Past Simple

PAST SIMPLE

USE

We use the past simple to talk about actions and situations that happened in the past, often with expressions like ago, yesterday, last night, in 2005, etc...

I played football yesterday.

He lived in London from 1997 to 2005.

Did you see Sarah yesterday? No, I didn´t

We didn´t go out last night. We stayed at home.

They went to Spain on holiday last summer.

SPELLING RULES

Past simple affirmative

V+ -ed

With most verbs we add -ed: walk > walked, finish > finished

+ -d

With verbs ending with -e, we add -d: live > lived, phone > phoned

y > -ied

With verbs that end with a consonant + -y, we change the -y to -ied:

try > tried, apply > applied

Double consonant

With verbs that end with a vowel + one consonant, we double the consonant:

stop > stopped, plan > planned, travel > travelled

Exceptions: We do not double the final consonant:

1.- When it is a -y or -w : stay > stayed

2.- When the last syllable is not stressed: listen > listened, open > opened

PRONUNCIATION OF THE - ED

The -ed ending can be pronounced in 3 different ways: /id/, /t/ or /d/.

๏ If the verb ends in the sound /t/ or /d/, you pronounce the -ed ending /id/.

invite /in´vait/

invited /in´vaitid/

visit /vizit/

visited /vizitid/

๏ If the verb ends in consonant: c, f, k, p, x, ch, sh, ss, you pronounce the –ed ending /t/.

ending /t/.

stop /stop/

stopped /stopt/

work //wɝːk/

worked /wɝːkt/

๏ If the verb ends in a consonant: b, l, n, r, g, m, s, v, z, you pronounce the -ed ending /d/.

call /ko:l/

called /ko:ld/

clean /kli:n/

cleaned /kli:nd