Lesson

4 Past simple

A Past simple: be and have/have got

Verb be Verbs have/have got
I/he/she/it + was we/you/they + were I/he/she/it/we/you/they + had
 I was away last week. We were tired last night.  I had an interview You had a big breakfast.
yesterday.
He wasnt worried. You werent at school.
He didnt have any pets. We didnt have any books.
 Was he disappointed? Were you tired?
 Did she have the money? Did they have lunch?
Yes, he was. Yes, I was.
Yes, she did. Yes, they did.
s No, he wasnt. No, I wasnt.
s No, she didnt No, they didnt.
1 The Past simple forms of the verb be are was and
were. 1 The Past simple of both have and have got is the
same: had for all persons.
Unlike Italian, in English we always use the Past
I have/have got a dog.
simple of be (was and were) with born.
When I was younger, I had a dog.
Shakespeare was born in 1564.
NOT I had got a dog.
NOT Shakespeare is born in 1564.
2 We form negative sentences, questions and short
answers for both have and have got in the past
using the auxiliary did/didnt.
I didnt have a dog. NOT I hadnt got a dog.

B Past simple: regular and irregular verbs

I/he/she/it/we/you/they 3 We form negative sentences, questions and short
answers for both regular and regular verbs using the
 I listened to the CD. They bought some DVDs.
auxiliary did/didnt + the base form of the verb.
He didnt speak to me. We didnt like the film.
Unlike Italian, in English we put prepositions at the
 Did you go home? Did they see John? end of questions, not at the beginning.
Yes, I did. Yes, they did. Who did you talk to? NOT To who did you talk?
s No, I didnt. No, they didnt.
Spelling rules
1 We use the Past simple to talk about finished actions Regular verbs: + -ed stay stayed
or situations in the past. We often use it with past
Verbs which end in -e: + -d like liked
time expressions such as yesterday, last month,
two days ago. Verbs which end in consonant + -y: -y becomes
I watched a good film last night. -ied study studied
2 We use the same form for all persons in the Verbs which end in consonant + vowel +
affirmative for both regular and regular verbs. We consonant: double the final consonant
form the affirmative Past simple of most regular stop stopped
verbs by adding -ed. (See the spelling rules.) Irregular verbs: buy bought go went
Note: There are lots of verbs which are irregular in do did make made see saw
the Past simple.

C Subject and object questions (present and past)

Interrogative Auxiliary Subject Base 1 When questions in the Present simple and Past
pronoun verb form simple begin with What, Who or Which, the
question word can refer to the object or the subject
What do you do?
of the question. When the question word refers to
Which book did he buy?
the subject of the verb:
Who did they meet? we do not use do/does/did;
the word order of the question is the same as an
Subject Verb Object/Clause
affirmative sentence.
What happened to you?
Where did Maria go? (Where = object)
Who went with you? Who saw Maria? (Who = subject)
Which bus leaves first?
2 We often answer subject questions with just the
subject + do/does/did.
Who saw Maria? I did.
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 Lesson

4
A Past simple: be and have/have got
1 Complete the sentences with the Past simple 2 Translate the sentences into English in your
of be or have/have got. exercise book.
1 Pete was very tired after his exam 1 Dove sei nato?
yesterday. Where were you born?
2 We (not) any pets when we were 2 Chi cera al concerto sabato?
young. 3 Paul ha avuto un problema con la sua macchina.
3 (Mike) at Sues party last night? 4 Non erano alla riunione stamattina.
4 (Dan) breakfast this morning? 5 Hai fatto una festa per il tuo compleanno?
5 She didnt go out as she a 6 Quando nacque Dante Alighieri?
temperature. 7 Io e mio fratello siamo nati a Torino.
6 He (not) very interested in the lesson. 8 Non avevamo tempo di vedere tutto.

B Past simple: regular and irregular verbs

3 Choose the correct alternative. 4 Complete the text with the correct form of
1 We stayed/staied in Germany for three weeks. the Past simple of the verbs in the box.
2 I not want/didnt want to go to the theatre. comment go realise cost stop
3 Did they to go/go to the match last night? arrive have to ask want eat
4 Sean visit/visited his aunt in hospital when she be (x3) can miss
was ill. My friend and I 1 went to the cinema last
5 The family gived/gave us some food and drink. night. There 2 a French film on that we
6 The gang robbed/robed two banks in the town 3
to see. We 4
a little late
centre. because we 5 the first bus, so we
7 Did you like your meal? No, I not like/didnt.
6
sit right at the back behind a very tall
8 With who did you go on holiday with? man. Anyway, we 7 the film was in
9 My mum travelled/traveld to Canada on her French with subtitles so we 8
see them!
own. Then the people on the left of us 9
10 I wrote/writed a poem for my sister for her crisps and popcorn the whole time and the
birthday. people on the right 10 on everything that
happened. They 11
very irritating and
11 Did you readed/read that book I gave you? 12
even when we 13 them to.
12 I dreamt/dreamd about you last night!
The tickets 14 5.50 and it 15
even a very good film. The next time, Ill get a DVD!

C Subject and object questions (present and past)

5 Reorder the words to make sentences. 6 Write a subject and object question for each
1 broke my who tennis racket ? of these answers. Use who, which or what.
Who broke my tennis racket? 1 Who broke a plate?/What did you break?
2 my what keys with do you did ? I broke a plate.
2
3 go where did dinner for you ? Jennifer got the prize.
3
4 film which want see you do to ? The number 6 bus goes to the train station.
4
5 with who come wants me to ? I walked home with Simon.
5
6 you which admire do person famous ? Katie saw Ligabue.
6
7 king had eight English which wives ? Jane Austen wrote Pride and Prejudice.

8 party the what at happened ?