The Simple Past

The ed ending: pronunciation and spelling

Irregular verbs

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Simple past: regular verbs
Use:
Use the Simple Past to express the idea that an action started
and finished at a specific time in the past. Sometimes, the
speaker may not actually mention the specific time, but they do
have one specific time in mind. The Simple Past can also be
used to describe a habit which stopped in the past.
Form:
We add the suffix ed in + sentences.
Example: She played the violin very well last night.
We use DID or DIDNT in ? and sentences
Example: Did you call me yesterday? I didnt have my mobile
on.
When answering: Yes, I did. No, I didnt.
In the simple past, the verb does not change for the different
subject pronouns.
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POSITIVE NEGATIVE
I played I did not play
You played You did not play
He played He did not play
We played We did not play
You played You did not play
They played They did not play

QUESTION NEGATIVE QUESTION

Did I play? Didn't I play?
Did you play? Didn't you play?
Did he play? Didn't he play?
Did we play? Didn't we play?
Did you play? Didn't you play?
Did they play? Didn't they play?

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The verb to be
POSITIVE NEGATIVE
I was I was not / wasn't
You were You were not / weren't
He was He was not / wasn't
We were We were not / weren't
You were You were not / weren't
They were They were not / weren't
QUESTION NEGATIVE QUESTION
Was I? Wasn't I?
Were you? Weren't you?
Was he? Wasn't he?
Were we? Weren't we?
Were you? Weren't you?
Were they? Rafael MorenoWeren't
Esteban 2008 they?
 Spelling of the ending -ed
Verbs ending in consonant + y drop the y and add ied
E.g. cry cried
Verbs ending in one e simply add d
E.g. move moved
One syllable verbs ending in one vowel + one consonant
double the final consonant
E.g. stop stopped
Except: verbs ending in -y,-w,-x
E.g. snow snowed, play played, fix fixed
Verbs of two or more syllables ending in one vowel+ one
consonant also double the final consonant if the stress is
on the last syllable.
E.g. prefer preferred
Except: travel travelled,
Rafael cancel 2008 cancelled (UK English
Moreno Esteban

only)
 Time expressions

Frequency adverbs
Yesterday, the day before yesterday
Last night, last week, last month, last year
The last time you called
Two days ago, a week ago, 5 years ago
In 1999, in October, in the summer
At 7 o'clock, at midnight, in the evening
For a while, for some time, for a month
Lately, recently

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 Pronunciation of the ed ending
If the verb ends in the sound /t/ or /d/ we pronounce the
ending /id/
E.g. fade faded
If the verb ends in a voiceless consonant other than /t/
we pronounce the ending /t/
E.g. laugh laughed
If the verb ends in a voiced consonant other than /d/ or
vowel sound we pronounce the ending /d/
E.g. beg begged, pray prayed
Voiceless consonants: /p/, /s/, /k/, /f/, /t/, //, //
Voiced consonants: /b/, /g/, /v/, /z/, //, //, /d /, /l/,
/r/, /m/, /n/, //
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Exercise:
write the past tense of the following verbs and put them in the correct column.

discover laugh destroy survive crash jump

visit change travel introduce need - worry

/d/ /t/ /id/

Discovered Laughed Visited

Destroyed Needed
Crashed
Survived
Jumped
Travelled
Worried Introduced
Changed

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Irregular verbs: All 3 forms are similar
Past Participle
Base Form Past Simple Form
Form

bet bet bet

bid bid bid
broadcast broadcast broadcast
burst burst burst
cost cost cost
cut cut cut
hit hit hit
hurt hurt hurt
let let let
put put put
quit quit quit
set set set
shut shut shut
split split split
spread spread Rafael Moreno Esteban spread
2008
Past Simple and Past Participle are
the same
Past
Past Simple
Base Form Participle
Form
Form
bend bent bent
bring brought brought
build built built
buy bought bought
catch caught caught

creep crept crept

deal dealt dealt

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dig dug dug

feed fed fed

feel felt felt

fight fought fought

find found found

flee fled fled

get got got (gotten)

hang hung hung

have had had

hear heard heard

hold held held

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keep kept kept
kneel knelt knelt

lay laid laid

lead led led

leave left left

lend lent lent

light lit lit

lose lost lost

make made made

mean meant meant

meet met met

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pay paid paid
read read read

say said said

seek sought sought

sell sold sold

send sent sent

shine shone shone

shoot shot shot

sit sat sat

sleep slept slept

slide slid slid

spend spent spent

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spit spat spat

stand stood stood

stick stuck stuck

sting stung stung

strike struck struck

sweep swept swept

swing swung swung

teach taught taught

tell told told

think thought thought

understand understood understood

weep wept wept

win won won

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Base Form and Past Simple are the same

beat beat beaten

become became become
come came come
run ran run

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All forms are different
arise arose arisen
awake awoke awoken
be was/were been
begin began begun
bite bit bitten
blow blew blown
break broke broken
choose chose chosen
do did done
draw drew drawn
drink drank drunk
drive drove driven
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eat ate eaten

fall fell fallen

fly flew flown

forbid forbade forbidden

forget forgot forgotten

forgive forgave forgiven

freeze froze frozen

give gave given

go went gone

grow grew grown

hide hid hidden

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know knew known

lie lay lain

mistake mistook mistaken

ride rode ridden

ring rang rung

rise rose risen

see saw seen

sew sewed sewn

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shake shook shaken

show showed shown

shrink shrank shrunk

sink sank sunk

sing sang sung

speak spoke spoken

spring sprang sprung

steal stole stolen

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stink stank stunk

swear swore sworn

swim swam swum

take took taken

tear tore torn

throw threw thrown

wake woke woken

wear wore worn

write wrote written

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Confusing verbs
Lie lied lied (mentir)
/la/ - /lad/ - /lad/
lying
Lie lay lain (estar tumbado)
/la/ - /le/ - /len/
lying
Lay laid laid (poner la mesa)
/le / - /led/ - /led/
laying

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