Past simple

I can use the past simple tense with appropriate time expressions.

Past simple: regular verbs

v>id you have a good holiday?J Spelling rules: regular verbs

Most verbs: f -ed
ask-» asked start-»started

Verbs ending in -e: d

live lived hate -» hated

Verbs ending in vowel + -y: -ed

stay-ÿs tayed enjoy -» enjoyed
Verbs ending in consonant + -y: -> -ied
carry -» carri ed s tudy s tudied
Verbs ending in one vowel + one consonant:
double the consonant
plan->pla ned prefer-* prefe ed
We don't double the consonant when stress is not on
the last syllable.
listen -»listened

We don't double the consonant when it is -w, -x or -y.

relax -> relaxed snow -> snowed

We use the past simple to talk about actions that Pronunciation: -ed
finished in the past.
I started school in 20 7 0.
The -ed ending has three different pronunciations.
We didn't play football on Sunday.
'Did Molly phone yesterday? 'Yes, she did.
' '
/id/ after Id/, HI: started, ended, invited
What did you watch on TV? HI after IfI, Ikl, Ipl, Isl, ///, /tJ7: laughed, asked, watched
161 after other sounds: played, called, used

Write the past simple form of the verbs.

agree agreed
O | 2 ©O7.1 Listen to the final sound in the past
simple verbs from exercise 1. What do you ÿ§r
ask
hear? Write the words in the correct place.
close /id/ It 1
cry
dance
discover
enjoy
hate
miss /d/
9 need
agreed
10 plan
11 rain
12 stop
13 study
14 try
Unit 7 35
 3 Complete the sentences with the correct past Past simple: be
simple form of the verb in brackets.
ÿ It didn't raí*, on Sunday, (not rain) We use the past simple of be to talk about situations
that finished in the past.
1 Cathy_after the exam, (cry) He was a footballer.
2 _you_Tim to the concert? (invite) His parents were very angry.
3 My parents_English at school. The exam wasn,t difficult
'

(not study) Were you at school yesterday?/ 'No, I wasn't!

Where was James last week?
4 The train _ _ suddenly, (stop)
There was a lot of traffic in the street.
5 _ your grandparents_you at the
weekend? (visit)
6 I

(use)
_ Tom's phone to call my mum. 6 Circle the correct option.
ÿ The weather is good today, but yesterday
O
7 Katie _ _
the door for her teacher. it was / wasn't / were terrible.
(open) 1 I was / wasn't / weren't at school on Monday
8 What_ your mum_last night? because I was ill.
(cook)
2 William Shakespeare was / were / weren't a
9 Harry _ _
for me at the bus stop. famous writer.
(wait)
3 They was / wasn't / weren't on the bus; they
10 I really - that meal, (enjoy) were on the train.

4 We enjoyed the meal. We was / were / weren't

Work in pairs. Ask your partner questions
very hungry!
about yesterday and complete the table.
Write a tick ÿor a cross x. 5 There was / wasn't / weren't any milk in the
fridge. It was empty.
play sport 6 You was / were / wasn't tired yesterday. Are you
OK today?
tidy your room
7 I didn't have an omelette. There was / wasn't /
use a computer ÿ
weren't any eggs in the cupboard.
walk to school 8 Mike was happy because the exam was / wasn't /
'
weren t very difficult.
get maths homework
9 Those people were / wasn't / weren't students;
eat chocolate
they were teachers!
10 The school was / wasn't / were very noisy at
üúd you use a computer yesterday? two o'clock but now it's very quiet.

Yes, i did.

5 Write two true sentences and two

false sentences about your partner in
exercise 4. Work with a new partner.
Ask them to guess the false sentences.

javÿe didn't use a computer yesterday.

lint's false, i tWin\zjane

"
f

used a computer yesterday.

36 Past simple
%7 o 7.2 Write the words in the correct order to utri iu
Past simple: irregular verbs
make questions. Then listen and check.
ÿ your parents/were/angry
Were you.r parents atvary? _
o There are no rules for the affirmative past simple
form of irregular verbs. You must learn each form
individually. See the list on page 176.
ÿ yesterday/Jo/where/was
go-* went buy-* bought take-* took have-* had
where was )o yesterda y? _

We went on holiday to Luxor in 2011.

1 good/the film/was My dad took a lot of photos there.

2 was / his name /what

We make the past simple negative and question forms
of irregular verbs like regular verbs. We use didn't and
did + the infinitive.
3 late /the bus /was
I was late, so I didn't have breakfast.
4 clean/were/their shoes
Did you buy a T-shirt?

5 the exam/was/when

6 grandfather / an engineer / your / was

* 9 Complete the crossword with the irregular
past simple forms.
O
7 your/were/where/trainers

8 any tourists / there / in the museum / were

9 you /were /why/tired

10 snow / any / there / was / in the mountains

8 Work in pairs. Student B: turn to page 170.

Student A: ask Student B questions and
complete text A. Then look at text B and
answer Student B s questions.
'

A Sam and Jack weren,t at school yesterday. They

_ at home.They_ill. Sam_
tired and he_in bed. Jack in bed.
He_on the sofa.They_ bored.
There a lot to do.

were saK*, ai-vdjacte at school yesterday?

No, they weren't.

B Saturday was a nice day. It was very hot. Lucy Down Across
'
and Sara weren t at the beach. They were at get 3 spend
the shops. Lucy was happy, because the shops become 4 come
'
weren t busy. Sara wasn't happy. She was bored take 5 go
'

and hungry but there wasn t a good café. buy 7 break

8 make 10 have

was .Saturday a vúce day? 9 find 11 forget

12 leave 13 read

yes. It was.

Unit 7 37
*
1C Circle the correct option. *1 3 Work in pairs. Look at the pictures of
ÿ Richard didn't play / don't played football Katy's day. Ask and answer questions
yesterday. about Katy.
1 Emma went/goed to Australia.
2 Did you broke/break my computer?
3 Sarah didn't send / didn't sent me a postcard.
4 My team won / win the competition last year.
5 When did Libby's grandfather die / died?
6 Suzy not see / didn't see the cyclist.
7 Leo drunk / drank a litre of water after the match.

8 What time did you wake / do you woke up?

9 We hadn't / didn't have a good day at school.
10 Did you / Did you do the maths homework
yesterday?

Complete the first part of Harry's story with the

past simple forms of the verb in brackets.

Everything went (go) wrong yesterday.

11_(get) up late, because my brother
2
_ (not set) the alarm clock. 13_
(have) a shower but the water4_(be)
cold. 1f_(leave) the house at 8.30, so of
course I f_(miss) the bus. 17_(walk)
to school. It8_(take) me 30 minutes, and ÿ what time/wake up
1®_(not arrive) on time. My teacher was 1 how/travel to the shops
angry and '°_(give) me a detention. 2 what/buy
3 who /meet
In the morning, we ,'_(have) a listening 4 what / eat at the café
test in French. 1'2_(not understand)
5 when/get home
anything and 1,3_(get) all the answers
wrong!
what tívu¿ did \cat\¿ wa ee up?
t

p2 O7.3 Complete the end of Harry's story with the she wotee up atj o'clock..
past simple forms of the verbs in the box. Listen
and check. m¡ÍJ
be not come feel get have not enjoy
* 14 O 7.4 Now listen to Katy's description of her
make rain stay

In the afternoon, we had

wait walk

a PE lesson, but it
day and look again at the pictures in exercise 13.
Are the pictures true or false? Write sentences.
©
1
_ and 12_very wet. Normally I love ÿ The picture is false .
PE but 13_it yesterday. 3he didn't watee up at eight o'clock.. _

1 The picture is_

14_at school for an extra hour because of
my detention. Then 15_at the bus stop for 2 The picture is
the bus but itf_1'_home.

My parents®_ worried because I was late. 3 The picture is

But my mum9_ _
a nice dinner. 1'°_
much better after that! 4 The picture is

5 The picture is

38 Past simple
Time expressions Write about yourself and the events in
exercise 16. Use time expressions.
We often use time expressions to say when something I was bom, o\a, ...
happened. We use them with the past simple when
we talk about an action or situation which is finished. i started prlm-flry school ItA, ...
in: I started school in 20 7 0.
last: They moved house last year.
yesterday: I inished the book yesterday.
f

on: They arrived in Mumbai on 24 January.

ago: She broke her arm three weeks ago.
iíl 8 Read the text. Rewrite the phrases in bold in a
We put the time before ago, not after it. different way. Use the words in the box and last
I went to China two years ago. or ago.
I went to China ago two years.
month one hour six months three years
two days week year
* 15 Tick (ÿ)the correct word to complete the
expressions. O
ÿ _
week

ago [ ] in [ last 0 on ÿ

_
18 July.
ago ÿ in ÿ last ÿ on ÿ
2 two years_

ago ÿ in ÿ last ÿ on ÿ
3 _year

ago ÿ in ÿ last ÿ on ÿ
4 six weeks_

It is 2 o'clock on 13 July 2005.1 arrived home in

ago ÿ in ÿlast ÿ on ÿ
London at one o'clock, after my rescue from a
5 _11 November desert island.
'
ago [ ! in [ last [ on ÿ In 2002 I left home in a boat, to sail around the
world. But bad weather destroyed my boat and I
6 _2010 had to swim to an empty island.
ago ÿ in ÿlast ÿ on ÿ 1 didn,t see anyone for two years.Then iin 2004,1
'

saw a boat. I waved but the people didn t see me.

7 four days_
3lnJanuary 2005,1 became very ill and nearly
ago ÿ in ÿ last [ on ( died. But then "on 18 June 2005,1 saw a plane. It

SI 6 O 7.5 Listen to Fred talking about important

events in his life. Match the events 1-7 to the time
O was flying very low. I waved and the pilot saw me!
&On 7 July, a boat arrived at the island and we
expressions a-h. sailed to a big island with an airport. ®On 11 July, I
ÿ was born c\
took a plane back to London.
a five years ago
1 started primary school b in 2006
2 learnt to read c three years ago ÿ ovÿl hour ago 4
3 first went to the cinema _ d in 2007 5
1 _
4 started language lessons e last year 6
2 _
5 started secondary school f in 2005
3 _
6 meet his best friend g on 7 May, 2000
7 gota mobile phone _ h in 2012

Unit 7 39
;; : 19 o 7.6 Complete with the past simple forms of Work in pairs. Think about a bad day that

Q
'
the verbs in brackets. Then listen and check. you had recently. Answer your partner s
(you/have) a questions, and ask about his or her
Ben v>id you Wave _

good weekend? bad day.

Jack No. Not really. WheiA, did it hflfypei'v?
Ben Why not?
Jack Well,,_ (Robert it was 1\a> May last year.
and I / decide) to go cycling. But
2
- (we/get) lost. were you aiotÿe?
Ben How'_
(that/happen)? No. I was with m,y sister, Ayva.
Jack Well,4_(we/not/
have) a map.5_
(Robert/forget) to bring it. And then it ;;:22 Write a description of your day from
started to rain.
®
f exercise 21.
Ben _
(you/get) really
wet?
it was lt-v May last year. My sister Avÿrx aiÿd
Jack Yes, especially Robert.'_ decided to go sho"}ypli-vg. it started ok. we ...
(he/not/have) a coat. But that wasn't
the worst thing. The chain on my bicycle
8
_
(break).
Ben Oh no.
9
Jack _
(we/not/know)
what to do. My'°_
(phone/not/work) because we couldn't get
a signal. We looked for a car, but
1,
(there/not/be)
T Self-evaluation Rate your progress. j
_

any cars on the road.

Ben So what,2_ * * & *
(you/do)? 1
13
Jack (we/walk) 2
for an hour. In the end, 3
14 - (we/come) 4
to a village and phoned my dad. 5
,®
(he/drive)
H
_

to meet us m the car.

16
(he/not/be) 8
happy! 9
10
* 20 Look at the questions in exercise 19. Use words 11
from the table to write more past simple 12
questions about a bad day. 13
14
When... Who... happen see 15
What... Where... go do meet 16
How... Why... decide get 17

Were... afraid nervous 18

Was... alone late 19
20

wheuv did It hcrppeiA>? why did you. decide that? 21

22

40 Past simple