The Past Simple: How to tell a story in the past tense

The Past Simple: How to tell a story in the past tense

Learning Objective

At the end of the lesson, you will be able to explain what the past simple is, explain how to make the past simple, and write correct sentences using the past simple.

Introduce the learning objective of the lesson to the students and explain why it is important to learn about the past simple.

What do you already know about telling stories in the past tense?

What is the Past Simple?

The past simple is a verb tense used to describe actions or events that happened in the past.

Explain the definition of the past simple to the students and provide examples.

How to Make the Past Simple

To make the past simple, you need to add -ed to regular verbs. For irregular verbs, the past simple form varies.

Provide examples of regular and irregular verbs and guide the students through the process of making the past simple.

Regular Verbs

Regular verbs follow a pattern when making the past simple. Example: walk (present) -> walked (past simple)

Provide a list of common regular verbs and guide the students through the process of making the past simple.

Irregular Verbs

Irregular verbs have unique past simple forms that do not follow a pattern. Example: go (present) -> went (past simple)

Provide a list of common irregular verbs and guide the students through the process of making the past simple.

Using the Past Simple in Sentences

In sentences, the past simple is used to describe actions or events that happened in the past. Example: I walked to the store yesterday.

Provide examples of sentences using the past simple and guide the students through the process of writing their own sentences.

Positive Sentences

Positive sentences in the past simple follow the subject-verb-object order. Example: She ate a sandwich for lunch.

Provide examples of positive sentences in the past simple and guide the students through the process of writing their own positive sentences.

Negative Sentences

Negative sentences in the past simple use the auxiliary verb 'did not' (didn't) before the base form of the verb. Example: I didn't go to the party last night.

Provide examples of negative sentences in the past simple and guide the students through the process of writing their own negative sentences.

Question Sentences

Question sentences in the past simple use the auxiliary verb 'did' before the subject and the base form of the verb. Example: Did you watch the movie last night?

Provide examples of question sentences in the past simple and guide the students through the process of writing their own question sentences.

Regular Verb Exercise

Complete the sentence using the past simple of the regular verb: Sarah (walk) to the park yesterday.

Provide an exercise for the students to practice using regular verbs in the past simple.

Irregular Verb Exercise

Complete the sentence using the past simple of the irregular verb: I (write) a letter to my friend last week.

Provide an exercise for the students to practice using irregular verbs in the past simple.

Sentence Writing Exercise

Write a sentence using the past simple to describe an event that happened yesterday.

Provide an exercise for the students to practice writing sentences in the past simple.

Review

The past simple is a verb tense used to describe actions or events that happened in the past. Regular verbs add -ed to make the past simple, while irregular verbs have unique past simple forms. In sentences, the past simple is used to describe past events.

Review the main points of the lesson and provide an opportunity for the students to ask questions.

Practice

Complete the exercise worksheet provided to practice using the past simple.

Provide an exercise worksheet for the students to practice using the past simple.

Assessment

Write a short paragraph using at least 5 past simple verbs to describe something you did yesterday.

Provide an assessment task for the students to demonstrate their understanding of the past simple.

Write down 3 things you learned in this lesson.

Have students enter three things they learned in this lesson. With this they can indicate their own learning efficiency of this lesson.

Write down 2 things you want to know more about.

Here, students enter two things they would like to know more about. This not only increases involvement, but also gives them more ownership.

Ask 1 question about something you haven't quite understood yet.

The students indicate here (in question form) with which part of the material they still have difficulty. For the teacher, this not only provides insight into the extent to which the students understand/master the material, but also a good starting point for the next lesson.