A2 Elementary Past tenses
Past simple — regular verbs
Lesson goal. After this lesson you can talk about finished past actions with regular verbs and spell the -ed ending correctly.
When to use it
- Actions that started and finished in the past: I watched a film last night.
- Telling a sequence of events: I finished my homework, then I called Nam.
- With past time markers: yesterday, last week, two days ago, in 2019.
Form
| Subject | Verb | Example |
|---|---|---|
| every subject — I, you, he, she, we, they | verb + -ed | She worked late. · They worked late. |
| no change for the person | No -s is added, unlike the present simple. |
Step by step
- Look for a past time marker: yesterday, last…, … ago.
- Take the base verb.
- Check the last letters to spell the ending correctly.
- Remember: the past simple uses one form for every subject.
Spelling and pronunciation of -ed
| Verb ends in | Add | Example |
|---|---|---|
| most verbs | + ed | work → worked · watch → watched |
| -e | + d | like → liked · live → lived |
| consonant + y | drop y, + ied | study → studied · try → tried |
| vowel + y | + ed | play → played · enjoy → enjoyed |
| 1 vowel + 1 consonant (one syllable) | double the consonant | stop → stopped · plan → planned |
| pronunciation | /t/ · /d/ · /ɪd/ | worked /t/ · played /d/ · wanted /ɪd/ |
Examples
I watched a film last night.
She studied French for two years.
We arrived at eight o'clock.
They stopped the game because of the rain.
My brother helped me with my homework.
He lived in Hue when he was a child.
Common mistakes
Yesterday I go to the market. → Yesterday I went to the market.
Vietnamese marks the past with a time word and leaves the verb alone. English must change the verb even when a time marker is already there.
She studyed hard. → She studied hard.
Consonant + y: drop the y and add -ied.
He workeds late. → He worked late.
The past simple never changes with the subject and never takes -s.
Memory tip
The -ed ending only becomes a separate syllable (/ɪd/) after a /t/ or /d/ sound — wanted, needed. Otherwise it blends in.
Summary
- Past simple = verb + -ed, the same for every subject.
- -e → +d · consonant + y → -ied · one-syllable CVC → double the consonant.
- With yesterday, last…, … ago you must use the past.
Practise this lesson
Do exercises with an explanation for every question, take mini tests and track your progress on GrammUp.