Guide: Simple past exercises

1. Correct these senteces.

a. I didn't celebrated New Year's

Eve. ..............................................................................
b. My friends organize a fancy dress
party.............................................................................
c. But they didn't invited
me ..................................................................................................
d. So, I were very sad and
lonely .......................................................................................
e. My best friends didn't were with
me ...............................................................................
f. My cousin visite me in the
afternoon .................................................................
g. But then she go to a
party .........................................................................................
h. Did you danced on New Year's
Eve? ............................................................................
i. I didn't watched TV because there was a horrible programme
.....................................................................................................
j. Everybody laughed and sing and was very happy
.......................................................................................................
k. But I were not happy, I didn't have a good
time ..............................................................

2. Put in the verbs in brackets into the gaps. Use the Simple Past. Watch the
punctuation and form sentences or questions.

1) I my Maths homework yesterday. (to do) 2) Susan

to England by plane? (to go) 3) They a farm twoo weeks

ago. (to visit) 4) Jenny and Peggy their brother. (not/to help) 5)

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 The children at home last weekend. (not/to be) 6) When

you this wonderful skirt? (to design) 7) My mother into

the van. (not/to crash) 8) The boys the mudguards of their

bicycles. (to take off) 9) you your aunt last week? (to

phone) 10) He milk at school. (not/to drink

3. Complete the sentences with was or were.

1. I happy.
2. You angry.
3. She in London last week.
4. He on holiday.
5. It cold.
6. We at school.
7. You at the cinema.
8. They at home.
9. The cat on the roof.
10. The children in the garden.

4. Write positive sentences in simple past.

1. he / the question / answer

2. you / a question / ask
3. the dog / bark
4. they / us / call
5. we / a mountain / climb
6. John / stamps / collect
7. we / in London / live
8. I / hungry / be
9. they / a hamster / have
10. he / to school / go

5. Have a look at James's last week's diary and answer the questions in
complete sentences. Put the time expression at the end of the sentence.

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 Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
footba shoppin meetin ring conce sailin
buy flowers
ll g g Jane rt g
Italian
cinema tennis English
restaurant
1. When was his English course?
2. When did he go shopping?
3. When did he buy flowers?
4. When was his meeting?
5. When did he play football?
6. When did he go to the Italian restaurant?
7. When did he ring Jane?
8. When did he go to the cinema?
9. When did he play tennis?
10. When was the concert?
11. When did he go sailing?

6. Rewrite the sentences in the negative.

1. They collected postcards.

2. You jumped high.
3. Albert played squash.
4. The teacher tested our English.
5. Fiona visited her grandma.
6. He washed the car.
7. You were thirsty.
8. He had a computer.
9. I bought bread.
10. You saw the house.

7. Write questions in simple past.

1. Anna / the window / open

2. she / home / walk
3. you / in the garden / work
4. you / a song / sing
5. she / on a chair / sit
6. you / the castle / visit
7. Jenny / the door / lock

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 8. she / happy / be
9. Greg / the ball / kick
10. the car / at the corner / stop

8. Exercise on questions with interrogative

1. She pushed her bike.

2. She carried a bag.
3. We waited in the park.
4. The policeman arrested the thief.
5. We ate fish.
6. She watched the match last night.
7. She asked her friend because she did not know what to do.
8. I opened the door.
9. The teacher checked our homework.
10. Cindy had a dog.

9. Put the verbs into the correct form (simple past).

spent
1. Last year I (spend) my holiday in Ireland.
2. It (be) great.
3. I (travel) around by car with two friends and we (visit) lots
of interesting places.
4. In the evenings we usually (go) to a pub.
5. One night we even (learn) some Irish dances.
6. We (be) very lucky with the weather.
7. It (not / rain) a lot.
8. But we (see) some beautiful rainbows.
9. Where (spend / you) your last holiday?

10. Write the verbs in simple past.

1. The first settlers (be) the Potawatomi.

2. They (call) this place Checagou (wild onion) because it (smell)
like onions.
3. Constructions on the Sears Tower (begin) in 1970.
4. 11. Once upon a time there (be) three bears: huge Papa Bear,
ordinary Mama Bear and tiny little Baby Bear. They (live) in a great
big wood.

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5. One day, ordinary Mama Bear (cook) a delicious porridge for her
family and (put) it into bowls: a huge bowl for huge Papa Bear, an
ordinary bowl for ordinary Mama Bear and a tiny little bowl for tiny little Baby
Bear.
6. To give the porridge some time to cool down, the three bears (go)
for a walk.
7. Near the great big wood, there (live) a little girl called Goldilocks.
8. She (be) not allowed to go into the wood. But one day, she (sneak)
out of the house and (run) into the great big wood.
9. After a while, she (come) to the house of the three bears.
10. She (knock) at the door. She (look) through the
windows. But nobody (seem) to be there.
11. So, little Goldilocks (step) inside.
12. In the kitchen Goldilocks (smell) the porridge.
13. She (get) very hungry and (try) the porridge in the
huge bowl - too hot.
14. Then she (taste) some of the porridge from the ordinary bowl -
too cold.
15. But the porridge in the little bowl (be) just right and Goldilocks
(eat) it all up.
16. In the sitting-room, there (be) three chairs.
17. Goldilocks (sit) down in the huge chair - too hard.
18. She (not / like) the ordinary chair either - too soft.
19. She (love) the little chair, however. But she (not / sit)
on that one very long, as soon it (break) into pieces.
20. So, Goldilocks (go) on exploring.
21. In the bedroom, there (stand) the three baers' beds.
22. Goldilocks suddenly (feel) very tired.
23. She (climb) onto the huge bed - too hard.
24. Then she (crawl) into the ordinary bed - too soft.
25. The little bed, however, (be) just right.
26. So, Goldilocks (lie) down.
27. And in next to no time, she (fall) asleep.
28. After a while, the three bears (return) home.
29. One look at their bowls and chairs and they (start) wondering.
Something (not / be) right.

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 30. They (come) into the bedroom. And there they (see)
little Goldilocks in Baby Bear's bed.
31. The three bears (watch) her for a while and then they (wake)
her up.
32. Goldilocks (open) her eyes.
33. She (see) the bears, (begin) to scream and as fast
as she (can) , Goldilocks (run) out of the bears' house.
34. The three bears (follow) her.
35. But at the edge of the wood, the bears suddenly (stop) .
36. Frightened little Goldilocks, however, (not / stop) .
37. She (hurry) home to her parents.
38. And she never (visit) the bears' house again.
39. The University of Oxford (be) the first British university.

40. The lecturers of the colleges (speak) a very clear English.

41. That's why Oxford English (become) known as the English of educated
people.
42. In the 19th century, Lewis Carroll (write) 'Alice's Adventures in
Wonderland' in Oxford.