Be: Past Siqtple
D We form the Past Simple of be like this: D look at these examples of how we use the Past
Simple of be:
• was/were + facts about the past:
John F. Kennedy was an American president.
Our first house was in the centre of town.
A: Were your answers correct?
8: No, they were all wrong!
Olivia wasn't at the party.
• was/were + place and time:
Wt w,re in Spain in June.
we/you/they were not we/you/they weren't She wasn't at home last night.
George and Joanna weren't in London at the
weekend. They were in Brighton.
Wasl
Were you Steve and Mary were here at six o'clock.
Was he/she/it • was/were + adjective (e.g. cold, tired):
Were �you/tM'J It was cold yesterday.
They were tired after the journey.
Here are some examples with was and were: The train was late again this morning.
I was in New York last week. A: Were your exams easy?
We were at home yesterday evening. 8: The first exam was easy, but the second
They weren't late this morning. one wasn't.
Was it a good film?
Complete the sentences using was or were.
+ Today I am happy but yesterday I was sad.
1 Now Jasmine is at home but last week she on holiday.
2 Today it's raining but yesterday it sunny.
3 This year there is a jazz festival here and last year there a pop festival.
4 Today Mr Brown is at work but yesterday he ......_ ill.
5 These days there are houses here but 100 years ago there trees.
6 Today I feel fine but yesterday I in bed all day.
7 My mother is a manager now but she . a shop assistant last year.
8 Today is Saturday and we are at home, but yesterday we at school.
9 This summer we are staying at home but last summer we in Greece.
10 Today Tina and Jack are tired because yesterday they at the gym.
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Tenses: past
Mary spent last weekend in Madrid. Ask her some questions using the words in brackets ( )
and was or were.
+ (your hotel/good?) Was your hotel good?
1 (your room/comfortable?) . ..... . . ... ..... ......... .. .
2 (the weather/nice?) .........
3 (the streets/full of people?)..... ...
4 (the shops/expensive?)
5 (the city/exciting at night?)
6 (the museums/interesting?)
7 (the people/friendly?) ........................
8 (your flight/OK?) .
George and Sally have been married for 50 years. They are talking about their first house.
Complete their conversation using words from the box, and following the model of the two
examples.
new Italian � green cheap � bad
George: The house was warm.
Sally: No, it • wasn't warm, it [Link] cold.
George: The garden was small.
Sally: No, it • wasn't small, it was big.
Sally: The neighbours were French.
1
George: No, they
George: The living room was red.
Sally: No, it 2
Sally: Our first chairs were expensive.
George: No, they 3
George: The kitchen was old.
Sally: No, it 4
George: The local shops were good.
Sally: No, they 5
Complete these conversations with was, wasn't, were, or weren't.
Peter: •was Paul at work today?
1
Julie: No, he in the office. I think he's sick.
2
Henry: you in South America last year?
Steve: Yes. I 3
in Bolivia on business, and then my wife and 1 4 in Brazil for
a holiday.
Olivia: Raphael and I 5 at home in London last week. We 6 at Mike's house in
Cornwall. It was lovely there. Do you know Mike?
7
Jasm ine: Yes, 1 ................................. at Mike 's party in Oxford in the summer. 8 you there?
9
Olivia: No, we weren't there. Raphael and 1 . ......... ........... ... in Portugal in the summer.
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Past Simple
D We form the Past Simple of regular verbs by D We form the negative with didn't and the
adding -ed to the verb: infinitive (e.g. do, take, understand):
walk - walked watch - watched I didn't understand. (NOT didn't tmderstBed)
open - opened ask - asked We form questions with did and the infinitive
(e.g. watch):
There are some exceptions: Did you watch the film?
,-------------
., verbs ending with -e:
Iwe - lived like - liked
D We use the Past Simple to talk about an action
or situation in the past which is finished. We
often say when it happened (e.g. yesterday,
., verbs ending with a consonant and -y: last night):
apply - applied try - tried Chris phoned me yesterday. He wanted to ask
me something.
., most verbs ending with one vowel and Did you enjoy the concert last night?
one consonant:
stop - stopped plan - planned
D We can use the Past Simple with for to talk
about something that continued for a period of
(For more details on the form of the Past time, and ended in the past:
Simple, see Appendix 2, page 243.) I lived in Rome for two years. Then I went to
D Many verbs have an irregular Past Simple form: work in Japan.
do - did have - had PAST 1 2 3 4
take - took buy - bought FOR TWO YEARS
come - came stand - stood
ljind - found ring - rang
go - went say - said
(For more details, see Appendix 3, page 244.)
Put a tick (,I) next to the correct forms of the Past Simple, and cross out those which are
incorrect. You can look at Appendix 3, page 244, before you do the exercise.
walked .I drinked went played writed swam
ttl*ee wrote cooked gived spent finded
drank asked flew made sended buyed
gave meeted took left found winned
met passed stoped followed sent eated
won cryed corned drove bought brought
leaved swimmed cried stopped ate crossed
Complete the sentences using the Past Simple form and the words in brackets ( ).
+ We werit (go) on holiday to Scotland last year.
1 .. (take) a taxi from the airport to the city centre.
2 We .. . .. .... ... ... (walk) to the park and then we... . . ... .... .............. (play) tennis.
3 The man in the shop ................................... (say) something to the woman, but
she (not/hear) him.
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Tenses: past
4 .. (ring) the doorbell and a woman . ... .. (open) the door.
5 (download) three films at the weekend, but I only (watch) one.
6 A: (you/understand) the film?
B: No. I (try) to understand it, but the actors ····• ·· . .. ....... ... ... . (speak) very quickly.
7 A: (you/buy) some clothes at the market?
B: Yes, I . .. ..
, .. ... . (buy) a pair of trousers and a shirt.
8 A: ... .... ··- . .. (you/enjoy) the festival?
B: Yes. It (not/rain) and we (listen) to some good music.
Make sentences using the Past Simple form and the words in brackets ( ).
+ (When/you/leave/the party?) When did you leave the party?
1 (When/you/finish/your exams?)
2 (I/wait/for an hour, but he/not/phone.)
3 (you/watch/the news on TV last night?)
4 (Mark/stop/playing tennis, and he/start/playing golf instead.)
5 (He/ask/me a question, but I/not/know/the answer.)
6 (I/live/there for a few years, but I/not/like/the place.)
It's the beginning of a new term at university. Two students, Nick and Elliot, are talking about
the summer holidays. Complete their conversation using the Past Simple form of the words
in brackets ( ).
Nick: What • did you do (you/do) in the summer?
Elliot: Ii (take) a trip around Europe by train.
2
Nick: (you/go) on your own, or with some friends?
3
Elliot: A couple of friends (come) with me.
4
Nick: How many countries (you/visit)?
5
Elliot: I (go) to six or seven countries. I 6 (have) a great time,
and I really 7 (love) all of them.
Nick: Which one 8 (you/like) most?
9
Elliot: Sweden, I think. I (enjoy) exploring the marvellous countryside and I
10
(take) lots of photographs.
Nick: When 11 (you/arrive) back home?
Elliot: Last week. I'm still rather tired.
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