Past Simple, one

 
 
 
The past simple talks about actions, states and habits that began and ended in the past.

 

Forms of Main Verbs

Base Form	Past Simple	Past Participle
(Verb 1)	(Verb 2)	(Verb 3)
fake	faked	faked
remember	remembered	remembered
fan	fanned	fanned
try	tried	tried
teach	taught	taught
buy	bought	bought
sell	sold	sold

 

For more details see MAIN VERBS

 

Form of the Past Simple, Positive

Fortunately for English learners, the structure of positive, past simple sentences is relatively *gasp* simple.

Subject + verb-2.

Examples:
• Their children studied at an international school in Switzerland.
• Thomas Edison invented the light bulb (and many other things).
• Yesterday I, made some jack-o’-lanterns.

 

Negative Sentences in the Past Simple

Subject + did not + verb-1.

Examples:
• The visitors didn’t eat any fish.
• Bjarni, Leif and Thor didn’t stay in hotels during their backpacking trip; instead they roomed in private accommodations.
• We didn’t see many wild animals in the reserve that day.
 
 
 
 

 

 
 
 
 
Respond to the Following Statements

Respond with that’s true, that’s false/not true, I agree, I disagree, yes, no, yes and no, maybe, sometimes, not always, in the middle, it depends, perhaps, in a way.

Make any necessary changes or “corrections”. Say why and give examples.
 
 
1. Last Saturday I went to the cinema. My friend came to my house. I visited my grandparents.
 
 
2. In the past, people made their own clothes at home.
 
 
3. My great-grandparents worked on farms.
 
 
4. I read many fables, fairy and folk tales when I was a young child.
 
 
5. Most people in my city lived in villages, and then moved here.
 
 
6. During the summer, my family and I went on a vacation. If yes, where did you go?
 
 
 
 

 
 

 
 
 
 

7. My grandparents studied English and computers at school.
 
 
8. In the past, people bought food and household items from shopping centers and departments stores.
 
 
9. My great-grandparents watched TV, listened to the radio and read newspapers, magazines and books.
 
 
10. My grandparents mostly cooked and ate at home. People sometimes at ate in restaurants.
 
 
11. Before the 1990s, people wanted a smartphone and laptop computer with internet.
 
 
12. In the past, people lived together with their extended families: mother, father, brother, sister, grandparents, uncles and aunts.
 
 
13. In the old days, neighbors always helped each other.