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Grammar
for this Unit:
Past Simple:
We can use this to show a finished
action in the past.
We use Past Simple for
Positive sentences using regular verbs.
The regular verbs end in -ed.
For example: "We watched
TV last night".
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I
We
You
They
He
She
It
(proper name)
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watched TV
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last night.
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Now, let's look at a negative
sentence in the past. We use "didn't"
+ infinitive.
This sentence is positive. "Bart watched TV last night"
(positive)
Look at the example below of a negative sentence in
the simple past.
"Moza didn't watch TV last night"
(negative)
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I
We
You
They
He
She
It
(proper name)
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didn't watch TV
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last night.
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Past Simple Questions:
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Let's look at how to make questions using the simple
past.
We will start with "Yes/No"
questions. The formula is: (Did
+ subject + infinitive + ?)
Let's look at an
example: "Did Huda watch
TV last night"
The
answer is either "yes" or "no" ("Yes,
she did" or "No, she didn't")
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Click on the blue words to see more examples of the
past simple.
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We are now ready to learn about
information questions
in the past simple.
The formula is : (Question
word + did + subject + infinitive + ?)
An example: When
did Huda watch TV?
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Click on the blue link for more information on the simple
past tense, or look in your Headway books on page 121. Click
on the blue words for more information on
irregular verbs or look in your books on page 141.
Past Continuous
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We use the past continuous to show a past activity
that happened over a long period of time.
The formula is: (subject
+ was/were + verb + ing + ?)
For example: "Raya was
watching TV last night when
the phone rang."
Raya started watching TV at 8:00. She watched TV until
10:00. So, she watched for 2 hours.
The phone rang at 9:00. What was
Raya doing when the phone rang?
Raya was watching
TV.
The action started in the past, continued for 2 hours
and then finished at 10:00.
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Here is another example:
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"Yesterday, While
Arthur was driving
home from the college, he saw an accident."
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(minutes) |
(seconds)
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So, we use the past continuous for "driving"
because it takes him about 15 minutes to drive home. It takes time,
so it is a "continuous action".
We used the simple past "saw"
for the accident. Why? Because it only takes one second of time
for the accident to start and finish.
We use ""while"
to show that one thing happened at the same time a continuous action
was happening.
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Past Continuous Question Form
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Question Word
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Was / Were
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Subject
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Verb + ing
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What
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was
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I/He/She/It
( Proper name)
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doing last night at 8:30?
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What
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were
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We/You/They/It
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doing last night at 8:30?
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Click on the blue link for more information on the past
continuous tense, or look in your Headway books on page 121.
Take some Quizzes! or go
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