Past Simple & Past Continuous
PAST SIMPLE
Pronunciation of « ed » of regular verbs.
3 ways to pronounce it :
1. Like « t »
2. Like « ed » (with an extra syllable)
3. Like « d »
PRONUNCIATION 1 : Sound «t » after verbs :
• ending with « k » :
Asked ; checked ; liked ; looked ; walked ; worked ; talked.
• Ending with « s » sound:
Dressed ; guessed ; missed ; increased ; promised ; passed; noticed ; danced ; forced ;
reduced ; introduced.
• After verbs ending with « sh » sound :
Brushed ; crashed ; pushed ; punished ; rushed
• After verbs ending with « ch » sound :
Searched ; reached ; watched ; matched.
• After verbs ending with « f » and « x » sound :
Laughed ; fixed ; relaxed.
PRONUNCIATION 2 : ED with an extra syllable.
After verbs ending with »t » or « d » sound :
Want → wan/ted ; de/cide → de/ci/ded
Accepted ; appreciated ; cheated ; connected ; started ; waited.
Avoided ; decided ; ended ; included ; needed ; succeeded
PPRONUNCIATION 3 : ED is pronounced like D (no extra syllable)
After all other verbs.
Spelling of regular verbs in the past Simple
• Verb ending with « e » (“e” is silent): we just add « d ». live→ lived
• Verb ending with a consonant : we add « ed ». return→ returned
• Verb ending with a consonant + « y » : we drop “y” and we add “ied”:
Worry → worried
• Verb ending with a vowel + « y » : we just add « ed » . annoy → annoyed.
Exception :pay → paid ; say→ said ; lay→laid.
• In one-syllable verbs, we double the last consonant when we ad « ed ».
rub→rubbed ; stop→ stopped
• If we have a two-syllable verb h and the stress falls on the second syllable, we
double the final consonant.
Prefer ; occur ; admit.
prefer→ preferred ; occur→ occurred ; admit → admitted.
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Past Simple & Past Continuous
Uses
• A single complete past event:
He locked the door before going to bed.
• Longer actions and situations :
I lived in Berrechid until I was fourteen.
• Action which started and finished at a specific time in the past, mentioned or not
mentioned by the speaker.
They had a conversation about it (yesterday).
• Habits in the past:
When I was a child we always went to the seaside in summer.
IRREGULAR VERBS TO BE LEARNED BY HEART.
PAST CONTINUOUS
Form: was/were + ing: the sun was shining, the birds were singing.
affirmative--> I was speaking fast.
negative --> I wasn't speaking fast.
Uses Interrogative --> Was I speaking fast?
interrogative-negative --> Wasn't I speaking fast?
• For a description of a particular past moment.
When I got up this morning, the sun was shining and the birds were singing.
• For a longer action or situation (Past Continuous) with a shorter action (Simple Past)
happening in the middle of the longer one, or interrupting it.
examples: The children were playing, but when they saw us they stopped.
She was running when she slipped on a banana peel and fell.
Compare the uses of the past continuous and the simple past:
she arrived, I was talking to my mother on the phone. the
WhenSarah action started before sarah arrived and was still
going on when sarah arrived.
action numbr 1:Sarah arrived.
WhenSarah
she arrived I called my mother on the phone. action numbr 2:I called my mother.
Which action was first? Which action was second?
• In narratives, the past continuous is often used for descriptions, and the past simple
for events and actions.
The bride was wearing a white dress and a bouquet of flowers. She waved at me
when she saw me.
• To talk about temporary actions and situations:
He was living in Rabat when he was a student. It means that Rabat was a temporary place for residence (not permanent)
At the time, I was eating out a lot.
• To talk about a past, incomplete action.
A friend was telling me about a new mall in Casablanca, but I don’t know where it’s
located exactly. (there's something incomplete about it, here it's the information)
• With the verb “wonder” to make a very polite request:
I was wondering if you could watch the children for me this afternoon.
A past arrangement often not happenning:
--> I was meeting my friends later that day, but we had an unexpected visit from my aunt, so we
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