Positive form — Irregular verbs
Some verbs are irregular (not regular). The Past Simple is not -ed.
Here are some important irregular verbs
| begin –> break bring build buy catch come do drink eat | began broke brought built bought caught came did drank ate | fall –> find fly forget get give go have hear know | fell found flew forgot got gave went had heard knew | leave –> lose make meet pay put read ring say see | left lost made met paid put read(/red/) rang said saw | sell –> sit sleep speak stand take tell think win write | sold sat slept spoke stood took told thought won wrote |
- I usually get up early but this morning I gotup at 9.30.
- We dida lot of housework yesterday.
- Caroline wentto the cinema three times last week.
- Mr Todd cameinto the room, tookoff his coat and satdown.
Exercise 3. Complete the sentences putting the verbs in the Past Simple Tense. Use each verb only once.
| sell spend buy fly drive run cost drink understand |
Example: Mr and Mrs Brown drove from London to Manchester last weekend.
1. We needed money badly so we__our car.
2. Ann__a lot of money yesterday. She__a dress which__$70.
3. Dan__the marathon in two hours.
4. They__champagne to celebrate their wedding anniversary.
5. As teenagers, we__each other very well.
6. They__to Spain the day before yesterday.
Negative form and questions
■ We use didin past simple negatives and questions:
| infinitive | positive | negative | question | |||||
| watch clean play do go have begin | I we you they he she it | watched cleaned played did went had began | I we you they he she it | did not (didn’t) | watch clean play do go have begin | did | I we you they he she it | watch? clean? play? do? go? have? begin? |
■ do/does (present) -> did(past):
- I don't watch television very often.
- I didn'twatch television yesterday.
- Doesshe often go out?
- Didshe go out lastnight?
■ We use did/didn't + infinitive (watch/clean/doetc.):
I watched but I didn't watch(not 'I didn't watched1)
he wentbut did he go?(not 'did he went?1)
- I played tennis yesterday but I didn't win.
- Don didn't havebreakfast this morning, (not 'Don hadn't breakfast')
- They wentto the cinema but they didn't enjoy the film.
- We didn'tdo much work yesterday.
Exercise 4. Make the following positive sentences negative.
Example: She spoke to me at the party. — She didn't speak to me at the party.
He had to find a new job. — He didn't have to find a new job.
- I bought some new clothes last week.
- The train arrived on time.
- You made a bad mistake.
- They had to leave for the airport at 5 a.m.
- She had a headache yesterday
■ Note the word order in questions with did:
did+ subject + infinitive
| What How Where | Did did did did | Sue you the accident your parents | give do happen? go | you a birthday present? yesterday evening? for their holidays? |
■ short answers
| Yes, {I/we/you/they/he/she/it} did. | No, {I/we/you/they/he/she/it} didn’t. |
- 'Did you see Joe yesterday?' 'No, I didn't.'
- 'Did itrain on Sunday?' 'Yes,it did.'
- 'Did Helencome to the party?' 'No, she didn't.'
- 'Didyour friendshave a good holiday?' 'Yes, they did.'.
General questions
Exercise 5. Make these sentences into general questions. Give short answers.
Example: I finished work early last night. Did you finish work early last night? - Yes, I did.
- I didn't enjoy Peter's birthday party.
- Peter had a light breakfast in the morning.
- She didn't know his telephone number.
- Mrs Adams had to travel tourist class.
- I felt tired and went to bed early.
Exercise 6. Rewrite each sentence as positive, negative or a general question, according to the instructions.
Example: My dad didn't work late yesterday. (positive) – My dad worked late yesterday,
Greg went to the theatre at the weekend. (question) – Did Greg go to the theatre at the weekend?
I had to visit my parents last week. (negative) – I didn’t have to visit my parents last week.
- Jim had a lot of adventures in the jungle. (question)
- We began our new language course book in May. (negative)
- I ate nothing for breakfast this morning. (question)
- The sun didn't rise at 5.15 a.m. (positive)
- They had to work overtime in their new job. (negative)
Alternative questions
Exercise 7. Ask alternative questions with the following words. Give answers.
Example: The bus/arrive/late/early?
Did the bus arrive late or early? — (It arrived) late.
- Denis/attend the first lecture/miss it/yesterday?
- They/play football/volleyball/yesterday?
- They/have to stay in town/go to the country/last weekend?
- You/have a pet cat/a dog/in your childhood?
Tag questions
Exercise 8.Give the correct tag to these sentences.
- You didn't have a cup of coffee this morning, ___?
- They didn't have to go out of town last Saturday ___?
- They arrived in the city a fortnight ago, ___?
- They had awful weather while they were on holiday, ___?
- You had to live at home with your parents years ago, ___?
Special questions
Exercise 9.Ask questions about the information in italics.
Example:Bobby played golf yesterday. — What did Bobby do yesterday?
They had to travel in a car. — How did they have to travel?
- Mrs Taylor's pupils often asked embarrassing questions.
- It took Clare an hour to pack her travelling bag.
- Charlotte Hughes (the second oldest person in the world) didn’t marry until sixty-three.
- Alexander Bell started his first telephone company on August 2nd 1877.
- Martin worked the whole summer. The job was tiring but he earned a lot of money.
Exercise 10.Ask subject or object questions. Give answers to subject questions.
Example: We waited for him at the door. — Who waited for him at the door? — We did. Who did you wait for at door?
- We listened to the news at breakfast.
- Anthony talked to his girlfriend on the phone all evening.
- Fred's sister married a famous actor.
- They bought a present for us.
- I had to report the accident to the police.
Revision test
- Complete these sentences. Use one of these verbs in the past simple: