Past Simple There are two types of verbs: regular and irregular Over 2,000 years ago, Shi Huangdi completed the Great Wall of China Stonehenge is about 4,800 years old But nobody knows who built it.
Regular verb forms Add -ed for all persons play played listen listened work worked After verbs ending in-e add -d live lived hope hoped
Spelling Doubling: One vowel + one consonant → double consonant + ed stop → stopped Two vowels → don’t double → seem → seemed Two consonants → don’t double → want → wanted Only double in stressed syllables → preFER → preferred WONder→ wondered
Spelling Verbs ending in –y vowel (a, e, o) + y → -yed play → played enjoy → enjoyed consonant (d, l, r, etc) +y → ied try → tried reply → replied Practice: Write the past tense of the following verbs: shop …… visit….. study….help….. answer…… develop…..comply…. refer….. cry…..annoy…..live……watch…..stay……like…..refer…..
Spelling check shop shopped …. visit visited …... study studied …..help helped answer answered ….. develop developed …..comply complied refer referred …. cry cried …..annoy annoyed …..live lived….. watch watched ……stay stayed …..like liked …..refer referred
irregular verbs There are lots of irregular verbs which you have to learn one by one. Verb TO BE I you he we she was they were it you Top 10 irregular verbs – the most common verbs. Learn these immediately!!! to be, to have, to do, to go, to say, to see, to take to get, plus the auxiliary verbs can and will.
learning irregular verbs memorise be – was, were have – had do – did go – went say – said see – saw take – took get – got can – could will - would http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u00f2oZJ_eA&feature=player_embedded Listen and repeat watch and listen to this video if that one seems boring, try this one: http://www.manythings.org/b/e/2315 Do grammar exercises Do exercises in grammar manual and extra exercises posted on Moodle.
simple past forms: negative Negative sentences with the verb to be. Was/were + not I was not (wasn’t) at work yesterday. They were not (weren’t) in the office at 6:00. Negatives with with all other verbs use did not/ didn’t + infinitive (without to) The meeting started early. The meeting didn’t start early. John went to Rome. John didn’t go to Rome.
simple past forms: interrogative Verb to be Was/ were + subject + rest of sentence Was Ms. Brown in the office yesterday? Were the goods delivered on time? All other verbs Did + subject + main verb + rest of sentence Did you answer Ms. Brown’s email? Yes, I did. or No, I didn’t
content questions Questinos that ask who, what, where, why, when, how, how much, how many Remember to use the acronym: Q A S I question word + auxiliary + subject + infinitive (main verb without ‘to’) What did you learn at the seminar? How did you get to Milan? How much did it cost? How many pieces did they order?