Master´s of Adult Education and
Lifelong learning / Semester 1
English course
Professor Ouabiba Nor
Unit II : University reforms
I. Grammar
1. Important things to know
A. Regular verbs
Rule: Add -ed for both Past Simple (V2) and Past Participle (V3).
● work → worked → worked
● play → played → played
Spelling notes (simple):
● If the verb ends in e, add -d: live → lived.
● If a short vowel + consonant at the end, double the consonant: stop → stopped
(one-syllable verbs).
● If ends in y after a consonant, change y → i + ed: study → studied.
Examples:
● Past Simple: I worked yesterday.
● Present Perfect: I have worked here for two years.
B. Irregular verbs
Rule: There is no single rule. The Past Simple (V2) and Past Participle (V3) change in different
ways and must be learned.
Examples of patterns (just for help):
● Same form for V2 and V3: put → put → put
● V2 and V3 are different: go → went → gone
● V2 and V3 are the same but different from base: bring → brought → brought
Examples:
1. Past Simple: She went to class yesterday.
2. Present Perfect: She has gone to many countries.
[Link] Perfect
Form
have/has + past participle (V3)
● I have seen
● She has gone
When do we use it?
1. Past action with a result now
→ The time is not important.
Example: I have lost my keys. (I can’t find them now.)
2. Life experience
→ We don’t say when.
Example: She has visited Spain.
3. Action that started in the past and continues now
→ Use since (start time) / for (duration).
Example: I have lived here for 5 years.
Example: He has worked here since 2020.
Time Indicators
● already, yet, just, ever, never, recently, lately
● since + date
● for + time period
2. Past Simple
Form
● I went
● They ate
When do we use it?
1. Finished action in the past
→ The time is known or we say it.
Example: I watched a movie yesterday.
2. Past habits or routines
→ Use used to.
Example: I used to play football when I was a child.
3. Series of completed actions
Example: She got up, had breakfast, and left.
Time Indicators
● yesterday, last week/month/year
● in 2010, two days ago
● when I was a child
3. Past Continuous
Form
was/were + verb + -ing
● I was reading
● They were studying
When do we use it?
1. Action in progress at a specific moment in the past
Example: At 8 pm, I was cooking.
2. Long action interrupted by a short action (Past Simple)
Example: I was walking when it started to rain.
3. Two long actions happening at the same time
Example: She was reading while he was sleeping.
Time Indicators
● while, when
● at 8 pm, at that moment, yesterday at…
Practice
A. REGULAR & IRREGULAR VERBS – FORM PRACTICE
Exercise 1: Write the Past Simple and the Past Participle
(Use the past form for Past Simple and the past participle for Present Perfect.)
1. study → past simple: ______ → past participle: ______
2. stop → past simple: ______ → past participle: ______
3. live → past simple: ______ → past participle: ______
4. go → past simple: ______ → past participle: ______
5. make → past simple: ______ → past participle: ______
6. bring → past simple: ______ → past participle: ______
7. take → past simple: ______ → past participle: ______
8. work → past simple: ______ → past participle: ______
9. see → past simple: ______ → past participle: ______
10.write → past simple: ______ → past participle: ______
B. PRESENT PERFECT – since, for, already, yet, ever, never
Exercise 2: Complete with the Present Perfect
Use “have/has + past participle.”
1. Many students __________ (participate) in the new reforms this year.
2. She __________ (not finish) her assignment yet.
3. The government __________ (introduce) new policies for higher education.
4. I __________ (study) at this university for 3 years.
5. He __________ (work) here since 2021.
6. ______ you ever ______ (visit) another university campus?
7. The professor __________ (just explain) the new grading system.
8. We __________ (not receive) the updated plan yet.
Exercise 3: Choose the correct option
1. I have lived / lived in the student residence for two months.
2. She has already submitted / submitted her report yesterday.
3. Have you ever read / Did you ever read the new reform document?
4. They haven’t decided / didn’t decide on the reforms yet.
C. PAST SIMPLE – finished actions, habits, used to
Exercise 4: Complete with the Past Simple
1. The university _________ (announce) the reform last week.
2. Students _________ (attend) a meeting about the new system yesterday.
3. I _________ (meet) the dean two days ago.
4. Before the reform, students _________ (used to) register classes on paper.
5. She _________ (read) the whole document in 2022.
6. They _________ (not agree) with the first version of the reform.
Exercise 5: Rewrite using “used to”
1. Students registered online. (past habit – but not now)
→ Students ______________________.
2. The university had long exams.
→ The university ______________________.
D. PAST CONTINUOUS – actions in progress / interrupted actions
Exercise 6: Complete with the Past Continuous
Use was/were + verb + -ing.
1. The students __________ (discuss) the reform at 10 am.
2. I __________ (read) the reform document when my friend called me.
3. They __________ (prepare) their presentation while the teacher __________ (explain).
4. At that moment, the committee __________ (review) the final version.
5. She __________ (write) an email about the reform when the internet stopped.