Past Simple exercises

Put the verbs into the correct form (past simple).

1. Last year I (spend)  my holiday in Ireland.
2. It (be)  great.
3. I (travel)  around by car with two friends and we (visit)  lots of interesting places.
4. In the evenings we usually (go)  to a pub.
5. One night we even (learn)  some Irish dances.
6. We (be)  very lucky with the weather.
7. It (not / rain)  a lot.
8. But we (see)  some beautiful rainbows.
9. Where (spend / you)  your last holiday?

 

1. It was warm, so I  off my coat. (take)

2. The film wasn't very good. I  it very much. (enjoy)

3. I knew Sarah was very busy, so I  her. (disturb)

4. I was very tired, so I  to bed early. (go)

5. The bed was very uncomfortable. I  very well. (sleep)

6. Sue wasn't hungry, so she  anything. (eat)

7. We went to Kate's house but she  at home. (be)

8. It was a funny situation but nobody  (laugh)

9. The window was open and a bird  into the room. (fly)

10. The hotel wasn't very expensive. It  very much. (cost)

11. I was in a hurry, so I  time to phone you. (have)

12. It was hard work carrying the bags. They  very heavy. (be)

B. Complete the exercise with the verbs inside the box. (simple past tense)

buy	catch	cost	drink
fall	hurt	sell	spend
teach	throw	win	write

1. Mozart  more than 600 pieces of music.

2. 'How did you learn to drive?' 'My father  me.'

3. We couldn't afford to keep our car, so we  it.

4. I was very thirsty. I  the water very quickly.

5. Paul and I played tennis yesterday. He's much better than me, so he

 easily.

6. Don  down the stairs this morning and  his leg.

7. Jim  the ball to Sue, who  it.

8. Ann  a lot of money yesterday. She 

a dress. It  100.

Exercises with was / were

Complete the sentences with was / were

1. How many people __________ at your house last weekend?

2. The book wasn´t difficult It __________ easy.

3. Those __________ my best jeans.

4. Dinosaurs __________ prehistoric animals.

5. __________ your friends at school yesterday?

6. Sandra __________ not at school yesterday.

7. You __________ nasty to me!

8. __________ your grandparents designers.

9. John and I __________ in the garden.

10. __________ your parents in the restaurant? Yes, they __________ .

11. My grandmother __________ a nurse. She wasn´t a doctor.

12. I __________ thin when I was 6 years old.

13. When I __________ younger, I played with teddy bears.

14. We __________ away on vacation last month.

15. __________ you at the cinema last night?

16. Ten years ago, I __________ a baby.

17. __________ the exam difficult?

18. The film __________ (not) exciting. It was boring.

19. __________ there many people at the party?

20. __________ the girls in the park? No, they __________ .

21. Her name wasn´t Kate. It __________ Isabel.

22. Paco wasn´t happy. He __________ sad.

23. __________ the boys at the football game? Yes, they __________ .

24. The books __________ (not) on the shelf. They were in the bookcase.

25. __________ Tom at a concert? Yes, he __________ . 

Complete the sentences with was / were

1. It wasn´t my dad´s birthday on Sunday, it __________ on Saturday.

2. The exercises weren´t easy, they __________ difficult.

3. My grandfather wasn´t a writer, he __________ a composer.

4. My cousins weren´t at the park, they __________ at the cinema.

5. Last night I wasn´t at home, I __________ at a party.

6. __________ the weather good yesterday?

7. What __________ your first class this morning?

8. __________ her sister at the party.

9. Who __________ his favourite film star?

10. Where __________ you last night?

11. __________ they interested in rap music?

12. Where __________ you yesterday?

13. I __________ (not) at home last night.

14. __________ your teacher at school? No, she __________ .

15. Why __________ (not) Marta at school?

16. We __________ (not) at a party last week.

17. __________ you at a concert last night?

18. The students __________ in London last summer.

19. __________ it sunny yesterday?

20. __________ Meg at the library? No, she __________ .

21. The Beatles__________ a pop group.

22. __________ your teacher ill yesterday?

23. We __________ at a party last week.

24. My mum __________ (not) at work yesterday.

25. __________ you cold last night? 

Complete the sentences with was / were

1. It __________ six o´clock when we got home.

2. __________ you still in bed when I phoned?

3. Edison __________ a famous inventor.

4. The weather __________ fine this morning.

5. He __________ sick yesterday.

6. Beethoven __________ a German composer.

7. There __________ a lot of people at our party yesterday.

8. Don´t blame him. It __________ my mistake.

9. He __________ not well yesterday.

10. __________ you at the party yesterday?

11. Sam __________ second in the race, __________ she?

12. Jack __________ (not) in London.

13. We __________ on the same school team.

14. Betty __________ (not) at the cinema.

15. We __________ the champions last year.

16. Victoria __________ (not) in the UK.

17. Mom and Dad __________ on vacation last week.

18. Sally and Mark __________ (not) at home.

19. There __________ a small lake here many years ago.

20. There __________ any clouds in the sky.

21. My friend __________ ill yesterday.

22. They __________ third in the race.

23. Mom __________ angry when she saw the broken vase.

24. The Romans __________ brave soldiers.

25. It __________ very wet on Monday. 

Complete the sentences with was / were

1. Picasso __________ a great artist.

2. She __________ (not) at home, she was at school.

3. __________ you at the park? Yes, I __________ .

4. Bill Gates __________ a student at Harvard University.

5. I __________ in bed at 9 o´clock this morning.

6. The math questions __________ (not) easy, they were difficult.

7. She __________ reading in bed at 11 o´clock last night.

8. The room __________ (not) big, it was small.

9. __________ it sunny yesterday?

10. Einstein __________ a great mathematician.

11. __________ English you favourite subject last year?

12. It __________ (not) cold, it was hot.

13. I __________ with my friends in the park.

14. The English exam __________ (not) difficult, it was OK.

15. Alexander __________ in a cinema in Oxford.

16. __________ it a good film?

17. Lamberto __________ with his family in Norway.

18. __________ they at home? No they __________ .

19. __________ your friends in Málaga? Yes, they __________ .

20. __________ you a good student last year? Yes, I __________ .

21. Silvia and her sister __________ at the zoo.

22. John and Teresa __________ on holiday in France.

23. __________ your sister at home? Yes, she __________ .

24. __________ famous people always good at school? No, they __________ .

25. __________ Antonio Banderas in Málaga last summer? 

Pasado simple del verbo 'to be'

Pasado simple del verbo 'to be'

Afirmativo

I was

You were

He was

She was

It was

We were

You were

They were

La forma afirmativa del pasado no se puede contraer.

Ejemplos

I was sleepy	Estaba adormilado
She was wrong	Estaba equivocada
We were happy	Éramos felices
They were teachers	Eran profesores

Negativo

Sujeto + was/were + not + ...

Forma larga	Forma corta
I was not	I wasn´t
You were not	You weren´t
He was not	He wasn´t
She was not	She wasn´t
It was not	It wasn´t
We were not	We weren´t
You were not	You weren´t
They were not	They weren´t

La forma negativa se puede contraer.

Ejemplos

I wasn´t married	No estaba casada
It was not windy	No hacía viento
We were not young	No éramos jóvenes
You weren´t our lawyers	No érais nuestros abogados

Interrogativo

Was/Were + Sujeto + ...?

Afirmativo	Negativo
Was I...?	Was I not...?
Were you...?	Were you not...?	Weren´t you...?
Was he...?	Was he not...?	Wasn´t he...?
Was she...?	Was she not...?	Wasn´t she...?
Was it...?	Was it not...?	Wasn´t it...?
Were we...?	Were we not...?	Weren´t we...?
Were you...?	Were you not...?	Weren´t you...?
Were they...?	Were they not...?	Weren´t they...?

Ejemplos

Was I late?	¿Llegaba tarde?
Weren´t you 18 years old?	¿No tenías 18 años?
Why wasn´t she here?	¿Por qué no estaba aquí?
Were they not afraid?	¿No tenían miedo?

Para los demás tiempos verbales 'to be' se comporta como un verbo ordinario.

I have been a good friend (Present Perfect).

I am being very patient (Present continuous).

I will be your wife (Future).

I can be your friend (con un verbo modal).

Ejercicios

1 Completa las siguientes oraciones con el pasado simple del verbo to be en forma afirmativa.

1 They  very happy.

2 I  very angry.

3 My friend Tom  in New York last summer.

2 Completa las siguientes oraciones con la forma contraída del verbo to be en pasado y en forma negativa.

4 You  at school last Monday.

5 He  fifteen years old.

6 Our houses  very old.

3 Completa las siguientes oraciones con el pasado del verbo to be en interrogativa afirmativa.

7  she a beatiful girl?

8 Where  my car?

4 Completa las siguientes oraciones con la forma contraída del verbo to be en pasado interrogativa.

9  we here last holidays?

10  it a nice present?

Puntuación:  

Past Simple - Grammar

The simple past expresses an action in the past taking place once, never, several times. It can also be used for actions taking place one after another or in the middle of another action.

Form of Past Simple

	Positive	Negative	Question
no differences	I spoke.	I did not speak.	Did I speak?

For irregular verbs, use the past form (see list of irregular verbs, 2nd column). For regular verbs, just add “ed”.

Exceptions in Spelling when Adding ‘ed’

Exceptions in spelling when adding ed	Example
* after a final e only add d	love – loved
* final consonant after a short, stressed vowel * a final consonant after a vowel is doubled	admit – admitted travel – travelled
* final y after a consonant becomes i	hurry – hurried

Use of  Past Simple

• action in the past taking place once, never or several times
  Example: He visited his parents every weekend.
• actions in the past taking place one after the other
  Example: He came in, took off his coat and sat down.
• action in the past taking place in the middle of another action
  Example: When I was having breakfast, the phone suddenly rang.
• if sentences type II (If I talked, …)
  Example: If I had a lot of money, I would share it with you.

Signal Words of Past Simple

• yesterday, 2 minutes ago, in 1990, the other day, last Friday
• If-Satz Typ II (If I talked, …)