1. Past tense, regular and irregular verbs.

Look at these examples of verbs with regular and irregular past tense.

I liked the movie.
Verb: like
Past tense: liked (regular verb)
I saw the movie last night.
Verb: see
Past tense: saw (irregular verb)

Which story below has only regular past tense verbs in it?


Story 1

This happened a long time ago. We were playing in a field near my house. We were cooking a pumpkin over a candle. My friend accidentally knocked the candle onto the ground and the grass started to burn. A short time later, the fire department arrived.

Story 3

Dear Lucy,

I like my new job, but last week something unexpected happened. I was working at night in my office on the tenth floor and suddenly the lights went out. The lift wasn't working. I went to the fire escape door, but it was locked. I went to the window. For three hours I was throwing pieces of paper out the window to people on the street. On the pieces of paper I wrote, "Help! I can't get out! Call the police!" Finally someone read a piece of paper and called the police. I was very tired and angry by then. The next day the people at work ....

2. Regular and irregular verbs.

Look at story 3 again. Drag the verbs in the past simple tense into the correct box.

3. Irregular verbs.

Complete the chart of irregular verbs and their past tenses.

Listen and repeat the verbs and their past tense.

For more information about irregular verbs see the Grammar Reference.

4. Past simple vs. past continuous.

For example:

I worked on the weekend. (Worked is a past simple form.)
I was working and the lights went out. (Was working is a past continuous form.)

How many past continuous forms can you find in this story?


Dear Lucy,

I like my new job, but last week something unexpected happened. I was working at night in my office on the tenth floor and suddenly the lights went out. The elevator wasn't working. I went to the fire escape door, but it was locked. I went to the window. For three hours I was throwing pieces of paper out the window to people on the street. On the pieces of paper I wrote, "Help! I can't get out! Call the police!" Finally someone read a piece of paper and called the police. I was very tired and angry by then. The next day the people at work ....

5. Past simple vs. past continuous.

Use the phrases to complete the rules.

6. Past simple vs. past continuous.

Choose the correct form of the verb to complete the sentences.

7. Missing verbs.

Complete the story using the verbs below. Type the correct form of the verbs into the boxes.

write happen go go go out read not work work call throw

 

For more information about past continuous forms see the Grammar Reference.

8. Questions.

Do you remember story 2 in READING? Match the questions to the answers.


9. Questions.

Put the questions in the correct box.

10. Subject questions.

Look at the example.

Who stopped the car?
The father stopped the car.

In this question who refers to the father, the subject of the sentence.

Which other questions in exercise 8 are about the subject?

For more information about subject questions see the Grammar Reference.

11. Word order.

Can you remember? Put the words in order to make the questions.

12. Write questions.

Write down the questions for the missing information in the sentences.



For example:

Somebody was born in a car. Who was born in a car?
Janet helped somebody. Who did Janet help?

 

1. Somebody is the baby's mother.
2. Sam met somebody at a party.
3. Somebody loves Nicole.
4. Nicole loves somebody.
5. Somebody drank all the milk.
6. Ana drank something.
7. Something stopped the car.
8. Somebody was working late.
9. John was doing something.

See answers

1. Who is the baby's mother?
2. Who did Sam meet at a party?
3. Who loves Nicole?
4. Who does Nicole love?
5. Who drank all the milk?
6. What did Ana drink?
7. What stopped the car?
8. Who was working late?
9. What was John doing?