Past simple · A2. Use the past simple for events located in a finished past time. Regular verbs usually add -ed, with spelling changes such as carry → carried and stop → stopped. Irregular forms must be learned, for example go → went and find → found. These main-verb past forms do not change with the subject.
Practise finished past events, regular and irregular verbs, did questions, and was/were.
Use the past simple for events located in a finished past time. Regular verbs usually add -ed, with spelling changes such as carry → carried and stop → stopped. Irregular forms must be learned, for example go → went and find → found. These main-verb past forms do not change with the subject.
walk → walked · go → wentFor ordinary past-simple questions with most main verbs, use did + subject + base form. For negatives, use did not or didn’t + base form. Be follows its own pattern. Subject questions such as Who called? are a separate pattern, outside these tasks.
did / didn’t + base verbFor factual past statements with be, use was with I/he/she/it and were with you/we/they. Add not for negatives. To ask a question, move was/were before the subject; do not add did.
I/he/she/it was · you/we/they wereI worked yesterday.She went home.
I didn’t work yesterday.She didn’t go home.
Did you work yesterday?Did she go home?
Yes, I did.No, she didn’t.
Mia finished cleaning her room yesterday.
Use the past simple for events located in a finished past time. Regular verbs usually add -ed, with spelling changes such as carry → carried and stop → stopped. Irregular forms must be learned, for example go → went and find → found. These main-verb past forms do not change with the subject.
I walked home yesterday. My sister went by bus.For factual past statements with be, use was with I/he/she/it and were with you/we/they. Add not for negatives. To ask a question, move was/were before the subject; do not add did.
The room was quiet. The visitors were not tired. Were you tired?For ordinary past-simple questions with most main verbs, use did + subject + base form. For negatives, use did not or didn’t + base form. Be follows its own pattern. Subject questions such as Who called? are a separate pattern, outside these tasks.
Did Sam call yesterday? Sam did not call yesterday.Keep the first try. Understand the change. Check it in a fresh situation.
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Use the past simple for events located in a finished past time. Regular verbs usually add -ed, with spelling changes such as carry → carried and stop → stopped. Irregular forms must be learned, for example go → went and find → found. These main-verb past forms do not change with the subject.
I walked home yesterday. My sister went by bus.For ordinary past-simple questions with most main verbs, use did + subject + base form. For negatives, use did not or didn’t + base form. Be follows its own pattern. Subject questions such as Who called? are a separate pattern, outside these tasks.
Did Sam call yesterday? Sam did not call yesterday.For factual past statements with be, use was with I/he/she/it and were with you/we/they. Add not for negatives. To ask a question, move was/were before the subject; do not add did.
The room was quiet. The visitors were not tired. Were you tired?Opening an answer records help for that question.
Mia finished cleaning her room yesterday.
Look at “Mia finished cleaning her room yesterday.”. Use the past simple for events located in a finished past time. Regular verbs usually add -ed, with spelling changes such as carry → carried and stop → stopped. Irregular forms must be learned, for example go → went and find → found. These main-verb past forms do not change with the subject. Complete sentence: “Mia cleaned her room yesterday.”.
You want to know whether Omar bought a notebook yesterday.
Look at “You want to know whether Omar bought a notebook yesterday.”. For ordinary past-simple questions with most main verbs, use did + subject + base form. For negatives, use did not or didn’t + base form. Be follows its own pattern. Subject questions such as Who called? are a separate pattern, outside these tasks. Complete sentence: “Did Omar buy a notebook yesterday?”.
You want to know if someone left the windows open last night.
Look at “You want to know if someone left the windows open last night.”. For factual past statements with be, use was with I/he/she/it and were with you/we/they. Add not for negatives. To ask a question, move was/were before the subject; do not add did. Complete sentence: “Were the windows open last night?”.
The boxes are upstairs now. The work finished yesterday.
The action ended yesterday. Carry ends in a consonant + y: change y to i and add -ed to make carried.
Nina stayed at home last Friday because of a fever.
Look at “Nina stayed at home last Friday because of a fever.”. For factual past statements with be, use was with I/he/she/it and were with you/we/they. Add not for negatives. To ask a question, move was/were before the subject; do not add did. Complete sentence: “Nina was ill last Friday.”.
They planned to play chess last night, but the game did not happen.
Look at “They planned to play chess last night, but the game did not happen.”. For ordinary past-simple questions with most main verbs, use did + subject + base form. For negatives, use did not or didn’t + base form. Be follows its own pattern. Subject questions such as Who called? are a separate pattern, outside these tasks. Complete sentence: “They did not play chess last night.”.
The cafe was closed yesterday. Correct this claim by making it negative: The cafe was open yesterday.
With past be, place not after was. Both was not and wasn’t are correct; keep the rest of the sentence unchanged.
This sentence has one spelling error: Ava stoped near the bridge yesterday.
For the short verb stop, double the final p before adding -ed: stopped. The sentence describes a completed stop yesterday.
Yesterday you left your bag somewhere. Your friend asks about the place.
Look at “Yesterday you left your bag somewhere. Your friend asks about the place.”. For ordinary past-simple questions with most main verbs, use did + subject + base form. For negatives, use did not or didn’t + base form. Be follows its own pattern. Subject questions such as Who called? are a separate pattern, outside these tasks. Complete sentence: “Where did you leave your bag yesterday?”.
We arrived before the lesson started yesterday. Describe our arrival using a negative with late.
Look at “We arrived before the lesson started yesterday. Describe our arrival using a negative with late.”. For factual past statements with be, use was with I/he/she/it and were with you/we/they. Add not for negatives. To ask a question, move was/were before the subject; do not add did. Complete sentence: “We were not late yesterday.”.
My wallet was missing. The search ended yesterday evening: it was under a chair.
Look at “My wallet was missing. The search ended yesterday evening: it was under a chair.”. Use the past simple for events located in a finished past time. Regular verbs usually add -ed, with spelling changes such as carry → carried and stop → stopped. Irregular forms must be learned, for example go → went and find → found. These main-verb past forms do not change with the subject. Complete sentence: “I found my wallet under a chair yesterday evening.”.
You do not know whether your friend sent the email yesterday.
A yes/no question about yesterday uses Did + you + send. Send remains in the base form after did.