Language summary 6

We use the simple past:

1. for actions which happened at a definite or stated time in the past; that is we know when they happened.

2. for actions which happened repeatedly in the past but don't happen any more. In this case we can use adverbs of frequency (always, often, usually, etc.)

3. for actions which happened immediately one after the other in the past.

4. to talk about people who are no longer alive.

Time expressions:

Yesterday, last night/week/month/year/Monday

Two days/weeks/years ago

· Remember that there are three possible pronunciations for the endings of regular verbs in the past in English. /t/ /d/ /id/

/Id/ when the verb ends in a /t/ or /d/ sound.

e.g. wanted, landed

/t/ when the verb ends in a /k/, /s/, /f/. /p/ sound and the and the sounds of ch, sh.

e.g. cooked, kissed, laughed, stopped, watched, washed

/d/ when the verb ends in any other sound.

e.g. arrived,prepared, showed

Write the simple past of the following verbs under the corresponding column depending on the way their past tense endings are pronounced.

List. study, walk, plan, open, close, look, carry, love, live, cry, dance, copy, step, drop, phone, add, clean, finish, accept, persuade, help

Irregular verbs must be learned.