Past Simple – Regular Verbs

A fun lesson for ESL students to learn about Past Simple rules for Regular Verbs. Learn natural vocabulary and expressions with ESL Conversations when you subscribe to our YouTube channel. Watch the ESL video to all about the past simple.

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ESL Video on the Past Simple

This lesson is based on the following video:

ESL Lesson on the Past Simple

In today’s lesson I will explain the past simple. In this video we will focus on regular verbs.

The past simple tense is used to talk about a completed action in a time before now.

The time of the action can be the recent past or the distant past.

It doesn’t matter how long the action lasted.

Just that the action is completed.

You use the simple past when talking about WHEN something happened. It’s linked with some past TIME expressions.

Examples on how to use the Past Simple

For example, we use it to talk about:

#1

Things using frequency.

I always listened to my parents.

I sometimes helped my brother.

I rarely called him.

#2

A definite point in time: last week, when I was a student… yesterday

I talked to him last week.

She watched a movie yesterday.

I studied hard when I was a student.

#3

An indefinite point in time: the other day, a long time ago

People used typewriters a long time ago.

He worked overtime the other day.

How do you form the past simple?

Regular past simple forms are formed by adding -ed to the infinitive of the verb.

For example:

Type – typed

Listen – listened

Play – played

BUT it’s not always that easy!

There are some spelling rules.

If a verb ends in -e, you add – d.

Like – liked

Agree – agreed

If a verb ends in a vowel and a consonant,

the consonant is usually doubled before adding -ed. 

Stop – stopped

Plan- planned

If a verb ends in -y, you take off the -y and add – ied

Try – tried

Carry – carried

But if the verb ends in a vowel and -y, you add – ed.

Play – played

Enjoy – enjoyed

The form doesn’t change for I, you, he, she, we, or they.

It’s the same for each.

I wanted…

He/she wanted …

We wanted …

They wanted …

For the negative we add the subject + did not + the verb.

You can also use the contraction didn’t instead of did not.

For example:

I did not (or didn’t) need help.

She did not (or didn’t) ask him any questions.

The verb BE is an exception; in this case we just add –n’t or –not after “was” or “were”.

Mackenzie was not (or wasn’t) on time.

They were not (or weren’t) happy about the bill.

For the interrogative we add did + subject + verb

Did they have a party?

Did she get the job?

The verb BE is an exception; in this case we use WAS or WERE.

Was she sick?

Were you home yesterday?

Let’s look at a few more examples of the most common everyday verbs.

Mary seemed tired yesterday.

Brittany continued to drink wine all night.

Max wanted a new phone.

Mackenzie changed the date of our meeting.

I played basketball when I was in high school.

You asked Frank to come to the party.

She needed more money to buy the car she wants.

They followed us to the restaurant.

That’s all for this lesson. Thanks for watching and see you next time!

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Reference: Gram5