SIMPLE PASTTENSE

USE•We use the SIMPLE PAST TENSE to refer to completed actions that happened in a determined time in the past:

1- Actions that were completed in the past.

a) President Kennedy died in 1963. O presidente Kennedy morreu em 1963.

b) The Twin Towers collapsed in September 11, 2001. As Torres Gêmeas desabaram em setembro de 2001.

FORM

• The SIMPLE PAST TENSE is formed by the verb flexioned in its form in the past and we use the auxiliary verb only to make the INTERROGATIVE and the NEGATIVE forms.

Important

• When we are working with verbs in the past in English, we need to know that there are two categories of verbs, REGULAR and IRREGULAR VERBS.

REGULAR VERBSWe need rules to form the past of verbs. Examples:

• 1-Verbs ended in E we add D: To dance – danced• 2-Verbs ended with consonant + y, delete y and add

IED: To cry – cried • 3-Verbs ended in vowel + y, we add ed: To play –

played• 4-Verbs ended in consonant + vowel + consonant,

we double the last consonant and add ed: To stop- stopped

IRREGULAR VERBS

• We don’t follow rules to form the past of verbs when they are irregular. There are lists of irregular verbs in the textbooks and we also can find them in the internet:

LIST OF IRREGULAR VERBS

• http://www.sk.com.br/sk-irrve.html• http://www.aulaparticulardeingles.com.b

r/lista_verbos_irregulares_ingles.html• http://educacao.uol.com.br/disciplinas/i

ngles/verbos-irregulares-tabela-traz-infinitivo-passado-participio-e-traducao.htm

Examples of sentences in the simple past tense:

• I called to you yesterday. Eu liguei para você ontem.

• She played volleyball last Saturday.• I saw an ufo last night.• Liah sang a beautiful song on tv program

called The Voice last Sunday.• I talked to him a few minutes ago.

Interactive ExerciseSay if the verbs are regular or irregular.

a) I called to you yesterday. b) She played volleyball last Saturday.c) I saw an ufo last night.d) Liah sang a beautiful song on tv program called The Voice last

Sunday.e) I talked to him a few minutes ago.f) I washed the dishes before go to my school.g) He thought he could fight against the lion. h) The principal asked us to pay attention in our absences in the last

parents’ meeting.i) The car exploded after crash on the wall. j) The student did his homework in the morning.

Interactive ExerciseSay if the verbs are regular or irregular.

a) I called to you yesterday. REGULARb) She played volleyball last Saturday. c) I saw an ufo last night.d) Liah sang a beautiful song on tv program called The Voice last

Sunday.e) I talked to him a few minutes ago.f) I washed the dishes before go to my school.g) He thought he could fight against the lion. h) The principal asked us to pay attention in our absences in the last

parents’ meeting.i) The car exploded after crash on the wall. j) The student did his homework in the morning.

Interactive ExerciseSay if the verbs are regular or irregular.

a) I called to you yesterday. REGULARb) She played volleyball last Saturday. REGULARc) I saw an ufo last night.d) Liah sang a beautiful song on tv program called The Voice last

Sunday.e) I talked to him a few minutes ago.f) I washed the dishes before go to my school.g) He thought he could fight against the lion. h) The principal asked us to pay attention in our absences in the last

parents’ meeting.i) The car exploded after crash on the wall. j) The student did his homework in the morning.

Interactive ExerciseSay if the verbs are regular or irregular.

a) I called to you yesterday. REGULARb) She played volleyball last Saturday. REGULARc) I saw an ufo last night. IRREGULARd) Liah sang a beautiful song on tv program called The Voice last

Sunday.e) I talked to him a few minutes ago.f) I washed the dishes before go to my school.g) He thought he could fight against the lion. h) The principal asked us to pay attention in our absences in the last

parents’ meeting.i) The car exploded after crash on the wall. j) The student did his homework in the morning.

Interactive ExerciseSay if the verbs are regular or irregular.

a) I called to you yesterday. REGULARb) She played volleyball last Saturday. REGULARc) I saw an ufo last night. IRREGULARd) Liah sang a beautiful song on tv program called The Voice last

Sunday. IRREGULARe) I talked to him a few minutes ago.f) I washed the dishes before go to my school.g) He thought he could fight against the lion. h) The principal asked us to pay attention in our absences in the last

parents’ meeting.i) The car exploded after crash on the wall. j) The student did his homework in the morning.

Interactive ExerciseSay if the verbs are regular or irregular.

a) I called to you yesterday. REGULARb) She played volleyball last Saturday. REGULARc) I saw an ufo last night. IRREGULARd) Liah sang a beautiful song on tv program called The Voice last

Sunday. IRREGULARe) I talked to him a few minutes ago. REGULARf) I washed the dishes before go to my school.g) He thought he could fight against the lion. h) The principal asked us to pay attention in our absences in the last

parents’ meeting.i) The car exploded after crash on the wall. j) The student did his homework in the morning.

Interactive ExerciseSay if the verbs are regular or irregular.

a) I called to you yesterday. REGULARb) She played volleyball last Saturday. REGULARc) I saw an ufo last night. IRREGULARd) Liah sang a beautiful song on tv program called The Voice last

Sunday. IRREGULARe) I talked to him a few minutes ago. REGULARf) I washed the dishes before go to my school. REGULARg) He thought he could fight against the lion. h) The principal asked us to pay attention in our absences in the last

parents’ meeting.i) The car exploded after crash on the wall. j) The student did his homework in the morning.

Interactive ExerciseSay if the verbs are regular or irregular.

a) I called to you yesterday. REGULARb) She played volleyball last Saturday. REGULARc) I saw an ufo last night. IRREGULARd) Liah sang a beautiful song on tv program called The Voice last

Sunday. IRREGULARe) I talked to him a few minutes ago. REGULARf) I washed the dishes before go to my school. REGULARg) He thought he could fight against the lion. IRREGULARh) The principal asked us to pay attention in our absences in the last

parents’ meeting.i) The car exploded after crash on the wall. j) The student did his homework in the morning.

Interactive ExerciseSay if the verbs are regular or irregular.

a) I called to you yesterday. REGULARb) She played volleyball last Saturday. REGULARc) I saw an ufo last night. IRREGULARd) Liah sang a beautiful song on tv program called The Voice last

Sunday. IRREGULARe) I talked to him a few minutes ago. REGULARf) I washed the dishes before go to my school. REGULARg) He thought he could fight against the lion. IRREGULARh) The principal asked us to pay attention in our absences in the last

parents’ meeting. REGULARi) The car exploded after crash on the wall. j) The student did his homework in the morning.

Interactive ExerciseSay if the verbs are regular or irregular.

a) I called to you yesterday. REGULARb) She played volleyball last Saturday. REGULARc) I saw an ufo last night. IRREGULARd) Liah sang a beautiful song on tv program called The Voice last

Sunday. IRREGULARe) I talked to him a few minutes ago. REGULARf) I washed the dishes before go to my school. REGULARg) He thought he could fight against the lion. IRREGULARh) The principal asked us to pay attention in our absences in the last

parents’ meeting. REGULARi) The car exploded after crash on the wall. REGULARj) The student did his homework in the morning.

Interactive ExerciseSay if the verbs are regular or irregular.

a) I called to you yesterday. REGULARb) She played volleyball last Saturday. REGULARc) I saw an ufo last night. IRREGULARd) Liah sang a beautiful song on tv program called The Voice last

Sunday. IRREGULARe) I talked to him a few minutes ago. REGULARf) I washed the dishes before go to my school. REGULARg) He thought he could fight against the lion. IRREGULARh) The principal asked us to pay attention in our absences in the last

parents’ meeting. REGULARi) The car exploded after crash on the wall. REGULARj) The student did his homework in the morning. IRREGULAR

Simple Past

Interrogative and Negative forms

INTERROGATIVE

We use the auxiliary verb DID (past of to do) before the subject to form an interrogative sentence in the simple past, but the principal verb does not flex. We cannot forget the interrogation mark “?“. Example:

INTERROGATIVE

Subject Verb

AFFIRMATIVE > Susan is very tired. She worked a lot yesterday.

Subject Aux. Verb

INTERRROGATIVE > Susan is very tired. Did she Principal Verb

work a lot yesterday?

NEGATIVE•We use DID + NOT, between the subject and the principal verb. The principal verb does not flex. Example:

AFFIRMATIVE >

Susan is very tired. She worked a lot yesterday.

NEGATIVE > Subject Aux + not principal verb

Susan is not very tired. She did not work a lot yesterday.