Simple Past ESL

​The Past Simple or

Simple Past​ Tense

​The Past Simple Tense with 'be'

S

To make the negative with 'be', just add 'not'​.

​

​I was not/wasn't

He/She/It was not/wasn't

You/We/They were not/weren't​

​Negative

It's similar to the present simple because it has different rules for the verb 'be', which becomes 'was' or 'were'.

​

​I was

He/She/It was

You/We/They were​

​Positive

The 'wh' questions with 'be' (the question word just goes at the beginning, everything else is the same).

​

​Why was I ...?

​How was he/she/it ...?

When were you/we/they ...?​

​'Wh' Questions

To make a question, just like the present simple, we change the position of 'was / were' and the subject.​

​

Was I ...?

Was he​/she/it ...?

Were you/we/they ...?​

​'Yes/No' Questions

​The Past Simple Tense with Other Verbs

We make the past simple just like the present simple except we use 'did' instead of 'do / does'.

​

It's really easy because 'did' doesn't change, even with 'he / she / it'.​

In the negative there aren't any irregular verbs. All verbs use 'did not (didn't) + infinitive':

​

​I did not/didn't walk

He/She/It did not/didn't rain

You/We/They did not/didn't​ eat

​Negative

​We usually make the positive by adding '-ed' to the infinitive. However, there are some irregular verbs, for example 'go' becomes 'went' and 'run' becomes 'ran'.

​

​​I walked (regular) - ate (irregular)

He/She/It cooked (regular) - drank (irregular)

You/We/They played (regular) - found (irregular)

​

​

​

​Positive

The 'wh' questions with 'be' (the question word just goes at the beginning, everything else is the same).

​

​Where did I go?

​What did he/she/it play?

How did you/we/they travel?​

​'Wh' Questions

Questions are also very easy. Just put 'did' before the subject, and the infinitive after it.

​

Did I cook?

Did he​/she/it listen?

Did you/we/they drink?​

​'Yes/No' Questions

​

​Make past simple questions.

​

​_____________ (I/see) you last week?

Did I see you ​

​​'Yes/No' Questions

​

​Make past simple with be.

​

​

​​Past Simple 'Be' Positive and Negative

​

​Try making the English past simple with 'be' - this grammar exercise includes both 'wh' and 'yes / no' question forms.

​

​

​'Wh' and 'Yes / No' Question Forms

​

​Make the past simple negative.

​

​

​Past Simple - Negative Form

​

​Make past simple questions.

​

​

​Past Simple - 'Wh' Questions