Present and past tenses

Tense is the form of a verb that shows the time the action occurred

Present and past tenses

Present tense names an action that is occurring now or occurs regularly. John wins an award. Also expresses general truths… Michelle is funny.

If the subject is a singular noun like he, she or it, an –s is added to the verb. I walk you talk he talks they run

PAST TENSE Names an action that already happened Denny joined the team. Add an –ed to show that it is past tense.

Tale of mr. morton Tale of Mr. Morton in Song Tale of Mr. Morton in Song

Past Simple – things that have finished look looks looked talks talked

He passes he pass +ed he passed Yesterday he passed his exams.

She works work +ed She worked in a shop when she lived in Florida.

When doesn’t this work?

WHEN DOES THIS NOT WORK? When the infinitive word ends in –e, add –d She changes the nappy

Another exception – When the infinitive verb ends in a consonant, preceded by one vowel. Consonant letter is a letter that is NOT a vowel (letters a,e,i.o or u are vowels)

STOP double last consonant and add -ed I stop Yesterday, I stopped

Another example To plan planned I planned a trip to New York last year.

Another exception is when an infinitive ends in –c Then you add –ked For example panic =ked They panic Yesterday they panicked. She wrecked the car.

Last exception Infinitive ends in –y y turns into i and add –ed she carries carry carried Yesterday she carried the suitcase to the airport

When to use? When something has happened in the past and has finished for example: A few years ago I worked in the supermarket

2. Indicate a time in the past We lived in Holland in 1991.

3. Habit in the past I collected stamps when I was a child

4. Telling a story Once upon a time there was a farmer, who lived in a small village

So, when to use past simple? When something is completely finished

Have a look at the grammar sheet and try some exercises