when the telephone rang.
1st action → Past Progressive → were playing
2nd action → Simple Past → rang

While Dennis was reading outside, it started to rain.

1st action → Past Progressive → was reading
2nd action → Simple Past → started

4. Signal words
 yesterday
 last week
 a month ago
 in 2010
5. Form
regular verbs → infinitive + ed
irregular verbs → 2nd column of the table of the irregular verbs
6. Examples
6.1 Affirmative sentences in the Simple Past – regular verbs
Long forms Contracted forms

I cleaned my room.

You cleaned your room. not possible

He cleaned his room.

Colegio Isaac Newton Prof. Samuel Alberto Rivas

4.2. Affirmative sentences in the Simple Past – irregular verbs

Long forms Contracted forms

I went home.

You went home. not possible

He went home.

4.3. Negative sentences in the Simple Past

Do not negate a main verb in English. Always use the auxiliary did (Simple Past of to do) and
the infinitive of the verb for negations.
There is no difference between regular and irregular verbs in negative sentences.
Long forms Contracted forms

I did not clean the room. I didn't clean the room.

You did not clean the room. You didn't clean the room.

He did not clean the room. He didn't clean the room.

4.4. Questions in the Simple Past

You need the auxiliary did and the infinitive of the verb.
Long forms Contracted forms

Did I play football?

Did you play football? not possible

Did he play football?

How to pronounce -ed in the Simple Past

In the Simple Past we add -ed to regular verbs. Be careful pronuncing the verbs:
1. verbs ending in -ed preceded by a voiceless consonantt [p, k, f, ʃ, ʧ, s, θ] → speak [t].
The -e is silent.
Example: I stop – I stopped [stɒpt]
2. verbs ending in -ed preceded by a voiced consonant [b, g, v, ʒ, ʤ, z, ð, l, m, n] or a vowel → speak [d].
The -e is silent.
Example: I clean – I cleaned [kli:nd]
3. verbs ending in -ed preceded by [t] or [d] → speak [ɪd].
-e changes to [ɪ] (otherwise the ending could not be heard)
Example: I visit – I visited [vɪzɪtɪd]
Colegio Isaac Newton Prof. Samuel Alberto Rivas
Irregular Verbs

be (is, am,are) was, were been

beat beat beaten
become became become
begin began begun
bend bent bent
bet bet bet
bite bit bitten
blow blew blown
break broke broken
bring brought brought
build built built
burn burned/burnt burned/burnt
buy bought bought
catch caught caught
choose chose chosen
come came come
cost cost cost
cut cut cut
dig dug dug
dive dove dived
do did done
draw drew drawn
dream dreamed/dreamt dreamed/dreamt
drive drove driven
drink drank drunk
eat ate eaten
fall fell fallen
feel felt felt
fight fought fought
find found found
fly flew flown
forget forgot forgotten
forgive forgave forgiven
freeze froze frozen
get got gotten
give gave given
go went gone
grow grew grown
hang hung hung
have had had
hear heard heard
hide hid hidden
hit hit hit
hold held held
hurt hurt hurt
Colegio Isaac Newton Prof. Samuel Alberto Rivas

keep kept kept

know knew known
lay laid laid
lead led led
leave left left
lend lent lent
let let let
lie lay lain
lose lost lost
make made made
mean meant meant
meet met met
pay paid paid
put put put
read read read
ride rode ridden
ring rang rung
rise rose risen
run ran run
say said said
see saw seen
sell sold sold
send sent sent
show showed shown
shut shut shut
sing sang sung
sit sat sat
sleep slept slept
speak spoke spoken
spend spent spent
stand stood stood
swim swam swum
take took taken
teach taught taught
tear tore torn
tell told told
think thought thought
throw threw thrown
understand understood understood
wake woke woken
wear wore worn
win won won
write wrote written