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Unit 11 · Past

worked/got/went etc. (past simple)

Study

A
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They watch TV every evening. (present simple)

›

They watched TV yesterday evening. (past simple)

watched is the past simple:

I / we / you / they watched
he / she / it watched
B

The past simple is often -ed (regular verbs). For example:

work -> worked dance -> danced
clean -> cleaned stay -> stayed
start -> started need -> needed
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I clean my teeth every morning. This morning I cleaned my teeth.

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Terry worked in a bank from 2005 to 2011.

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Yesterday it rained all morning. It stopped at lunchtime.

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We enjoyed the party last night. We danced a lot and talked to a lot of people. The party finished at midnight.

Spelling (-> Appendix 5):

try -> tried study -> studied copy -> copied
stop -> stopped plan -> planned
C

Some verbs are irregular (= not regular). The past simple is not -ed. Here are some important irregular verbs (see also Appendix 2-3):

begin -> began fall -> fell leave -> left sell -> sold
break -> broke find -> found lose -> lost sit -> sat
bring -> brought fly -> flew make -> made sleep -> slept
build -> built forget -> forgot meet -> met speak -> spoke
buy -> bought get -> got pay -> paid stand -> stood
catch -> caught give -> gave put -> put take -> took
come -> came go -> went read -> read (red)* tell -> told
do -> did have -> had ring -> rang think -> thought
drink -> drank hear -> heard say -> said win -> won
eat -> ate know -> knew see -> saw write -> wrote

* pronounced 'red'

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I usually get up early, but this morning I got up at 9 o'clock.

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We did a lot of work yesterday.

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Caroline went to the cinema three times last week.

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James came into the room, took off his coat and sat down.

Exercises (5)

0/5 exercises checked
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11.1

Complete the sentences. Use a verb from the box.

cleandieenjoyfinishhappenopenrainstartstaywant
  1. 1
    I my teeth three times yesterday.example
  2. 2
    It was hot in the room, so I the window.
  3. 3
    The film was very long. It at 7.15 and at 10 o'clock.
  4. 4
    When I was a child, I to be a doctor.
  5. 5
    The accident last Sunday afternoon.
  6. 6
    The weather is nice today, but yesterday it all day.
  7. 7
    We our holiday last year. We at a very nice place.
  8. 8
    Anna's grandfather when he was 90 years old.
11.2

Write the past simple of these verbs.

  1. 1
    get -> example
  2. 2
    see ->
  3. 3
    play ->
  4. 4
    pay ->
  5. 5
    visit ->
  6. 6
    buy ->
  7. 7
    go ->
  8. 8
    think ->
  9. 9
    copy ->
  10. 10
    know ->
  11. 11
    put ->
  12. 12
    speak ->
11.3

Read about Lisa's journey to Madrid. Put the verbs in the correct form.

  1. 1
    Last Tuesday Lisa (1) from London to Madrid. She (2) up at 6 o'clock in the morning and (3) a cup of coffee. At 6.30 she (4) home and (5) to the airport. When she (6) there, she (7) the car, (8) to the airport building, and (9) in. Then she (10) breakfast at a cafe and (11) for her flight. The plane (12) on time and (13) in Madrid two hours later. Finally she (14) a taxi from the airport to her hotel in the centre of Madrid.example
11.4

Write sentences about the past (yesterday / last week etc.).

  1. 1
    James always goes to work by car.
    Yesterday example
  2. 2
    Rachel often loses her keys.
    She last week.
  3. 3
    Kate meets her friends every evening.
    She yesterday evening.
  4. 4
    I buy a newspaper every day.
    Yesterday I
  5. 5
    We often go to the cinema at weekends.
    Last Sunday we
  6. 6
    I eat an orange every day.
    Yesterday I
  7. 7
    Tom always has a shower in the morning.
    This morning he
  8. 8
    Our friends often come to see us.
    They last Friday.
11.5

Write sentences about what you did yesterday.

  1. 1
    1
    I went to the theatre.example
  2. 2
    2
  3. 3
    3
  4. 4
    4
  5. 5
    5
  6. 6
    6