FUNNY GRAMMAR: TALKING ABOUT PAST EVENT

➢ When we want to show that a completed action took place at a specific time in the past, we use
THE SIMPLE PAST TENSE. In the past tense, the sentences are similar to the simple present, but
the VERB will change depending if the verb is REGULAR or IRREGULAR.

Present:

I play tennis >>> I = Subject // play = Verb // tennis = Complement.

I see a bird >>> I = Subject // see = verb // a bird = Complement.

Past:

I played tennis >>> I = Subject // played = Verb // tennis = Complement. (REGULAR)

I saw a bird >>> I = Subject // saw = verb // a bird = Complement. (IRREGULAR)

EXAMPLE:

SIMPLE PAST STATEMENTS SIMPLE PAST STATEMENTS

I worked in a company. HE worked in a company.
YOU didn’t work in a company. didn’t work in a company.
WE went to Paris last year. SHE went to Paris last year.
THEY didn’t go to Paris last year. IT didn’t go to Paris last year.

➢ In THE SIMPLE PAST TENSE, the verb should be in PAST BUT there are two types of verbs in past,
some are REGULAR, and others are IRREGULARS.

o REGULAR VERBS: To change a regular verb into its past tense form, we normally add –ED to
the end of the verb, but there are some RULES that we must respect.

1. If a word ends in an E we just add the D to the end.

2. If the word ends in a CONSONANT + VOWEL + CONSONANT, we

double the final consonant and add ED.
 3. If a two-syllable verb ends in a CONSONANT + VOWEL +
CONSONANT, we DO NOT double the final consonant when the
stress is on the FIRST syllable.

4. we DO NOT double the final consonant when the word ends in W, X or

Y or when the final syllable is not stressed.

5. If the verb ends [CONSONANT + "Y"], change the "y" to an "i" and add "ed":
• CRY = CRIED
• FRY = FRIED

o IREGULAR VERBS:

IRREGULAR VERBS LIST

VERBS
VERBS
VERBS THAT THAT THE VERBS THAT VERBS THAT
“-OUGHT / THAT VERBS THAT
CHANGE ONE ROOT ARE REMOVE 1 CHANGE
UGHT VERBS” NEVER ADD 1 LETTER
LETTER STILL LETTER TOTALLY
CHANGE
THERE
Become -
Became
Come - Came
Fly - Flew
Draw - Drew
Feel - Felt
Drink - Drank
Keep - Kept Be – Was / Were
Drive - Drove
Cut - Cut Lose - Lost Eat - Ate
Fall - Fell
Bring - Brought READ - Pay - Paid Find – Found
Get - Got
Buy - Bought READ Say - Said Have - Had
Give - Gave Hear - Heard
Catch - Caught Cost - Cost Sleep - Choose - Chose Go - Went
Grow - Grew Mean - Meant
Fight - Fought Hurt - Slept Meet - Met See - Saw
Know - Knew Show - Shown
Teach - Taught Hurt Speak - Sell - Sold
Make - Made
Think - Thought Let - Let Spoke Take - Took
Ride - Rode
Put - Put Steal - Stole Tell - Told
Run - Ran
Understand Wear - Wore
Sing - Sang
-
Swim - Swam
Understood
Throw - Threw
Win - Won
Write - Wrote
QUESTIONS AND NEGATIVES (DO > DID)

We use did to make questions with the past tense:

When did you meet your wife? INFORMATIVE QUESTION (WHAT / WHERE / WHEN / HOW)
Where did you go for your holidays?

FORMULA:

WH QUESTION + DID + PRONOUN + VERB (BASE FORM) + COMPLEMENT.

Example:

1. What did you do last week? = I played tennis.

2. What did I do last week? = You played tennis.

3. What did he do last week? = He played tennis.

4. What did she do last week? = She saw her friend.

5. What did it do last week? = It ate tuna.

6. What did they do last week? = They went to the supermarket.

7. What did we do last week? = We made a robot.

Did she play tennis when she was younger?

Did you live abroad? CLOSED QUESTION (YES / NO)

FORMULA:

DID + PRONOUN + VERB (BASE FORM) + COMPLEMENT.

Example:

1. Did you go to the market? = Yes, I did // No, I didn’t (did not)

2. Did I go to the market? = Yes, you did // No, you didn’t (did not)

3. Did he go to the market? = Yes, he did // No, he didn’t (did not)

4. Did she go to the market? = Yes, she did // No, she didn’t (did not)

5. Did they go to the market? = Yes, they did // No, they didn’t (did not)

6. Did we go to the market? = Yes, we did // No, we didn’t (did not)

7. Did the cat (it) eat a fish? = Yes, it did // No, it didn’t (did not)

We use didn’t (did not) to make negatives with the past tense:

FORMULA: SUBJECT + DID NOT (DIDN’T) + VERB (BASE FORM) + COMPLEMENT

They didn’t go to Spain this year.

We didn’t get home until very late last night.
I didn’t see you yesterday.