Online English private lessons and group courses with native speakers.

Click now to take advantage of discounts up to 50%.

Past simple Exercises

( Free Online English Grammar Lessons )

Read time : 3 minutes

Past simple form : ( verb 2 )

In English we use the past simple tense to talk about finished actions in the past.

We use 'did' as an auxiliary verb in negatives and questions and we often use the past simple with past time phrases such as 5 minutes ago, yesterday, last week, in the 1980s, and when I was a child.

Notes for use of past simple  :

In English, to change verbs to the past tense, we add '-ed' to regular verbs. For example;

work --> worked

live --> lived

walk --> walked

If the verb ends in 'e', we drop the 'e' before adding '-ed'. For example;

dance --> danced

smile --> smiled

phone --> phoned

If the verb ends in a vowel + consonant, we double the last consonant. For example;

stop --> stopped

tag --> tagged

plan --> planned

If the verb has more than one syllable, we double the consonant at the end only if the last syllable is stressed. For example;

prefer --> preferred

permit --> permitted

regret --> regretted

If the last syllable of the verb is not stressed, we do not double the last consonant. For example;

visit --> visited

happen --> happened

develop --> developed

In British English, verbs ending in 'l' double the 'l' before '-ed' whether the last syllable is stressed or not. For example;

travel --> travelled

cancel --> cancelled

If the verb ends in a 'y' or a 'w', we do not double it when we add '-ed'. For example;

stay --> stayed

play --> played

sew --> sewed

In English we do not double the consonant if the verb has two vowels before the last consonant. For example;

boil --> boiled

explain --> explained

In English we also do not double the consonant if the verb ends in two consonants. For example;

help --> helped

start --> started

However, irregular verbs change to completely different words in the past tense. For example;

go --> went

take --> took

know --> knew

The table below shows the different forms of past simple :

Example Verb : live
I / You  / We / They / He / She / It
Positive... lived.
Negative... didn't live.

Questions

Did ... live?
Short answers

Yes, ... did. /

No, ... didn't.

For the verb 'to be' we use 'was' and 'were'' in the past simple. No auxiliary verbs are used in negative sentences and questions.

Verb : Be
I / He / She / It
You / We / They
Positive... was ...... were ...
Negative... wasn't ...... weren't ...
QuestionsWas ... ... ?Were ... ...?
Short answers

Yes, ... was. /

No, ... wasn't.

Yes, ... were. /

No, ... weren't.

Past Simple Example Sentences :

Positive Examples of Past Simple :

  • I went to Japan last year.
  • She worked as a consultant for 5 years.
  • We saw a film last night.
  • He was ill yesterday.
  • They were at the party last Saturday night.

Negative Examples of Past Simple :

  • You didn't go to the gym last night.
  • He didn't attend the meeting this morning.
  • We didn't have a dog when I was a child.
  • I wasn't at home last weekend.
  • They weren't happy with the service.

Question Examples of Past Simple :

  • Did you visit New York last summer?
  • Did you eat at the Japanese restaurant last night?
  • Who did you meet at the conference?
  • Was she angry?
  • Where were you yesterday afternoon?

Past simple example sentences
Anyway, did you have any problems with that girl before?それはそうと、前にあの女の子となにか問題でもあったの?
Sorry, Julianne, I didn't know you were still here.すまないね、ジュリアンヌ。まだここにいるとは知らなかったんだ。
Yes they do, they looked after him last time.えぇ、彼らは出来るわ。前回彼らがポゴの面倒を見てくれたの。
Anyway, I called the girl again, and of course, she didn't answer.とにかく、その女の子にもう一度電話したんだけど、案の定電話に出なかったわ。
What kind of coffee did you get me?どんな種類のコーヒー買ってくれたの?
It was nice meeting you.会えて良かったよ。
5 minutes before I arrived, I called her, but she didn't answer.到着 5 分前にその子に電話をかけたんだけど、その子電話に出なかったの。
They're fine, we played a game called *catch the wasp*!みんな元気に「スズメバチを捕まえろ」ていうゲームで遊んでたんだよ!
Then the wine bottle broke, etcetera...そしたらワインボトルを割ってしまったりして...
When did you last visit your parents?最後にいつご両親の元へ訪れたの?
Pinocchio didn't know he wasn't a real boy in the beginning, either.ピノキオも最初は自分が本当の男の子じゃないってことは知らなかったわよ。
While I was trying to catch the rice, I accidentally knocked over a bottle.お米をキャッチしようとしたら、うっかりボトルに当たっちゃったの。
It was my mistake accepting the job to work with them.彼らとの仕事を引き受けた僕のミスだな。
Good morning my friend, did I wake you up?おはようマイク。起こしちゃったかな?
Anyway, I woke up at 07:00 and went to see the first one.だから、7 時に起きて最初のアパートを見に行ったの。
Oh god... It was a nightmare for me today!もう、今日は最悪な日だったわ!
I went there, too, but they didn't have it, either.そこへも行ったわ、でもやっぱり無かったの。
Unfortunately, the next one was at 11 and the last one was at 15:30.あいにく次のアポが 11 時、最後のアポが 15 時半だったのよ。
I just got here mate, about 5 minutes ago.5分ほど前にここに来たんだ。
I just wanted to talk to you alone.君ひとりに話したかったんだ。

\
500\
\
\

There are no comments yet. Be the first one...
Be going to
Be going to passive
Be used to / Get used to
Comparative
Defining relative clause
Echo tag
Expression
First conditional
Future
Future continuous
Future perfect continuous
Future perfect passive
Future perfect simple
Future simple passive
Greeting
Have/Get something done
Imperative
Implied conditional
Indirect question
Infinitive of purpose
Interjection
Mixed conditional
Modal
Modal passive
Non-defining relative clause
Other
Past continuous
Past continuous passive
Past perfect continuous
Past perfect passive
Past perfect simple
Past simple
Past simple passive
Polite request / offer / suggestion
Present continuous
Present continuous passive
Present perfect continuous
Present perfect passive
Present perfect simple
Present simple
Present simple passive
Question tag
Reduced relative clause
Reported speech imperative
Reported speech question
Reported speech request
Reported speech statement
Second conditional
Short answer
Superlative
Third conditional
Used to / would (past habit)
Was/were going to
Was/were supposed to
Wish
Would rather
Zero conditional