Past Simple: regular verbs

Form

• We form the affirmative of most regular verbs by adding -ed to the verb.

I return - I returned

• Some verbs have irregular affirmative forms. I go - I went

(There is a list of irregular verbs)

Use

We use the past simple for:

• actions which happened or finished at a definite or stated time in the past.

We left the house at 7.30 pm.

• actions which happened repeatedly in the past but do not happen any more. In this case, we can use’ adverbs of frequency (always, often, usually, etc.).

He often watched football matches with his brother when he was a teenager (but he doesn’t any more).

• actions which happened immediately one after the other in the past.

First, he opened the window. Then, he looked down the street and saw a

strange black car.

Time Expressions we use with the past simple:

Past Simple

Affirmative	Negative
I walked You walked He walked She walked It walked We walked You walked They walked	I didn’t walk You didn’t walk, etc.
	Interrogative
	Did I walk? Did you walk?, etc.

Past Continuous

Affirmative	Negative
I was walking You were walking He was walking She was walking It was walking We were walking You were walking They were walking	I wasn’t walking You weren’t walking He wasn’t walking, etc.
	Interrogative
	Was I walking? Were you walking? Was he walking? etc.

Use

We use the past continuous:

• for an action which was in progress at a stated time in the past. We do not know when the action started or finished.

At 9 o ‘clock last night we were watching TV.

• for a past action which was in progress when another action interrupted it. We use the past continuous for the action in progress (longer action) and the past simple for the action which interrupted it (shorter action).

She was cooking dinner when the doorbell rang.

• for two or more actions which were happening at the same time in the past (simultaneous actions).

David was reading the newspaper while Carla was watching TV.

• to give background information in a story and to set the scene.

The snow was falling heavily as Mary was walking in the park.

Time Expressions we use with the past continuous:

13 Put the verbs in brackets into The Past Simple Tense or into The Past Continuous Tense. Find more examples of The Past Simple Tense and The Past Continuous Tense and fill in the table. The example is given.

I’ve just done my first jump since the accident that nearly killed me just over a year ago. As I 1) ______________ (lie) in hospital, thinking that I would never skydive again, I wasn’t feeling glad to be alive. Instead, I 2) ______________ (wonder) how I could possibly live without it.

It all started one evening after another typical nine to five day. I 3) ________________ (sit) at home thinking, ‘There has to be more to life than this,’ when an ad came on the television: ‘Try skydiving,’ it said. The next day, I called my local skydiving centre and 4) ______________ (book) my first jump.

I spent a day training and then I was ready for my first jump. Or almost. First, I had to sign a document to say that I understood that I 5) _________________ (take part) in an activity that could end in serious injury. At that moment I 6) ________________ (realize) that I was about to do something voluntarily that would put my life at risk and as I 7) _______________ (sign), I 8) _____________ (wonder) if I was completely mad.

I will never forget my first jump. Five of us walked to the runway and got into a plane barely big enough to hold three people. I was beginning to feel nervous, but the others 9) ______________________ (chat and joke) and I started to feel more relaxed. It was a beautiful, cloudless day and the sun was just going down. It took us about 20 minutes to get to 11,000 feet and then the trainer opened the plane door — the view took my breath away. Suddenly, it was time to jump and as I 10) ________________ (push) myself away from the plane, I don’t know what I was thinking, my mind went blank.

	The Past Simple Tense	The Past Continuous Tense
0	the accident that nearly killed
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20