Congratulations on completing the past simple tense exercises! By practicing these exercises, you're reinforcing your understanding of the past simple tense in English. This tense is crucial for expressing completed actions or events that occurred in the past. As you become more proficient in forming affirmative and negative sentences in the past simple tense, your overall fluency and communication skills will continue to develop.
Read the sentences and underline the examples of the past simple.
I usually go to school by bus but today I walked.
I liked the film, it was so exciting!
He went shopping yesterday.
They stayed at home at the weekend because they were ill.
I don’t like the theater but I saw the play anyway.
He studied hard and passed the exam.
I did the washing up today and yesterday. You never do it.
I thought the lesson was fun and our teacher is very nice.
He had a bike accident at the weekend.
He bought two bars of chocolate and gave one to his friend.
Write the past simple of these verbs.
talk talked |
come came |
close closed |
shop shopped |
eat ate |
chat chatted |
pint printed |
think thought |
leave left |
rest rested |
wait waited |
give gave |
put put |
drop dropped |
buy bought |
stop stopped |
Complete the sentences. Put the verb into the correct form, positive or negative.
It was warm, so I took off my coat. (take)
The film wasn’t very good. I didn't enjoy it very much. (enjoy)
I knew Sarah was very busy, so I didn't disturb her. (disturb)
I was very tired, so I went to bed early. (go)
The bed was very uncomfortable. I didn't sleep very well. (sleep)
Sue wasn't hungry, so she didn't eat anything. (eat)
We went to Kate's house but she wasn't at home. (be)
It was a funny situation, but nobody laughed. (laugh)
The window was open, a bird flew into the room. (fly)
The hotel wasn't very expensive. It didn't cost very much. (cost)
I was in a hurry, so I didn't have time to phone you. (have)
It was hard work carrying the bags. They were very heavy. (be)
Use the prompts to write sentences.
He / go /swimming yesterday. è He went swimming yesterday.
They / see / film last night. è They saw film last night
I / do / my homework. è I did my homework.
You / wait / for an hour. è You waited for an hour.
Michael / have / a cold. è Michael had a cold.
The teacher / be / late. è The teacher was late.
Sue and Juan / walk / to school today. è Sue and Juan walked to school today.
I / take / my dog for a walk. è I took my dog for a walk.
She / talk / to her friends. è She talked to her friends.
We / give / him the answers. è We gave him the answers.
Marcella / come / to the party. è Marcella came to the party.
The dog / eat / my breakfast. è The dog ate my breakfast.
Complete the text with the past simple from the verbs in the box.
die change provide design use publish produce live study move
Isaac Newton was born on December 25, 1642 in Woolsthorpe, near Grantham in Lincolnshire, England. He was born in the same year that Galileo died. Newton is probably the most important scientist in history. His works on mathematics and physics provided a basis for modern science, and his ideas changed the world.
Newton published his work in two books, Opticks and Principia. These contain his laws of motion and gravity. He used these laws to predict the movements of the stars, and the planets around the Sun. He also designed and built the world’s first reflecting telescope.
Newton studied at Trinity College, Cambridge, from 1661 to 1696. In this period, he produced most of his important work. Then, in 1696, he moved to London, where he lived until his death on March 20, 1727.
Give the past forms of the these regular verbs. Show whether you would pronounce these past forms as /d/, /t/ or /ɪd/.
We waited an hour yesterday. (wait) /d/
John cleaned her room on Friday. (clean) /d/
I played squash last night. (play) /d/
She posted my letter yesterday. (post) /ɪd/
I smiled at her. (smile) /d/
She stopped when she saw me. (stop) /t/
I dreamed of you last night. (dream) /d/
Who burned the cakes? (burn) /d/
He cried a lot as a baby. (cry) /d/
I watched TV all evening. (watch) /t/
We laughed when we saw. (laugh) /t/
He obeyed the sergeant’s orders. (obey) /d/
We hurried into the house. (hurry) /d/
You lied to me! (lie) /d/
I finished early yesterday. (finish) /t/
It's included in the Bill. (include) /ɪd/
I locked the door before I left. (lock) /t/
We traveled first class. (travel) /d/
Put one of these verbs in each sentence.
buy catch cost drink fall hurt sell spend teach throw win write
Mozart wrote more than 600 pieces of music.
“How did you learn to drive?” “My father taught me.”
We couldn’t afford to keep our car, so we sold it.
I was very thirsty. I drank the water very quickly.
Paul and I played tennis yesterday. He’s much better than me, so he won easily.
Don fell down the stairs this morning and hurt his leg.
Jim threw the ball to Sue, who caught it.
Ann spent a lot of money yesterday. she bought a dress which costed $100.
Supply the past forms of the irregular verbs in italics.
I often see Giulio. I saw him again only yesterday.
As teenagers, we always understood each other very well. We still understand each other now.
I hardly knew Ray's wife. Did you know her at all?
We always meet on Sunday. We met last Sunday as usual.
I often find things on the beach. I found this very old bottle yesterday.
Someone's always leaving the window open. Who left it open this time.
I wrote a lot of letters when I was young. I hardly ever write letters now.
They sell all kinds of rubbish now, but they once sold good handmade furniture.
She is very good at figures, you know. She was first in maths at school.
I have the same car now that I had five years ago.
I don't keep pets now, but I kept a dog when I was a boy.
Where did you eat last night? - We ate at a restaurant
Make the sentences negative.
I didn't buy the groceries on Wednesday.
We didn't finish the celebration at 11:00 p.m..
My sister didn't learn English at school.
On Friday Peter didn't withdraw several ideas from his research project.
She didn't hear from him much last month.
Sunday wasn't her birthday.
He didn't choose the house himself.
I didn't sleep well last night.
I didn't tear my dress at the disco yesterday.
She didn't hung her coat on a clothes hanger.
Steven didn't deal with the situation.
At Last the friends didn't break off with the harmful habit.
The sun didn't shine rarely last winter.
Mud didn't stick on our shoes.
Comment on the use of the past simple.
(2, 5) è A single action completed in the past.
(8, 10) è An action which occupied a whole period of time in the past.
(1, 9) è A succession of past actions.
(3, 6) è Recurrent and permanent past actions.
(4, 7) è An action going on at a definite moment in the past with:
a- statal verbs
b- dynamic verbs if the aim of the speaker/writer is just to name this action without
stressing its progress.
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