Lesson: The Past Simple - All Forms + Examples & Exercises (1st year & common core)
What is the Past Simple?
Common Time Expressions for the Past Simple
Specific points in the past
- yesterday → I watched a film yesterday.
- last night / last week / last month / last year → She visited Fes last summer.
- ago (two days ago, a week ago, ten years ago…) → He left three days ago.
- in + past year/date → They got married in 2010.
- on + past day/date → I met her on Monday. / on the 5th of June.
Past periods
- when I was a child → I played football when I was a child.
- when I was younger → I didn't have a phone when I was younger.
- in the past → People travelled by horse in the past.
- a long time ago → Dinosaurs lived a long time ago.
Past events with a reference
- the other day → I saw him the other day.
- once (meaning "one time") → I once met a famous singer.
- back in + year/time → Back in 1999, I lived in Rabat.
💡 Tip for students: These expressions usually signal that the Past Simple is needed — they refer to a finished time, not connected to the present.
Regular Verbs
Definition: Verbs that form the past tense by adding -ed to the base form.
Rules for spelling:
- Most verbs: add -ed → play → played
- Verbs ending in -e: add -d → like → liked
- Consonant + y: change y to i and add -ed → study → studied
- One-syllable verbs (CVC pattern): double the final consonant + -ed → stop → stopped
Irregular Verbs
Definition: Verbs that do NOT follow the -ed rule. Their past tense forms must be memorized.
Examples:
- go → went
- eat → ate
- see → saw
Structure of Past Simple
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative | Subject + past verb | She visited her grandmother. |
| Negative | Subject + did not (didn't) + base verb | She didn't visit her grandmother. |
| Question | Did + subject + base verb? | Did she visit her grandmother? |
Most Common Irregular Verbs (for 1st Year Bac)
| Base Form | Past Simple | Base Form | Past Simple |
|---|---|---|---|
| be | was/were | go | went |
| become | became | have | had |
| begin | began | hear | heard |
| break | broke | leave | left |
| bring | brought | make | made |
| buy | bought | read | read (/red/) |
| choose | chose | run | ran |
| come | came | say | said |
| do | did | see | saw |
| drink | drank | sit | sat |
| eat | ate | speak | spoke |
| find | found | take | took |
| get | got | tell | told |
| give | gave | think | thought |
Examples
Regular Verbs:
- Yesterday, I watched a movie.
- He studied for the test.
Irregular Verbs:
- She went to the park last Sunday.
- We ate pizza for dinner.
Practice Exercises
A. Fill in the blanks with the correct past tense form.
1. I __________ (play) football yesterday.
2. She __________ (go) to school by bus.
3. They __________ (study) English last night.
4. We __________ (eat) couscous on Friday.
5. My father __________ (buy) a new phone.
B. Rewrite in the negative form.
1. He visited his uncle. → ___________________________
2. They saw the movie. → ___________________________
3. We cooked lunch. → ___________________________
C. Make questions.
1. She travelled to Paris. → ___________________________
2. They met their friends. → ___________________________
Extra Speaking Activity
Pair Work: Students ask and answer questions about last weekend using both regular and irregular verbs.
Example dialogue:
"What did you do last Saturday?"
"I visited my cousin and ate lunch with her."
Homework
Write a short paragraph (6–8 sentences) about what you did during your last holiday. Use at least 4 regular verbs and 4 irregular verbs.
