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A2 (Elementary)Writing

Writing About the Past

The simple past tense is how we write about finished actions and events - things that happened and are now complete. It is essential for telling stories, describing your day, and writing about your experiences. This lesson covers regular and irregular verbs and how to build past sentences.

The simple past tense is how we write about finished actions and events – things that happened and are now complete. It is essential for telling stories, describing your day, and writing about your experiences. This lesson covers regular and irregular verbs and how to build past sentences.

1. Regular verbs: add -ed

Most verbs form the past by adding -ed. The same form is used for every subject – no extra -s.

Present Past
work worked
play played
study studied (consonant + y → ied)
stop stopped (double the consonant)

2. Irregular verbs: you must learn them

Many common verbs do not add -ed. Their past forms must be memorised.

Present Past
go went
have had
see saw
eat ate
write wrote
be was / were

3. Was and were

Subject be (past)
I / he / she / it was
you / we / they were

4. Negatives and questions: didn’t / did

For negatives and questions, use did + the plain verb (no -ed).

  • I didn’t go to school. (not didn’t went)
  • Did you see the film? (not did you saw)
Past time wordsSignals of the past: yesterday, last night, last week, two days ago, in 2010, when I was young. These tell your reader the action is finished.
Tutor tipTwo habits fix most past-tense errors. (1) After didn’t and did, always use the plain verb: “I didn’t go,” never “didn’t went.” The word did already shows the past. (2) Do not add -ed to irregular verbs – “goed” and “eated” are not words; learn went and ate. Keep a small list of irregular verbs and review it often.

Examples from EduCareer

  • Yesterday Emma studied for three hours and wrote an essay.
  • James went to Dubai last week and saw his family.
  • Thomas didn’t come to class because he was sick.
Common mistakes

I goed home.  →  I went home.

She didn’t went.  →  She didn’t go.

Did you saw it?  →  Did you see it?

They was late.  →  They were late.

Check your understanding

Answer the questions below. You will see instantly if you are right.

1.How do most regular verbs form the past?
Regular verbs add -ed.
2.Past of "work":
work → worked.
3.Past of "study":
consonant + y → studied.
4.Past of "stop":
Double the consonant: stopped.
5.Past of "go":
Irregular: go → went.
6.Past of "see":
Irregular: see → saw.
7.Past of "eat":
Irregular: eat → ate.
8."I ___ tired yesterday."
I → was.
9."They ___ late."
they → were.
10.Make it negative: "I went home."
didn’t + plain verb: didn’t go.
11.Which question is correct?
did + plain verb: did you see.
12.Which is a past time word?
"yesterday" signals the past.
13.Past of "write":
Irregular: write → wrote.
14.Fix: "She didn’t went."
After didn’t, use the plain verb: go.
15."James ___ to Dubai last week."
Past of go = went.
16.Past of "have":
Irregular: have → had.
17.Which sentence is correct?
was (he) + didn’t come (plain verb).
18.Do regular past verbs change with he/she/it?
The -ed form is the same for every subject.
19.Fix: "They was happy."
they → were.
20.Which sentence is fully correct?
studied (regular) + wrote (irregular).

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