The Simple Past Tense - cont.


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In today's lesson we continue our unit on verbs.  We continue with the Simple Past Tense.

To study the prior lesson, click here, on "How do we form the simple past tense? Positive and Negative Action Verbs."

Simple Past Tense - be verbs

For the simple past tense of the be verb, the subject and the verb must agree (must be in concordance) in number (singular, plural) and person (1st person, 2nd person, 3rd person).  

1.  Positive and Negative be Verbs

be Verbs - Simple Past Tense

The be verb is highly irregular. See below.

  Positive Negative Contracted Negative
1st and 3rd person singular:
I, he, she, it		 was  was not wasn't
1st person plural,
2nd person singular & plural,
3rd person plural
we, you, they		 were were not weren't

Example:

  • Life was simple in my village in China. The people there were mostly farmers.


Power Edit #3: Unit Review

Positive be Verbs, Positive Actions Verbs, Simple Present Tense: Examples from your essays


Power Edit #3  The following sentences contain errors in simple past tense - action verbs and be verbs.  Locate the errors and rewrite the sentences correctly.

1.  The runners took their places and the race begun.

2.  Every month I meted my friends and we took a walk together.

3.  When I saw my relatives at the airport, I was happy and they was happy.

4.  The company didn't gave him enough money to take care of his family.

5.  My village in China had not any electricity.

6.  She was disagreed with him.

7.  I quitted my job.

Click here for the answers to this editing exercise.

Next: 


We continue this unit with our next lesson, Present Progressive Tense

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