Past simple

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vmbo b, k, g
• Leerjaar 2

Past Simple

The past simple is what in Dutch is called the verleden tijd

Past Simple

You use the past simple when something happened in the past and is finished.

Past Simple - Regular Verbs

After a regular verb you put '-(e)d'

I walk -> I walked

He walks -> He walked

They walk -> They walked

Past Simple - Irregular verbs

Some verbs in English are irregular, this means that in the past tense they don't get '-(e)d' at the end, but have their own form.

To write -> wrote; I wrote her a letter last week

to go -> went; He went to Italy last year

to make -> made: They made a very nice meal two days ago

Past Simple - Irregular verbs

There are no rules for the irregular verbs, you just have to learn them by heart.

Past Simple - Questions/negations

Questions -> Did + entire verb

Did you walk to school yesterday?

Negations -> didn't + entire verb

You didn't walk to school yesterday.

Past Simple - Signal word

In Dutch signal words are called 'signaal woorden'  

These word help you to see if something happened in the past

• yesterday
• last week
• ten minutes ago
• in 2007

My sister .......... (play) the guitar last year.

They ....... (go) home after school yesterday.

What is the past tense of: to help

1. helping
2. helped
3. helps
4. help'd

What is the past tense of: to study

1. studyd
2. studyied
3. studyed
4. studied

What is the past tense of: to buy

1. buyed
2. bought
3. boughd
4. bught

What is the past tense of: to walk

1. walkt
2. wolked
3. wolk
4. walked

fill in: I ..... a sandwich yesterday.

1. eat
2. drink
3. drank
4. ate

Fill in: We ..... on holiday 2 years ago.

1. go
2. went
3. been
4. walked

Fill in: I ..... very happy yesterday.

1. am
2. is
3. was
4. were

You use a past simple when...

1. something happened in the future.
2. something happens every day.
3. something happened in the past and is finished
4. something hasn't happened yet.

When do you use the past simple?

Do you know what the past simple is?

Give an example sentence.

And now add a signal word to that sentence.