1. Prof. Myrna Monllor English 031
The Simple Past Tense
Prof. Myrna Monllor
English 031

2. Simple Past Tense Is used to show actions that have already finished.
I took a test.
She drove to the university.
We worked hard.
We swam in the lake yesterday.

3. To form the negative of a verb in the past
tense, you need to use the auxiliary verb
did.
She didn’t drive to work.
We didn’t watch TV.
Notice that when you form the negative,
the main verb is in the base or simplest
form.

4. To form the question in the past tense,
you need to use did as the auxiliary verb.
Again the main verb will be in its simplest
or base form.
Did you work yesterday?
Did the professor come to class?
Did she wash the car?

5. Exception The Verb BE in the past : (was,were)
You do not use did with was or were.
I was tired. They were worried.
I wasn’t tired. They weren’t worried.
Was I tired? Were they worried?

6. Example of the Three Forms: Affirmative, Negative, Question.

7. 1 Pronouncing Regular Verbs in the Past Tense

8. How do you pronounce the “ed” of regular past tense verbs?
Rule 1 When verbs end in a /t/ or a /d/ sound in the base form, you need to pronounce/sound the “ed” For example: accept (ends in a /t/ sound) divide (ends in a /d/ sound)

9. Words with /ed/ sound Base Form ends in t or d sound Accepted Attended
Assisted
Communicated
Divided
Credited
Investigated
Shouted
Greeted
Added
Defeated
Subtracted
Painted

10. How do you pronounce the “ed” of regular past tense verbs?
Rule 2 When the base form of the verb ends in these sounds /p/,/ k/, /s/, /ch/, /sh /, / f /,/ x/, /h /, the “ed” is pronounced as /t/ For example: cook (ends in a /k/ sound) mopped (ends in a /p/)

11. Words with /t/ sound Base form ends in gh. f, c, k, g, s, ch, sh, p
Thanked
Danced
Looked
Changed
Cooked
Matched
Laughed
Exchanged
Washed
Talked
Mopped
Worked

12. How do you pronounce the “ed” of regular past tense verbs?
Rule 3
When a verb in the base form ends in a voiced sound
like / l/, / v/, /n/, / m/, /r/, /b/, /v/, /g /, /w/, / y/,
/ z/, and vowel sounds (diphthongs), you pronounce
“ed” as /d/
For example:
shave (last sound is /v/)
dine (last sound is /n/

13. Words with /d/ sound Any other sound Shaved Learned Sponsored Dined
Answered
Argued
Listened
Agreed
Studied
Earned
Called
Arrived
Cried
Achieved

14. Sentences in the Past She accepted his invitation.
We looked for the book.
They argued all the time.
We exchanged the airplane tickets.
We divided the cake into equal parts.
We thanked him for the gift.
Universidad del Sagrado Corazón sponsored the T.V. program.
The nurses assisted the doctor.

15. Sentences in the Past The businessman attended the meeting.
We danced all night.
She answered the phone.
They communicated through their cell phones.
We apologized for our lateness.
She cooked for her family.
He shaved every morning.
The couple dined at a nice restaurant.
We listened to the radi0 program.

16. Sentences in the Past She sneezed loudly. She agreed to visit me.
Yesterday he washed the car.
Their clothes matched.
They studied a lot.
He earned a lot of money this year.
We called him this morning.
We talked to our friends.
We changed our clothes.