GRAMMAR: PAST SIMPLE
1.1. Past simple (regular and irregular verbs)
a. We use the Past Simple to talk about actions completed in the past.
E.g. I visited Malaysia in 2000
Yesterday she phoned me.
► In English there are regular verbs and irregular verbs. Watch this video to find the rules to form the Past Simple affirmative of regular verbs:
► The Past Simple of irregular verbs is irregular. We must learn it by heart (= a memoria).
For example, eat (infinitive) > ate (Past Simple)
You can find a list of the most common irregular verbs at this link:
http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-grammar/verbs/irregular-verbs
► Remember! The Past Simple is the same for all persons, we DON’T add –s to the third person.
E.g. I went to Japan two years ago.
She went to Japan two years ago.
They went to Japan two years ago.
► There is one exception: the verb “to be”. “To be” has two forms:
I, he, she, it WAS
you, we, they WERE
Watch this video:
b. To make the negative and interrogative form of the Past Simple, we need the auxiliary DID (=the past of DO). Watch this video to learn the rules:
► Remember! The Past Simple of the verb “to be” is special.
E.g. Affirmative You were at university yesterday.
Negative You weren’t (=were + not) at university yesterday.
Interrogative Were you at university yesterday?
Affirmative He was in Berlin last week.
Negative He wasn’t (=was not) in Berlin last week.
Interrogative Was he in Berlin last week?
c. Watch this video to find more examples of Past Simple: