Being able to talk about the past is essential for sharing experiences, telling stories, and describing what happened—whether yesterday or years ago. In this unit, we focus on the past simple tense, a fundamental structure that allows you to narrate events clearly and accurately.
You’ll learn to use regular and irregular verbs, ask and answer questions about past experiences, and use time expressions like last week, yesterday, and in 2019. We’ll also explore how to organize a story chronologically using connectors like then, after that, and finally, and how to talk about personal experiences or significant events. By the end of this unit, you’ll be able to share stories in English with confidence and coherence.

11.1 VOCABULARY: REGULAR AND IRREGULAR VERBS
Objective:
To identify and use common regular and irregular verbs in the past simple tense, especially for talking about past events, stories, and personal experiences.

🔹 REGULAR VERBS
Regular verbs form the past simple by adding -ed.
Base Verb    Past Simple    Example
walk    walked    I walked to school yesterday.
cook    cooked    She cooked dinner last night.
play    played    We played tennis at the weekend.
study    studied    They studied for the exam.
✅ Spelling rules:
live → lived, close → closed
stop → stopped (double consonant after short vowel)
study → studied (y → i)

🔸 IRREGULAR VERBS
Irregular verbs do not follow a fixed rule. Their past forms must be memorized.
Base Verb    Past Simple    Example
go    went    I went to the cinema on Friday.
have    had    She had breakfast at 8.
do    did    We did our homework yesterday.
see    saw    He saw a movie last night.
eat    ate    They ate pizza for dinner.
get    got    I got a new bike for my birthday.
make    made    She made a cake.
✅ There is no “-ed” with irregulars:
❌ goed → ✅ went

🔹 COMMON IRREGULAR VERBS: QUICK REFERENCE
Base    Past    Base    Past    Base    Past
be    was/were    buy    bought    find    found
come    came    give    gave    take    took
drink    drank    write    wrote    run    ran
begin    began    speak    spoke    feel    felt

🔸 TIPS FOR LEARNING IRREGULAR VERBS
Group them by similarity: begin → began, drink → drank, sing → sang
Practice them in context: I drank coffee, She sang at the concert
Create flashcards or short stories to memorize them
Focus on the verbs you use most often in real life

❗ COMMON MISTAKES
Mistake    Correction    Why?
Yesterday I go to the park.    Yesterday I went to the park.    Wrong verb form
She didn’t went to work.    She didn’t go to work.    Use base verb after “didn’t”
They writed a message.    They wrote a message.    “Writed” is not a real past form
He buyed a new car.    He bought a new car.    Irregular form of “buy”

💬 EXAMPLE DIALOG
Noa: What did you do last weekend?
Liam: I visited my parents and we had a big lunch.
Noa: Sounds nice! I went to a concert with some friends.
Liam: Really? Who played?
Noa: A local band. They were amazing! We stayed until midnight.

11.2 PAST SIMPLE: AFFIRMATIVE FORMS
Objective:
To use the past simple tense in affirmative sentences to describe completed actions in the past, using both regular and irregular verbs with correct structure and time expressions.

🔹 STRUCTURE: PAST SIMPLE AFFIRMATIVE
Subject + past form of verb
Subject    Regular Verb Example    Irregular Verb Example
I    I watched a movie.    I saw a movie.
You    You worked late.    You came home late.
He / She    He cleaned the kitchen.    She ate sushi.
We / They    We visited London.    They went to the museum.
✅ Regular verbs: base + -ed
✅ Irregular verbs: memorized past form (no -ed)

🔸 TIME EXPRESSIONS USED WITH PAST SIMPLE
Expression Type    Examples
Specific times    yesterday, last night, last week
Named dates    on Monday, in 2020, at 5 p.m.
Period references    two days ago, a month ago, this morning (past part)
✅ These clarify that the action is finished in the past.

🔹 EXAMPLES OF PAST SIMPLE AFFIRMATIVE (REGULAR VERBS)
I studied for the exam last night.
She opened the window.
We walked in the park yesterday.
They enjoyed the party.
✅ Note the spelling rules:
plan → planned, cry → cried, like → liked

🔸 EXAMPLES OF PAST SIMPLE AFFIRMATIVE (IRREGULAR VERBS)
He went to school by bus.
I had lunch at 2 p.m.
We did all the housework.
They got a great deal.
✅ No auxiliary is needed in affirmative forms.

🔹 DESCRIBING A SEQUENCE OF EVENTS
You can list actions one after another:
I got up, took a shower, and left the house.
She cooked dinner, set the table, and served the food.
We arrived at 10, checked in, and relaxed by the pool.
✅ Use and, then, after that, or commas to link actions.

🧠 SENTENCE PATTERNS
Subject + past verb + object/time
→ They watched a film last night.
I + verb + place/reason
→ I visited Rome for work.

❗ COMMON MISTAKES
Mistake    Correction    Why?
I didn’t watched the movie.    I didn’t watch the movie.    Use base verb after “didn’t”
She goes to the party yesterday.    She went to the party yesterday.    Wrong verb tense
They was tired.    They were tired.    Subject-verb agreement
He not came.    He didn’t come.    Needs “didn’t” in negative

💬 EXAMPLE DIALOG
Carmen: Did you go out last night?
Tomas: Yeah, I met some friends and we watched a movie.
Carmen: What movie did you see?
Tomas: Oppenheimer. It was long but really good.
Carmen: I heard that! I stayed in—I cooked dinner and read a book.
Tomas: Sounds like a great evening too.

11.3 PAST SIMPLE: NEGATIVE AND INTERROGATIVE FORMS
Objective:
To form and use negative and interrogative sentences in the past simple tense, using both regular and irregular verbs correctly.

🔹 NEGATIVE FORM IN PAST SIMPLE
Structure:
Subject + did not (didn’t) + base form of the verb
Example Sentences
I didn’t go to the party.
She didn’t eat anything for lunch.
We didn’t watch that movie.
They didn’t understand the question.
✅ Use the base form of the verb (not the past form) after didn’t
❌ She didn’t went → ✅ She didn’t go

🔸 INTERROGATIVE FORM IN PAST SIMPLE
Yes/No Questions
Did + subject + base verb?
Example Questions    Short Answers
Did you see the match?    Yes, I did. / No, I didn’t.
Did they arrive on time?    Yes, they did. / No, they didn’t.
Did he call you yesterday?    Yes, he did. / No, he didn’t.
Wh- Questions
Wh-word + did + subject + base verb?
Question    Example Answer
Where did you go?    I went to the beach.
What did she say?    She said she was tired.
When did they leave?    They left at 10 p.m.
Why did he stop?    Because he felt sick.
✅ Wh-word + did + subject + base form

🔹 NEGATIVE AND INTERROGATIVE WITH REGULAR AND IRREGULAR VERBS
Verb Type    Negative Example    Question Example
Regular    I didn’t visit them.    Did you visit them?
Irregular    She didn’t go to work.    Did she go to work?
Irregular (confused form)    ❌ Did you went? → ✅ Did you go?    Past form is not used after did

🧠 COMMON SENTENCE PATTERNS
I didn’t + base verb + complement
Did + subject + base verb + time/place?
Why / Where / What + did + subject + base verb?

❗ COMMON MISTAKES
Mistake    Correction    Why?
I didn’t went home.    I didn’t go home.    “Didn’t” → base form
Did she liked the film?    Did she like the film?    No -ed after “did”
He not came yesterday.    He didn’t come yesterday.    Use auxiliary “didn’t”
Where you went last night?    Where did you go last night?    Question needs “did”

🔸 TIME EXPRESSIONS IN QUESTIONS & NEGATIVES
Time Reference    Example
yesterday    Did you call her yesterday?
last night / last week    They didn’t work last night.
two days ago    What did you do two days ago?
on Monday    Did he arrive on Monday?

💬 EXAMPLE DIALOG
Elisa: Did you travel last weekend?
Marco: No, I didn’t. I stayed at home.
Elisa: Why didn’t you go to Madrid?
Marco: I was sick. I didn’t feel well.
Elisa: That’s too bad. Did you at least rest?
Marco: Yes, I slept a lot and watched some series.

11.4 TIME EXPRESSIONS USED IN THE PAST
Objective:
To recognize and use common time expressions that indicate past events, and to combine them naturally with the past simple tense in statements, questions, and narratives.

🔹 COMMON TIME EXPRESSIONS FOR THE PAST
Expression Type    Examples
Specific points in time    yesterday, last night, last week
Duration (completed)    two days ago, a month ago, a year ago
Days / Dates    on Monday, on January 5th
Time of day    at 5 p.m., in the morning, in the afternoon
Past periods    in 2010, in the 1990s, in the past
✅ All these indicate finished time, so use them with the past simple.

🔸 EXAMPLES IN CONTEXT
Time Expression    Past Simple Example
yesterday    I met her yesterday.
last night    We watched a movie last night.
two weeks ago    They arrived two weeks ago.
on Saturday    He left on Saturday.
in 2015    She graduated in 2015.
at noon    We had lunch at noon.

🔹 WORD ORDER IN SENTENCES
Position    Example
Beginning of sentence    Yesterday, I stayed at home.
End of sentence    I stayed at home yesterday.
Mid-sentence (less common)    I, yesterday, stayed at home. ❌ → not natural
✅ Best to use time expressions at the beginning or end of the sentence.

🔸 PHRASES INDICATING PAST FREQUENCY OR ROUTINE
Expression    Example
every weekend    We went hiking every weekend when we were kids.
once / twice a month    She called her grandmother twice a month.
when I was younger    When I was younger, I played the violin.
during the holidays    We travelled a lot during the holidays.

🧠 SIGNAL WORDS FOR PAST SIMPLE
Signal Word / Phrase    Typical Use
ago    I saw him three days ago.
last + [time period]    They left last night.
yesterday    He arrived yesterday.
in + [past year/date]    I met her in 2012.
when + [past clause]    When I was a child, I lived in Chile.
✅ These expressions are useful to anchor events in time when telling stories or giving background.

❗ COMMON MISTAKES
Mistake    Correction    Why?
I saw her the last week.    I saw her last week.    No article before “last”
We went to the beach ago two days.    We went to the beach two days ago.    Word order for “ago” is fixed
She met him in last year.    She met him last year.    “Last year” doesn’t need “in”
I visited Paris at 2010.    I visited Paris in 2010.    “In” is the correct preposition for years

💬 EXAMPLE DIALOG
Nora: Did you go out last weekend?
Mateo: No, I stayed home. I was really tired after work on Friday.
Nora: I went to a concert on Saturday night.
Mateo: Nice! Who played?
Nora: A jazz band I saw two years ago. They were even better this time.

11.5 TELLING A STORY: CHRONOLOGICAL CONNECTORS
Objective:
To learn how to use chronological connectors and transition words to tell a clear and structured story about a past experience using the past simple tense.

🔹 KEY CHRONOLOGICAL CONNECTORS
Connector    Use Example
First    First, we arrived at the station.
Then    Then we bought our tickets.
After that    After that, we had lunch in a small café.
Later    Later, we visited the museum.
Finally    Finally, we took a taxi back to the hotel.
In the end    In the end, it was a great day.
✅ These connectors help organize events in time and improve flow.

🔸 ADDITIONAL STORYTELLING PHRASES
Connector / Phrase    Use Example
At the beginning    At the beginning of the trip, we got lost.
After a while    After a while, we found a map.
A few minutes later    A few minutes later, the guide arrived.
Suddenly    Suddenly, it started to rain.
Eventually    Eventually, we reached the top of the hill.
Just then    Just then, the lights went out.
✅ Use “suddenly” and “just then” to add drama or surprise.

🔹 SENTENCE STRUCTURE FOR STORYTELLING
Step    Example Sentence
Opening    Last summer, I visited Greece with some friends.
Step-by-step events    First, we landed in Athens. Then, we took a bus to the hotel.
Use of detail    The weather was perfect, and the food was delicious.
Ending    In the end, it was one of the best trips of my life.

🔸 USEFUL VERBS FOR TELLING STORIES
Regular Verbs    Irregular Verbs
walked, talked, stayed, visited, watched    went, had, saw, took, got, met, said
✅ Use past simple tense throughout the story.

🧠 TIPS FOR BETTER STORYTELLING
Use connectors to organize events logically
Add details (who, where, when, how) to create interest
Describe feelings or reactions: I was surprised, we were tired
Mix short and long sentences to keep rhythm natural

❗ COMMON MISTAKES
Mistake    Correction    Why?
First we was happy.    First, we were happy.    Use correct past of “to be”
Then we go to the park.    Then we went to the park.    Verb tense error
After that we meet our guide.    After that, we met our guide.    Wrong verb form for past
In the end it’s okay.    In the end, it was okay.    Keep tense consistent

💬 EXAMPLE DIALOG
Tasha: How was your weekend?
Omar: Pretty good! First, I cleaned the house. Then I met some friends for lunch.
Tasha: Nice! Did you go anywhere special?
Omar: Yeah, after that we went to a museum. Later, we had coffee near the river.
Tasha: Sounds perfect.
Omar: It was. In the end, I got home around 10—tired, but happy.

11.6 SHORT ANSWERS AND QUESTION PRACTICE
Objective:
To practice forming yes/no questions and giving short answers in the past simple tense, using regular and irregular verbs for fluency and accuracy.

🔹 YES/NO QUESTIONS IN PAST SIMPLE
Structure:
Did + subject + base verb?
Example Questions
Did you call her yesterday?
Did they enjoy the party?
Did he finish the report?
Did she go to the concert?
✅ Always use the base form of the verb after did.

🔸 SHORT ANSWERS: AFFIRMATIVE AND NEGATIVE
Question    Affirmative    Negative
Did you like it?    Yes, I did.    No, I didn’t.
Did he travel last summer?    Yes, he did.    No, he didn’t.
Did they play football?    Yes, they did.    No, they didn’t.
Did she read the book?    Yes, she did.    No, she didn’t.
✅ Use did/didn’t – do not repeat the full verb.
❌ Yes, I watched. → ✅ Yes, I did.

🔹 PRACTICE WITH IRREGULAR VERBS
Base Verb    Question    Answer
go    Did you go to class yesterday?    Yes, I did. / No, I didn’t.
have    Did she have lunch already?    Yes, she did.
do    Did they do their homework?    No, they didn’t.
see    Did you see the match?    Yes, I did.
✅ Remember: the main verb stays in base form in the question.

🔸 PRACTICE WITH REGULAR VERBS
Base Verb    Question    Answer
watch    Did you watch the film last night?    Yes, I did.
clean    Did he clean the kitchen?    No, he didn’t.
open    Did she open the window?    Yes, she did.
walk    Did they walk to school?    No, they didn’t.

🧠 PATTERNS FOR PRACTICE
Did + [subject] + [verb]? → Yes/No + [subject] + did/didn’t
Practice with I, you, he, she, we, they
Ask about yesterday, last night, last weekend, two days ago

❗ COMMON MISTAKES
Mistake    Correction    Why?
Did you went to the beach?    Did you go to the beach?    Use base form of verb
Yes, I watched it.    Yes, I did.    Short answer uses did
No, he don’t.    No, he didn’t.    Use past form “didn’t”
She did cleaned the house.    She cleaned the house. or She did clean…    “Did” not needed in affirmative

💬 EXAMPLE DIALOG
Lara: Did you see the football match?
Diego: Yes, I did. It was amazing!
Lara: Did they win?
Diego: No, they didn’t. They lost in the last minute.
Lara: Oh no! Did your brother watch it too?
Diego: No, he didn’t. He went to bed early.

11.7 TALKING ABOUT PERSONAL EXPERIENCES
Objective:
To describe past personal experiences using the past simple tense, including events, feelings, and specific details to make your story engaging and clear.

🔹 DESCRIBING PERSONAL EXPERIENCES
Structure    Example Sentence
I + past verb + object/time/place    I visited Paris last summer.
We + past verb + details    We saw a great show at the theatre.
He/She + past verb + reason    She moved to Berlin for work.
✅ Keep verbs in past simple and include where, when, and why to add context.

🔸 EXPRESSIONS TO START YOUR STORY
Phrase    Example
Last year…    Last year, I travelled to Peru.
A few months ago…    A few months ago, I started a new job.
When I was a child…    When I was a child, I lived in a small town.
The best day was when…    The best day was when we got our dog.
One time…    One time, I met a celebrity on a plane.

🔹 USEFUL VOCABULARY FOR EXPERIENCES
Action Verbs    Emotion / Reaction Words
visited, traveled, met, stayed, learned, saw, bought    surprised, excited, nervous, tired, amazed, happy, proud
✅ Combine both types for richer stories:
I met a famous actor and felt so nervous I couldn’t speak!

🔸 TALKING ABOUT FEELINGS AND REACTIONS
Expression    Example
I was really excited…    I was really excited to try the food.
We were amazed by…    We were amazed by the view.
He felt nervous before…    He felt nervous before the presentation.
It was the first time I…    It was the first time I flew alone.
I’ll never forget when…    I’ll never forget when we got lost in Rome.

🧠 HOW TO TELL A SHORT STORY
1.    Set the scene: When, where, who
2.    Describe the action: What happened?
3.    Include feelings or reactions
4.    End with a reflection or result

❗ COMMON MISTAKES
Mistake    Correction    Why?
I was go to Italy.    I went to Italy.    Use past simple, not “was go”
We meet new people.    We met new people.    Verb must be in past
I was very enjoy the trip.    I really enjoyed the trip.    Structure error: use past simple
It was very fun. ✅    Acceptable, but It was a lot of fun. is better    More natural phrasing

💬 EXAMPLE DIALOG
Ana: Did you have a good trip?
David: Yes! I visited Prague last month with my cousin.
Ana: Oh, cool! What did you do there?
David: We walked around the old town, took lots of photos, and tried traditional food.
Ana: Sounds amazing.
David: It was! The view from the castle was unforgettable. I’d love to go back someday.

11.8 COMMON MISTAKES WITH PAST TENSE
Objective:
To identify and correct frequent mistakes learners make when using the past simple tense, especially related to verb forms, sentence structure, and question/negative usage.

🔹 MISTAKE 1: USING PRESENT OR INFINITIVE INSTEAD OF PAST FORM
Incorrect    Correct    Why?
Yesterday I go to the park.    Yesterday I went to the park.    Use the past form of “go” = “went”
She see a movie last night.    She saw a movie last night.    “see” → “saw” in past
✅ Always change the verb to its correct past form in affirmative sentences.

🔸 MISTAKE 2: USING PAST FORM AFTER “DID” IN QUESTIONS OR NEGATIVES
Incorrect    Correct    Why?
Did you went to class?    Did you go to class?    Use base form after “did”
He didn’t came home.    He didn’t come home.    Past is carried by “did/didn’t”
Did they saw the match?    Did they see the match?    “see” = base form
✅ Did already indicates past, so the main verb stays in base form.

🔹 MISTAKE 3: INCORRECT PAST FORMS OF IRREGULAR VERBS
Incorrect    Correct
buyed    bought
runned    ran
writed    wrote
teached    taught
sleeped    slept
✅ Irregular verbs don’t follow “-ed” rules—they must be memorized.

🔸 MISTAKE 4: DOUBLE NEGATIVES
Incorrect    Correct
I didn’t do nothing.    I didn’t do anything.
He didn’t say no one.    He didn’t say anyone.
✅ English uses only one negative in a sentence. Double negatives are incorrect.

🔹 MISTAKE 5: WORD ORDER IN QUESTIONS
Incorrect    Correct
Where you went last night?    Where did you go last night?
What she did yesterday?    What did she do yesterday?
✅ Questions require did + subject + base verb

🔸 MISTAKE 6: CONFUSING REGULAR VERB SPELLING
Mistake    Correction    Rule
studieded    studied    Only add -ed once
stoped    stopped    Double final consonant after short vowel
tryed    tried    y → i + ed

🧠 QUICK REVIEW TABLE
Structure Type    Correct Example
Affirmative    They visited Rome last year.
Negative    He didn’t eat breakfast.
Question    Did you see the show?
Wh- Question    Where did she go?

💬 EXAMPLE DIALOG
Mila: Did you liked the party?
Jonas: You mean, did I like the party? Yes, I did!
Mila: Oops, right! And your friends come too?
Jonas: Came. But in a question it’s Did they come?
Mila: English verbs are tricky!
Jonas: They are, but practice makes perfect.

11.9 UNIT 11 REVIEW
Objective:
To consolidate grammar, vocabulary, and listening/speaking skills related to the past simple tense, especially for describing past events, experiences, and narratives.

📘 WHAT YOU LEARNED IN THIS UNIT
🔹 VOCABULARY: REGULAR AND IRREGULAR VERBS
Regular: visited, watched, cleaned, played
Irregular: went, had, did, saw, got, came, ate
Spelling rules for regulars (study → studied, stop → stopped)
Past forms must be memorized for irregulars

🔹 AFFIRMATIVE, NEGATIVE, AND INTERROGATIVE FORMS
Affirmative: I saw a movie yesterday.
Negative: She didn’t go to work.
Question: Did they like the concert?
Wh- Questions: What did you do last weekend?

🔹 TIME EXPRESSIONS
Yesterday, last night, last year, in 2018, two weeks ago
Position: beginning or end of sentence
Help structure narratives clearly in past context

🔹 STORYTELLING WITH CHRONOLOGICAL CONNECTORS
First, then, after that, later, finally, in the end
Used to create clear sequence of events
Combined with feelings: I was tired but happy.

🔹 TALKING ABOUT PERSONAL EXPERIENCES
Use past simple for one-time actions: I met a celebrity once.
Include detail: We stayed in a cabin near a lake.
Reflective phrases: I’ll never forget it. / It was unforgettable.

🔹 SHORT ANSWERS AND QUESTIONS
Did you enjoy it? → Yes, I did. / No, I didn’t.
Practice for fluency and accuracy in conversations
Important for interviews, speaking exams, and small talk.

🔹 LISTENING AND RETELLING STORIES
Recognizing past forms in biographies and anecdotes
Understanding structure and transitions in spoken narratives
Using expressions like: When I was a child…, That day…, Suddenly…

💬 EXAMPLE DIALOG
Nora: What did you do over the weekend?
Mateo: On Saturday, I went hiking with some friends. Then we had dinner at a small restaurant.
Nora: Sounds fun!
Mateo: It was. On Sunday, I just relaxed. I didn’t do anything special.
Nora: Did you watch that new film on Netflix?
Mateo: No, I didn’t. Was it good?
Nora: I loved it. You should definitely watch it this week.