Meaning

1. Use the simple past to talk about completed actions.
2. For most regular verbs, add -d or -ed to the base form of the verbs.
3. The simple past has the same form all subjects.

 Examples:

I finished my homework last night. (action is completed)

They lived here ten years ago. (regular verb ‘live’ is added -d)

She called me last night. (regular verb ‘call’ is added -ed)

I walked along the park.

Peter walked along the park.             

Verbs in past tense

Regular and irregular verbs.

Regular verbs in past tense

We add –ed or –d at the end of the verbs and the past form of the verbs is only used in positive sentences when we tell past events.

For example:

Jack visited his grandparents yesterday.

My mother baked a chocolate cake yesterday afternoon.

Irregular verbs in past tense

Irregular verbs are only used in positive sentences. Look at the following table and examples. You can see how the irregular verbs change in past tense.

For example: The verbs eat, tell and send

PRESENT	PAST	sentence
eat	ate	The children ate their dinner quickly.
tell	told	She told a funny story.
send	send	Mary sent her boss an email yesterday.

Click here for more information about irregular verbs.

Regular verbs examples

Subject	verb
I	hiked	a lot on my holiday.
You	arrived	late last night.
He	started	his trip in August.
She	travelled	to Canada last summer.
We	walked	three miles yesterday morning.
You (plural)	visited	some interesting places in Mexico.
They	stayed	at a very expensive hotel.

What did they do? Look at the example and write the sentences in past tense.

Who	what	with who	where	when
1. Peter	go to football match	with his friends	in Liverpool	last weekend
2. Mandy	play tennis	with Sally	on the tennis court	last week.
3. Mark	has dinner	with his family	in an Italian restaurant	last night.
4. Jane	ride a bike	with her children	in the park	yesterday afternoon.
5. The students	wait for the bus	with their teacher	at the bus stop	yesterday.
6. Molly	bake a chocolate cake	with her mum	in the kitchen	an hour ago.
7. The policeman	catch the thief	with his partner	under the bridge	last week.

1. Peter went to the football match with his friends in Liverpool last weekend.

2. Mandy ________________________________________________________________

3. Mark __________________________________________________________________

4. Jane __________________________________________________________________

5. The students ___________________________________________________________

6. Molly __________________________________________________________________

7. The police _____________________________________________________________