Past simple explanation

1. PAST SIMPLE
FORMATION RULES (AFFIRMATIVE)
♣ REGULAR VERBS ♠ IRREGULAR VERBS
VERB (bare infinitive) + -ed
watch watched
All persons have the same form
I watched TV yesterday evening.
She watched TV yesterday evening.
● Spelling problems.
1.Verbs ending in a mute –e only add –d.
change changed NOT changeed
2. Verbs ending in consontant + -y ► -ied.
try tried NOT tryed
3.Verbs with one syllable ending in C+V+C ► the consonant at the end is doubled
stop stopped
4. Verbs with two syllables ending in –l , -p and with the stress on the first syllable ►
the last consonant is doubled travel travelled kidnap kidnapped
5. Verbs with two syllables and with the stress on the the last syllable ► the last consonant
is doubled. Prefer preferred permit permitted BUT listen listened

2. ♠ IRREGULAR VERBS
Irregular verbs are listed on page 138 and 139. It is necessary to learn irregular
forms.
eat ate drink drank
All persons have the same form: I / She / They ate a hamburger yesterday.
FORMATION RULES (NEGATIVE)
Negatives are formed with did not (didn’t) and the verb (bare infinitive). All
persons have the same form.
REGULAR VERBS: I / She / They didn’t watch TV yesterday.
NOT didn’t watched
IRREGULAR VERBS: I / She/ They didn’t eat a hamburger yesterday.
NOT didn´t ate

3. FORMATION RULES (INTERROGATIVE)
Questions are formed with did and the verb (bare infinitive). All persons have
the same form.
REGULAR VERBS: Did you / she / they watch TV yesterday?
NOT watched
IRREGULAR VERBS: Did you / she/ they eat a hamburger yesterday?
NOT ate

4. USES
Past Simple is used to talk about a completed action in the past.
- Consecutive actions in the past.
When Terri arrived, a child gave her a red rose.
- A short action (introduced by when) happened when
another longer action was happening.
I was having a shower when the phone rang.
- Describing how things were in the past.

5. TIME EXPRESSIONS
YESTERDAY
LAST YEAR
IN 2004
WHEN
THEN
TWO DAYS AGO
AGO is placed after the period of time and it means “hace”
They left two hours ago (Se fueron hace dos horas)

6. PAST CONTINUOS
FORMATION RULES (AFFIRMATIVE)
Past continuous is formed with the past of the verb to be and the –ing form
the verb.
I was sleeping.
You were eating.
● Spelling problems.
1.Verbs ending in a mute -e ► -e is not written
change changing NOT changeing
2.Verbs with one syllable ending in C+V+C ► the consonant at the end is doubled
stop stopping
3. Verbs with two syllables ending in -l , -p and with the stress on the first syllable
►the last consonant is doubled travel travelling kidnap kidnapping
4. Verbs with two syllables and with the stress on the the last syllable ► the last
consonant is doubled. Prefer preferred permit permitted
BUT listen listened
5. Verbs ending in –ie ► -y die dying

7. FORMATION RULES (NEGATIVE)
Negatives are formed with the past of the verb to be(was /were) + not
(wasn’t / weren’t) and the verb (bare infinitive).
He wasn´t sleeping
They weren’t eating
FORMATION RULES (INTERROGATIVE)
Questions are formed by inverting the verb to be (in the past).
Was he sleeping? Yes, he was / No, he wasn´t.
Were they eating? Yes, they were / No, they weren’t

8. USES
● An incomplete action in progress at a specific time in the past.
At eight o’clock last night , I was writing an e-mail to my friend Rose.
●An incomplete action interrupted by another action.
He was watching that famous TV show when I called.
I was having a shower when the phone rang.
●Two incomplete actions in progress at the same time in the past (joined
by while, and, as)
Last year I was teaching English while I was studying at university.

9. PAST PERFECT SIMPLE
FORMATION RULES
Past Perfect simple is formed with HAD + the past participle.
All persons have the same form.
AFFIRMATIVE: I had stopped. She had stopped. They had stopped.
NEGATIVE: I / She / They had not (hadn’t ) stopped
INTERROGATIVE: Had you / she / they stopped?
USES
● A completed action which took place before another action in the past.
The rain had stopped before I left.
When we arrived at Sue´s house, she had left.

10. TIME EXPRESSIONS
ALREADY
BY THE TIME
AFTER
BEFORE
UNTIL
NEVER
JUST