2.
Past Simple: regular and
irregular verbs
When do we use the Past Simple?
We use the Past Simple to talk about actions and situations
that finished in the past. We often mention when these
actions/ situations happened.
It rained in the city yesterday, but in
the mountains it snowed.
We took a lot of water with us when
we went to the desert two weeks ago.
Did you see the lightning? I didn’t
see it, but the noise of the storm
woke me up.
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Find the Past Simple forms in this text. How
many are regular? How many are irregular?
Last winter, we went on holiday to the
mountains. It snowed a lot during the week of
our holiday, and on the last day, an avalanche
fell on some people from our hotel. It all
happened very fast. Luckily, a team of
emergency workers found them and got them
out of the snow. Nobody died, but it really
scared me.
There are four regular Past Simple forms. Look!
There are four irregular Past Simple forms.
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How do we make the Past Simple of
regular and irregular verbs?
Past Simple: regular verbs Past Simple: irregular verbs
She sailed through a big storm. I saw a storm two days ago.
She didn’t sail in the Atlantic last I didn’t see any lightning. Time expressions
year. yesterday
Did she sail to the island Did you see the storm in 2017? two hours/days/weeks/years
yesterday? ago
last week/year/night
Some verbs have a in 2001
Some verbs are
regular Past Simple irregular. You have
form: to learn their Past
happen – happened Simple form.
move – moved
study – studied
travel – travelled
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Practice Time
Complete the sentences with the correct
form of the verbs in brackets.
1. I visited (visit) my aunt in August.
saw
2. I last _______________ (see) a rainbow two weeks ago.
rained
3. It _______________ (rain) a lot last summer.
took
4. I _______________ (take) a lot of photos on holiday.
studied
5. I _______________ (study) for the Maths test last night.
had
6. Amber _______________ (have) fried eggs for breakfast.
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