The past simple talks about a finished action in the past. With regular verbs, we add -ed to the base form. The form is the same for I, you, he, she, we and they.
Look at the three basic forms in the table.
Form
Structure
Example
Affirmative (+ )
Subject + verb-ed
I played tennis.
Negative (−)
Subject + did not (didn't) + base verb
I didn't play tennis.
Question (?)
Did + subject + base verb + ?
Did you play tennis?
Short answer
Yes, I did. / No, I didn't.
Yes, I did.
Two important rules:
In negative and question sentences, the verb goes back to the base form. We use did / didn't, and the main verb does not have -ed. So: I didn't play (NOT I didn't played).Did you play? (NOT Did you played?)
Common time phrases: yesterday, last week, last weekend, last Monday, two days ago, in 2020.
Spelling notes:
Most verbs: add -ed → play → played, work → worked.
Verbs ending in -e: add -d → live → lived.
Verbs ending in a consonant + y: change y to i and add -ed → study → studied.
Use the past simple when the action is finished. The time phrase tells the listener when it happened.
Generating translation…
I worked late yesterday.
Affirmative: subject + verb-ed.
She didn't cook dinner last night.
Negative: didn't + base verb (no -ed).
Did you visit your grandparents last weekend?
Question: did + subject + base verb.
Required
Look at the questions above. What comes after 'Did' + subject?
the verb with -ed
the base verb
didn't
Required
I ___ (play) football last Saturday.
Required
She ___ (not watch) TV yesterday.
Required
___ you ___ (study) English last week?
Required
In 'I didn't played tennis', the grammar is correct.
After 'didn't' we use the base verb, not the -ed form. The correct sentence is 'I didn't play tennis'.
Required
Put the words in order to make a past simple sentence.
She
cleaned
her
room
last
Sunday.
Drag the correct past form to complete each sentence.
Listening
Listening
6
cards
You are going to listen to a short conversation between two friends, Mia and Sam. They are talking on the phone on Sunday evening. Mia wants to know what Sam did last weekend.
Sam is telling her about his Saturday and Sunday: he played football, he watched a film, he visited his sister, and he cooked dinner. Listen for the time phrases (on Saturday, yesterday, last weekend) and the past simple verbs (played, watched, visited, cooked).
Before you listen: what do you usually do at the weekend? Do you play sport, visit family, or watch films? This will help you understand Sam's answers.
While you listen, try to answer:
What did Sam do on Saturday morning?
What did he watch on Saturday night?
Who did he visit on Sunday?
What did he cook?
Generating translation…
Mia calls Sam on Sunday evening to ask about his weekend.
M
MiaHi Sam! How was your weekend?
S
SamHi Mia! It was great, thanks. I did a lot of things.
M
MiaOh, really? What did you do on Saturday?
S
SamOn Saturday morning, I played football with my friends in the park.
M
MiaThat sounds fun! What did you do in the evening?
S
SamI watched a film at home. It was a comedy.
M
MiaNice. And what about Sunday?
S
SamOn Sunday, I visited my sister. We cooked lunch together.
M
MiaWhat did you cook?
S
SamWe cooked pasta and a salad. It was delicious.
Required
What is the conversation mainly about?
Sam's weekend activities
Sam's new job
Mia's holiday plans
Required
What did Sam do on Saturday morning?
He watched a film.
He played football.
He visited his sister.
Required
Sam cooked pasta and a salad with his sister on Sunday.
In the dialogue, Sam says: 'On Sunday, I visited my sister. We cooked pasta and a salad together.'
Required
Sam ___ (watch) a comedy film on Saturday evening.
Pronunciation
Pronunciation
6
cards
The ending -ed in past simple verbs has three different sounds: /ɪd/, /t/ and /d/. The sound depends on the last sound of the base verb.
Rule 1: /ɪd/ — after verbs that end in /t/ or /d/. We add a full extra syllable.
vis-it-ed → /ˈvɪz.ɪ.tɪd/ — visited
want-ed → /ˈwɒn.tɪd/ — wanted
need-ed → /ˈniː.dɪd/ — needed
Rule 2: /t/ — after verbs that end in a voiceless sound (p, k, f, s, sh, ch). No extra syllable.
play-ed → /pleɪt/ — played
work-ed → /wɜːkt/ — worked
walk-ed → /wɔːkt/ — walked
cook-ed → /kʊkt/ — cooked
Rule 3: /d/ — after verbs that end in a voiced sound (vowels and most other consonants: b, g, l, m, n, r, w, y, z). No extra syllable.
clean-ed → /kliːnd/ — cleaned
watch-ed → /wɒtʃt/ — watched
study → studied → /ˈstʌ.did/ — studied
live-ed → /lɪvd/ — lived
How to make the sound:
/t/: put your tongue behind your top teeth, push air out without using your voice. Touch a finger to your throat — you should feel no vibration.
/d/: same tongue position, but now turn your voice on. Your finger on your throat will feel vibration.
/ɪd/: relax your mouth and add a quick short 'id' at the end.
A simple test: put your hand on your throat. If it vibrates, the ending is /d/. If it does not vibrate, the ending is /t/. If you hear an extra syllable, it is /ɪd/.
Generating translation…
Three sounds for -ed: /t/ after voiceless (played), /d/ after voiced (cleaned), /ɪd/ after /t/ or /d/ (visited). Touch your throat: vibration = /d/, no vibration = /t/, extra syllable = /ɪd/.
Required
Listen. Which word do you hear?
walked
worked
Required
Say the word. The -ed is /t/, like a soft 't'. No vibration in your throat.
played
Required
Say the word. The -ed is /d/. Feel the vibration in your throat.
cleaned
Required
Say the word. The -ed is /ɪd/ — an extra syllable, 'vi-zi-tid'.
visited
Reading
Reading
6
cards
In this section you will read a short social media post from a person called Leo. He is writing about his week.
Reading strategy — Skimming: When you skim a text, you read it quickly to get the general idea. You do not read every word. Look at the title, the first line and the last line. Don't stop on new words — try to understand the main message.
Reading strategy — Scanning: When you scan, you look for specific information (a name, a number, a day). Move your eyes quickly until you find the word or detail you need. This is useful for answering detail questions.
Key words to look for in the post:
busy (having a lot to do)
tired (needing rest or sleep)
relax (to rest and feel calm)
meeting (a work appointment)
After you read, you will answer one question about the main idea and a few questions about specific details.
Generating translation…
Last week was very busy, but I enjoyed it. I worked in the office on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. I had an important meeting on Tuesday afternoon. On Thursday evening, I studied English at home for two hours. On Friday, I cleaned my flat
Read Leo's post. Skim it first for the main idea, then scan for details.
Required
What is the post mainly about?
Leo's holiday in another country
Leo's activities last week
Leo's favourite films
Required
Leo had a meeting on Wednesday afternoon.
Leo says he had an important meeting on Tuesday afternoon, not Wednesday.
Required
What did Leo do on Thursday evening?
He played tennis.
He studied English.
He cooked dinner for his friends.
Required
Leo played tennis with his brother on Saturday.
The post says: 'On Saturday, I played tennis with my brother.'
Speaking
Speaking
7
cards
Now it is your turn to speak about last week. First, listen to a short model conversation, then practise the key sentences, and finally have a live conversation with the AI.
Useful phrases for talking about last week:
English
When to use it
How was your week?
to start a conversation
It was busy / great / OK.
to give a short answer
I played football on Saturday.
to say what you did
I didn't do much.
to say your week was quiet
Did you … ?
to ask about the other person
I visited my family.
to give more detail
On Friday, I cooked dinner.
to say when you did it
That sounds nice!
to react
Remember the structure: time phrase + subject + verb-ed.On Monday, I worked late. On Tuesday, I studied English. On Saturday, I played tennis.
Try to use at least three past simple verbs when you speak, and use a time phrase with each one: yesterday, last week, on Monday, on Saturday, last weekend.
Generating translation…
Two friends talk about their week. Listen to the model.
E
EmmaHi Tom! How was your week?
T
TomIt was really busy. I worked every day.
E
EmmaDid you do anything fun on the weekend?
T
TomYes! On Saturday, I played football. On Sunday, I visited my parents.
E
EmmaThat sounds nice!
On Saturday, I played football with my friends.
The model sentence: time phrase + subject + verb-ed.
Required
Read this sentence aloud. Use the past simple: worked, studied.
Last week, I worked in the office and studied English at home.
Required
Read this sentence aloud. Try to use natural rhythm and connect the ideas.
On Saturday, I played tennis and watched a film in the evening.
Required
You are chatting with a friend on Sunday evening. Answer the questions and ask about your friend's week too. Use past simple: played, watched, worked, studied, visited, cooked, walked, cleaned.
Required
Vocabulary
Vocabulary
6
cards
When we talk about the past in English, we often use regular verbs. A regular verb adds -ed to the base form: play → played, work → worked, visit → visited. These verbs are very useful for talking about last week, yesterday or last weekend.
Look at the table. Each verb has a base form and a past form. Read the example sentence and notice the time phrase (last week, yesterday, on Monday) that tells us the action finished in the past.
Word (base → past)
Part of speech
Meaning
Example sentence
play → played
verb
to do a sport or game
I played football on Saturday.
watch → watched
verb
to look at a film or TV
She watched a film last night.
visit → visited
verb
to go to see a place or person
We visited my grandparents last Sunday.
work → worked
verb
to do a job
He worked late yesterday.
study → studied
verb
to learn at school or home
They studied English last week.
cook → cooked
verb
to make food
I cooked dinner on Friday.
walk → walked
verb
to go on foot
We walked to school yesterday.
clean → cleaned
verb
to make something tidy
She cleaned her room last weekend.
The past form is the same for every subject: I played, you played, he played, we played. The verb does not change with the person, only the time changes. You will use these verbs a lot when you describe your week.
Generating translation…
Meet the past simple forms. You will use them to talk about last week.
cleanedkliːnd
Made something free from dirt, marks, or mess by washing, brushing, or wiping it.
cookedkʊkt
Prepared by heating; having been cooked. Describes food that has been prepared by boiling, frying, baking, gri
playedpleɪd
The past tense of play. It means to have taken part in a game or activity, to have performed on a musical inst
studiedˈstʌdid
Past simple and past participle of 'study'. It means to have spent time learning about a subject by reading, g
visitedˈvɪzɪtɪd
Went to see someone or a place, especially for a short period of time.
walkedwɔːkt
Past tense of walk; to have moved on foot at a steady pace
watchedwɒtʃt
The past tense of watch, meaning to look at or observe someone or something over a period of time.
workedwɜːkt
Past tense of work; performed labor or activity; did a job or task over a period of time.
Required
Match each past form with its base form.
Match each past form with its base form.
played
watched
visited
worked
studied
cooked
play
watch
visit
work
study
cook
I played football with my friends last weekend.
Read and listen. Notice the time phrase 'last weekend'.
