UNIT 11

a)

Past simple (l did)

Study this example:

Tom: l.ookl It's raining

Ann:

again.

Oh no, not again. It rained all day yesterday too.

Rained is the past simple tense.

in the past.

b)

W_e use

the past simple to talk about actions or situations

I very much enjoved the Part1.

N{r Edwards died ten vears ago.
When I lived in Manchester, I worked in a bank.

Very often the past simple ends in -ed:

'!7e
invited them to our parqv but they decided not to come'
police stopped me on my way home last night'
The
hei examination because she studied very hard'
passed
She
For spelling rules see Appendix 3 '
irregular. This means that the past simple does not end in -ed.
But marry iLpo.t".,t rr.ib,
"..
For example:

-> left
go --+ went

ieave

cost --+

cost

We all left the parr,v at 11 o'clock.

Yesterday I went to London to see a friend of mine'
This house cost {35,000 in 1980.

The past of the verb be (amlis/are) is was/were:

I/he/she/it

was

we/You/theY were

I was angry because Tom and Ann were late.

For a list of irregular verbs

c)

see

Appendix 2.

In past simple quesrions and negatives

it

rained

,t\re use

did/didn't

rain? it didn't rain

- Ann: Did You go out last night,

the infinitive (do/open/rain etc.):

did it

Tom?

Torn: Yes, I went to the cinema. But I didn't enioy the film'
\il/hen did Mr Edwards die?
'What

did you do at the week-end?

didn't invite her to the part/r so she didn't come'
\7hy didn't You Phone me on TuesdaY?
Note that we norrnally use did/didn't with- have-:
-- Did you have time to write the letter?
to buy anything to eat'
- I didn't have enough money
(was/were):
But we dc not use did with the verb be
- Why were-you so angrY?
- Th.y weren't able to come because they were very busy'
- Was Tom at lvork yesterday?
W-e

Fo; the past simple see also Units 12,20,21.

22

UNIT

11 Exercises

LL.L In this exercise you baue to read a sentence about the present and then write

a sentence abowt

the past.

Example: Tom usually gets up at7.3O. Yesterday h.g.W.L-W.0&7'.?.Q,.

1 Tom usually wakes up early. Yesterday

mornrng

2 Tom usually walks to work. Yesterday

3 Tom is usually late for work. Yesterday
4 Tom usually has a sandwich for lunch. Yesterday ........................
5 Tom usually goes out in the evening. Yesterday evening
6 Tom usually sleeps very well. Last night ...........
Lt.2

This time you haue to put one of these uerbs in each sentence:

spend sell, throw fall

batt ga&

Example: I was hungry, so I

.........b..0.w9h.L.........

1 Tom's father

.......

catch buy

him how to drive when he was 17.

........ down the stairs this morning and ............

2 Don
our car.
3 We needed some money so we ...........
........

5 Jim

tl.3

ln this

{50.
.........

cost

something to eat in the shop.

the ball to Sue who

........

his leg.

it.

exercise you baue to write questions. A friend bas just come back from boliday and

you
are asking him about it.
'Examples:

go?

where

,'

food /

good? Y::!a5.*-e..foo*-@2

W,he.nd-.'L.uJ?.|/1.99.?.....

how long / stay there?

in a hotel?
3 go alone?
4 how / travel?
5 the weather / fine?
6 what i do in the evenings?
7 meet any interesting people?
1

2 stay

Ll.4

This time you ha.ue to put the uerb into the correct form. All tlte sentences are past.
Example:i .......di.fu:t.g.o-..... (notigo) to work yesterday because I ...........ly*gnlD-...... (not/be)

2
3

23

UNIT L2
a)

Past continuous (l was doing)

Study this example situation:

Yesterday Tom and Jim played tennis. They began at
10 o'clock and finished at 11 o'clock.

What were they doing at 10.30?

They were playing tennis (at 10.30).
'They were playing' means that they were in the middle
of playing tennis. They had starred playing but they
hadn't finished.

This is the past continuous tense:

I/he/she

was

*.,,n.ffi, ;;;. i

plaving

We use the past continuous to say that someone was in the middle of doing something ar a
certain time. The action or situation had already started before this time but hadn't finished:
- This time last year I was living in Braz1|.
- What were you doing at 10 o'clock last nighr?

b)

The past continuous does not tell us whether an action was finished or not. Perhaps it was
finished, perhaps not. Compare:
- Tom was cooking the dinner. (past continuous) : He was in the middle of
cooking the dinner and we don't know whether he finished cooking ir.
Tom
cooked the dinner. (past simple) : He began and finished it.
-

c)

We often use the past continuous (I was doing) and the past simple (I did) together to say rhar

something happened in the middle of somerhing else:

- Tom burnt his hand when he was cooking the dinner.
- I saw Jim in the park. He was sitting on the grass and reading a book.
- It was raining when I got up.
- While I was working in the garden, I hurt my back.
But to say that one rhing happened after another, use rhe past simple:
- Yesterday evening Tom was having a bath when the phone rang. He got our
of the bath and answered the phone.

Compare:

When Tom arrived, we were having dinner. (past continuous) : We had

already started dinner before Tom arrived.
'When
Tom arrived, we had dinner. (past simple) : Tom arrived and then we
had dinner.

No/er There are some verbs (for example know) which are not normally used in conrinuous
tenses. For a list of these verbs see Unit 3b.

12 Exercises

UNIT
l2.L

Here is a list of some tbings that Ann did yesterday (and the times at whicb she did tbem):
1

2
1

-)

8.45-9.15 hadbreakfast
15-10.00 read the newspaper
10.00-12.00 cleaned her flat
9.

4
5

12.45-1.30 hadlunch
2.30-3.30 washed some clothes
4.00-6.00 watched television

Now write sentences saying wbat she was doing at these times:
At 9 o'clock ahe.rtw.hg'tws.>teqffi
At 9.30 she
At 11 o'clock

2
J

4
5

At

1 o'clock
At 3 o'clock
At 5 o'clock

12.2 A group of people were staying in a botel. One euening the fire alarm rang.'tJse the words
in brackets to make sentences saying wbat each person was doing at tbe time.
Example: (Don / have / a bath) P.qn..W.W..hAuLng.*Wh.....

room) Ann
I get I ready to go out) George ..
and Dennis / have / dinner) Carol

(Ann / write / a letter in her

2 (George
-)

(Carol

(Tom/make/aphonecall) Tom

12.3 Make sentences from the words in brackets. Put tbe uerbs into the correct form, past simple
fI did) or past continuous I was doing).
Example, (l I faltl asleep when I I *nt".h / relevision) lf%.W.tql.Wilg.!.W.gs..WwWt&+B.lt't..6;e,l
1 (the phone I ring I when I / have / a shower)
The phone
2 (it / begin / to rain when I / walk / home)
.) (we / see / an accident when we / wait / for the bus)

12.4 Put the uerb inlo lhe correct form. past continuous or pdst simple.
Example: While Tom ....!Y09.9Q9.k1n9.... (cook) the dinner, the phone

1 George
2 Last night I

(fall) off the ladder while he

(read) in bed when suddenly

............1W9........ . (ring).
....

(paint) the ceiling.

(hear) a

.....,....................... ..

scream.

3
4
5
6
7
8

9
10

...........
..... (you/watch) television when I phoned you?
Ann
... . (wait) for me when I .............................. (arrive).
I .. .
.. (not/drive) very fast when the accident
.......... (happen).
(break) a plate last night. I .. ... .....
I ...............
(do) the washing-up
when it
(slip) out of my hand.
Tom ..
............ (take) a photograph of me while I
(not/look).
We ................ (not/go) out because it ...... ............. (rain).
'What
....
... (you/do) at this time yesterday?
I .......................... ..... (see) Carol at the party. She ...............
(wear) a really beautiful
dress.

2,5