Task 1: Getting familiar with the past simple tense

The past simple tense (pasado simple) in English is quite simple and easy.

PAY ATTENTION AT HOW IT IS FORMED

AFFIRMATIVE SENTENCE:

Subject + verb in the past form (regular or irregular) + other complements

I washed my teeth yesterday (regular verbs end in -ed)

We went to the cinema last weekend (irregular verbs have different forms)

There are some good news for you: NO MATTER WHAT THE SUBJECT IS, THE VERB FORM DOES NOT CHANGE!!!!!!!

All you need to learn is the irregular verb forms and some little details regarding the regular verbs.

Here you'll find a very simple and easy way to do it!!! Trust me!

REGULAR VERBS

LIST OF REGULAR VERBS: Here's a list of the regular verbs in English, with pronunciation and meaning: REGULAR VERBS IN ENGLISH
SPELLING RULES: all the regular verbs end in -ed, but there are some spelling rules to take into account. Check them HERE: SPELLING RULES FOR REGULAR VERBS
PRONUNCIATION: There are three possible ways of pronouncing that -ed ending: HOW TO PRONOUNCE REGULAR VERBS IN THE PAST TENSE. You can practice HERE

IRREGULAR VERBS

LIST OF IRREGULAR VERBS: Here's a list of the most common irregular verbs, with pronunciation and meaning: IRREGULAR VERBS IN ENGLISH.

At the bottom of this page you'll find a section to learn the irregular verbs in four different groups to make it easier.

NEGATIVE AND INTERROGATIVE SENTENCES: We need the auxiliary verb: DID (past tense of "do")

NEGATIVE SENTENCE

INTERROGATIVE SENTENCE

Subject+ did not (didn't) + verb in the base form + complements

Did + Subject + verb in the base form + complements

I didn't wash my teeth yesterday

Did you go to the cinema yesterday?

To give a short answer, we can say: Yes, I did / No I didn't

USE OF THE PAST TENSE AND COMMON EXPRESSIONS

USE

We use the past simple tense to talk about completed events in the past:

She was late for dinner last night

COMMON EXPRESSIONS

We use adverbs of time like:

yesterday, the day before yesterday
any combination with last: last night, last Saturday, last month
any combination with ago: two days ago, three years ago
dates: in 1998, on 7th April 1964, in February, at Christmas

LET'S PRACTICE A BIT!

Work with the following worksheet. Write the sentences and questions and then ask and answer them with your classmates. Find the people who did the same things.

PAST SIMPLE. TIME EXPRESSIONS

Learn the irregular verbs in four different groups to make it easier.

1- GROUP 1 (17 verbs in total)

- GROUP 1 A: The most common verbs ( 5 verbs)

- GROUP 1 B: Verbs that don't change or just a little (12 verbs)

Practice with quizlet

2- GROUP 2: Verbs with just one change in the pronunciation of past and past participle (28 verbs in total):

- GROUP 2 A: Pronunciation of infinitive and present "i larga"; past and past participle "e" (9 Verbs)

- GROUP 2 B: Past simple with "o", past participle with "n" (12 verbs)

- GROUP 2 C: Other past participles with "n" (7 verbs)

Practice with quizlet.

3- GROUP 3: Verbs with two changes (14 verbs in total)

- GROUP 3 A: Past simple "a (/æ/)", participle "u (/ʌ/)" (8 verbs)

- GROUP 3 B: past simple "ew", participle "own" (6 verbs)

Practice with quizlet.

4- GR0UP 4: 16 verbs in total

- GROUP 4 A: Verbs with infinitive ending in /d/ and past and past participle in /t/ (5 verbs)

- GROUP 4 B: Verbs with past and past participle in "ught" (7 verbs)

- GROUP 4 C: Verbs with past and past participle different in British and American English (4 verbs)

Practice with quizlet.

Here there is a video you can listen to to practice the pronunciation of the verbs in the list of irregular verbs:

INTELLIGENT TIPS!!

This is an idea from other teachers of English. I found it in Monica's blog (El blog para aprender inglés), but it is an original idea of some other teacher called Ailema (blog: El ratón tintero) Thank you to both of them!. I have contributed with some little details.

TRUCO PARA APRENDER LOS VERBOS EN PASADO

1) Se compra cartulina de varios colores: 4 colores diferentes para los cuatro grupos de verbos irregulares y otros tres colores para distinguir la diferente pronunciación de los regulares. Se cortan pequeños rectángulos y se les hace un agujero, por un lado se pone el verbo irregular con sus tres formas, y por el otro lado la traducción. (Sugerencia de Mónica: Añade también la pronunciación aproximada. Aquí la tienes. Sugerencia de Isabel: Añade la pronunciación con los símbolos fonéticos reales. Aquí la tines)

2) Se compra también dos argollas de las que se pueden abrir y cerrar (como las que usamos en clase para la fecha, las hay de todos los tamaños y son muy baratas). Una para los verbos regulares y otra para los irregulares.3) Después la mecánica consiste en ir metiendo las cartulinas poco a poco, según seamos capaces de memorizar... (podemos hacerlo por grupos similares y de tres en tres, cuatro, etc..., cerramos la argolla y este digamos "llavero" nos va acompañar a todos lados. En cualquier momento o lugar lo consultamos, e incluso si podemos los escribimos en un papel aparte para preguntárnoslo... de atrás a delante, de delante atrás. Cuando ya nos lo sabemos, añadimos otros tantos... y así hasta llenar la argolla.