Lesson 5
The Past Simple
1- Different uses of the past simple
2- Using “did”
3- Reading and vocabulary
4- Using “used to” in the present simple and past simple
5- Using who as the subject and the object in questions
The Past Simple
Form
Negative Form
Questions
Uses of the Past Simple
1- Completed actions in the past
a. I bought a pair of shoes yesterday.
b. The power went out at 6 o’clock in the morning.
c. I was born in 1982.
d. The Germans lost the Second World War in 1945.
2- Habitual, repeated actions in the past
a. When I was a teenager, I always played football with my friends.
b. When I was a teenager, I used to play football with my friends.
c. When Ahmed was a child, he was sick all the time. (state)
3- Events that took place in the past over a period of time
a. Ahmed lived in Asia for ten years (I don’t know the exact time)
b. I worked as a translator from 2010 to 2017.
c. The Germans fought from 1939 to 1945 in World War II.
4- To describe events in a story
a. It was late at night when Karl was returning home; he looked around for any
signs of movement. The streets were quiet and empty.
A Dark Side
Karl was not an ordinary man; he had that intimidating
appearance, scary, and unsettling. He had seen a war that
changed him into something else. It was late at night when
Karl was returning home; Karl looked around for any signs of
movement. The streets were quiet and empty; a gentle wind
came through, and he felt that silence that he has always
loved. He was entirely unaware of the horrors that he was
going to unravel.
Using “did”
I love Mona. We use “do” with the
I do love Mona. present simple to
I do not love Mona. express emphasis in
Do I love Mona? the present.
We use “did” with the
past simple to express
emphasis in the past.
I loved Mona.
I did love Mona. “do” and “did” are
I did not love Mona. used with the
Did I love Mona? infinitive.
We don’t use emphasis
with verb to be.
Ahmed did was sick.
Rescue Workers Saved Four People
Rescue workers pulled a man, a woman, and two children from this cold, rushing
water. The mother and her two daughters got into trouble first. Their car drove
off the road into the water. The man, a truck driver, almost died when he tried to
save them. The trouble started When Mrs. Leslie lost control of her car on a
winding mountain road. The car fell thirty feet from the road into the water. It
rolled over once and landed right side up in the rushing water. All of them were
wearing their seatbelts. Nobody was hurt by the fall. However, they couldn’t
leave the car. The water outside was too cold and too fast for safe swimming.
The rescue started almost immediately. Another driver told the police about the
trouble. The cops called special rescue workers and a truck to pull the car out.
The driver of the truck, Jack Anderson, arrived before the other rescue workers.
Immediately he took a rope from his truck, and he began to walk through the
rushing water to the car. Then he got into trouble, too. The water was too fast,
the ground was slippery, and he got caught in the ropes. He went under the water
by the car. Mrs. Leslie saw him and reached for his hand. She pulled as hard as
she could and brought him to the car door. The rescue workers arrived with their
specialized gear. They brought safety ropes, life jackets, and tire tubes. They
managed to get them all out of the water. Finally, all of them went to the
hospital. Nobody was badly hurt.
Using “who”
A man killed a woman.
Rescue workers pulled four people from the water. “who” as the subject
Who pulled four people from the water? of a question
The cops called special rescue workers.
Who did the cops call? “who” as the object of
a question
1- The mother and her two daughters got into trouble first.
Who got into trouble first?
2- Mr. Jack almost died when he tried to save them.
Who almost died?
3- Mrs. Leslie pulled Mr. Jack to the car door.
Who did Mrs. Leslie pull to the car door?
4- the rescue works saved Mrs. Leslie and her family.
Who did the rescue works save?
Used to
I am used to working long hours.
Ahmed is not used to spending time with his family. Used to with the
They are not used to speaking to strangers. present simple
I used to work as a translator for many years.
Used to with the
Ahmed used to play football when he was a child.
past simple
They didn’t use to speak to strangers when they
lived in Asia.
What sport did he use to play?
He used to play American football.
what sport does he play now?
Now he plays baseball
What sport did Mona use to play?
Mona used to play judo.
What sport does Mona play now?
Now she plays Karate.
What sport did Noha use to play?
Noha used to play badminton.
What sport does Noha play now?
Now she plays tennis.
Exercise 1
Complete the following sentences with the correct form:
1- I am used to (write – writing) long messages.
2- I used to (read – reading) two books every month, but now I don’t have
time for reading.
3- My family used to (live – living) in Europe, but now they are living in Asia.
4- Ali is used to (deal – dealing) with bad people. It’s part of his job.
5- They used to (go – going) to the movies every weekend.
6- Mona and her friends are used to (do the shopping – doing the shopping)
together.
7- I used to (spend – spending) time with my friends, but now I have no time
to do anything.
8- We are used to (go – going) fishing on weekends.
Exercise 2
Rewrite each statement about the playwright William Shakespeare as a yes/no
question.
a. He came from a rich family.
Did he come from a rich family?
No, not really. His father was glove maker.
b. He grew up in London.
No, he grew up in a small town about 160 km from London.
c. He knew Latin.
Yes, he learned Latin at school, and some Greek as well.
d. He got married.
Yes, he was only 18 when he married Anne Hathaway, aged 26.
e. They had children.
Yes, a daughter and twins.
The following sentences are incorrect. Use the negative form of “did” to
correct these sentences.
1- Leonardo Da Vinci invented the internet.
2- Ahmed Zewail lived in Egypt all his life.
3- The ancient Romans used steam engines in their battles.
4- Genghis Khan invaded Australia.
5- Christopher Columbus reached America by plane.
6- William Shakespeare was Egyptian.
The following sentences are about Dr. Ahmed Zewail.
Rewrite the sentences using the proper tense.
Dr. Ahmed Zewail grow up in Egypt.
He graduate with a bachelor’s degree in science.
He marry Dema in 1989.
He has four kids.
Dr. Ahmed wins the Noble Prize in 1999.
He is a professor of physics at Caltech.
Complete the following text as you listen to
the recording.
Nissma and Roaya ___ at the University of
California. They ___ a lot in common. They
___ both Canadian and Moroccan. They ___
both pre-med students too.
Nissma and Roaya ____ best friends in their
freshman year. In their sophomore year, they
___ a dorm. Their friendship ___ stronger.
One day, Nissma and Roaya ____ on a video
chat. Roaya ____ her mom to meet Nissma’s
dad. The parents ____ each other! The girls’
moms ___ best friends in college. They ___
pictures of their babies together. Nissma and
Roaya (and their moms) ___ long-lost friends.