1. To make a past tense verb, you aspirate (add an h) the root form if possible.
Chuir mi suas mo làmh I put up my hand
Dhùin e an doras He closed the door
Sheas I suas She stood up

2. Verbs that begin with l, n, r, sg, sm, sp, st cannot be aspirated and therefore do not change in the past tense.
Leugh mi an leabhar I read the book
Nìgh mi m’ fhalt I washed my hair
Ruith sinn dhan sgoil We ran to the school

3. Verbs beginning in vowels begin with dh’ in the past tense.
Dh’òl mi fada cus. I drank far too much
Dh’ith sinn ar dìnnear We ate our dinner
Dh’èist an tidsear rium The teacher listened to me

4. Verbs beginning with f begin with dh’ and are also aspirated.
Dh’fhuirich I fichead mionaid
She waited twenty minutes
Dh’fhosgail mi an uinneag
I opened the window
Dh’fheuch mi ri chuideachadh
I tried to help him

5. Put these verbs into the past tense
Suidh Shuidh
Cuir Chuir
Èist Dh’èist
Sgrìobh Sgrìobh
Snàmh Shnàmh
Leugh Leugh
Òl Dh’òl
Ruith Ruith
Fosgail Dh’fhosgail
Cluich Chluich

6. Using your rules, complete the following sentences
…………mi an doras I opened the door
…………sinn dhan sgoil We walked to school
…………iad ball-basgaid They played basketball
………….i aig ceithir uairean She swam at four o’clock
…………. e aig an taigh He stayed at the house
…………..thu mo bhracaist You ate my breakfast

7. Freagairtean Dh’fhosgail mi an doras I opened the door
Choisich sinn dhan sgoil We walked to school
Chluich iad ball-basgaid They played basketball
Shnàmh i aig ceithir uairean She swam at four o’clock
Dh’fhuirich e aig an taigh He stayed at the house
Dh’ith thu mo bhracaist You ate my breakfast

8. Translate the sentences
I ran yesterday
We drank juice
She travelled to China
He caught the ball
They ate dinner at five

9. Freagairtean Ruith mi an-dè Dh’òl sinn sùgh Shiubhail I gu Sìona
Ghlac e am ball